Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Poorly Played 3rd Qtr. Sets Celtics Up for Controversial Loss to More Composed Pacers
Credit the Indiana Pacers: they regrouped at halftime after losing Tyrese Haliburton to a nasty-looking left hamstring injury after his leg slipped out from under him as he drove to the basket. The hosts of Monday's matchup then did a better job maintaining their composure than the Boston Celtics.
The latter, seemingly more affected by what happened to Indiana's star guard, gave up 44 points in the third quarter as the Pacers amplified their energy, parlayed six Boston turnovers into eight points, and got meaningful contributions up and down the roster.
Even when the Celtics stabilized and took the lead late in the frame or when they staged a 7-0 run to pull ahead 131-129 with 43.1 seconds left in the game, the hosts hung tough.
And while the visitors were without Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser, the team with the most talented top six in the NBA didn't need them in the lineup to finish off a sweep of this two-tilt mini-series.
They needed to defend better and limit their turnovers in the middle two periods, which accounted for 11 of their 15 giveaways. Indiana scored 20 points off those mistakes.
There were plenty of positive takeaways from Monday's matchup, though, including Jaylen Brown efficiently generating a season-high 40 points on 26 shots.
He was a force attacking downhill, producing 24 points in the paint -- no one else had more than ten -- pushing the pace in transition, scoring over smaller defenders, and capitalizing off of cuts.
The two-time All-Star should've gone to the free-throw line with a chance for two more points and the opportunity to put Boston ahead with 03.2 seconds left.
Instead, an egregious overruling of the call on the court upon replay review, with the fact the mistake came then as opposed to when the play unfolded, making it even more baffling, set the stage for Bennedict Mathurin, who scored a team-high 26 points off the Pacers' bench, helping lead a second unit that put 75 points on the board to get the free throws Brown didn't, propelling his team to a 133-131 victory.
The Celtics won't pass every test that comes their way, and that's alright. But on Monday, they got burned for putting themselves in a vulnerable position because the Pacers were the more composed team, and they didn't defend at the level they needed to.
Now for a deep dive into what stood out as that happened.
1. With Jayson Tatum inactive due to left ankle sprain management, the Celtics went double-big to start Monday's matchup, deploying Al Horford alongside Kristaps Porzingis.
2. Boston's ball movement was outstanding in the first frame. The visitors consistently attacked downhill, getting in and around the paint, moving the rock from one side to the other, and passing up good shots to generate great ones.
That translated to nine assists on 13 field goals, including faring 5/11 (45.5 percent) from beyond the arc and producing 16 points in the paint.
3. The driving force fueling the latter was Jaylen Brown. The two-time All-Star muscled his way to the rim, scored off cuts, pushed the pace in transition, and scored over smaller defenders.
He led the C's with 12 points in the opening period, helping them take a 34-33 edge into the second quarter.
3. In a very concerning moment, as Tyrese Haliburton drove to the rim, his leg slipped out from under him, resulting in an awkward fall. The All-Star guard, who had a towel draped over his head, got carried off the floor by his teammates.
During halftime, the Pacers ruled him out due to a left hamstring strain.
4. With Brown leading the charge, Boston manufactured 16 points in the paint for a second straight period. He accounted for six of those and drilled the two threes he hoisted, entering halftime with a game-high 25 points.
His offense, Payton Pritchard's sharpshooting, drilling all three attempts he took from beyond the arc, giving him 11 points at intermission, and Jrue Holiday, who had nine, stepping up and playing more aggressively on offense, helped the visitors hold a 68-59 advantage at the break.
5. The Celtics were the team more affected by Haliburton's injury than Indiana in the third quarter. It helped that the hosts had halftime to regroup.
While the former suddenly looked flat and wasn't playing with force at either end, the latter amplified its energy, including staging a 17-6 run to even the score at 80 at the 8:16 mark.
But Boston steadied itself, starting with an Al Horford three on a well-designed sideline out of bounds after a gift of a turnover by Indiana. That sparked a stretch where the visitors outscored the hosts 14-6, gaining a 97-92 lead with 2:29 to go before the final frame.
6. But with T.J. McConnell playing the role of the pest, providing an infusion of energy for his team, forcing turnovers, facilitating the offense, and putting eight points on the board on 4/6 shooting, Indiana struck back to take a 103-101 edge into the last 12 minutes.
The hosts also got seven points apiece from Myles Turner, Bruce Brown, and Aaron Nesmith, plus critical contributions from role players like Jalen Smith, who denied a dunk attempt by Brown, a block that fired up the crowd and his teammates.
Eight points off six Celtics turnovers were also an essential factor in how they rallied after halftime.
7. While the Pacers got 26 points off the bench in the fourth quarter, including 19 from Buddy Hield and Bennedict Mathurin, Boston went 8/10 at the free-throw line and got seven points apiece from Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis.
Between those two factors and Brown continuing to attack downhill and make his living in the paint en route to a season-high 40 points on 17/26 shooting and one of the visitors' best defensive stretches of the night, a 7-0 burst put them ahead 131-129 with 1:05 left.
But Indiana again regained its composure and tied the game when McConnell put Holiday in the spin cycle en route to a layup with 43.1 seconds left.
Brown (correctly) thought he earned a trip to the free-throw line with the score even at 131 and 03.2 seconds remaining, but the Pacers' prayer of a challenge got overturned despite Hield blatantly hitting the two-time All-Star on the back of the head. At a minimum, the contact happened at the same time he got the ball, which is still a foul.
At the other end, Kristaps Porzingis fouled Mathurin, a correct but frustrating call, especially because the latter jumped towards the seven-foot-three center.
Mathurin made the first two free throws, propelling the hosts to a 133-131 win.
Credit Indiana for how it rallied after losing Haliburton and regaining its composure after the Celtics' late 7-0 run to take the lead. As frustrating a loss as this is for the latter, they got burned for putting themselves in a poor position, getting outscored 44-33 in a third frame that set them up for defeat.
8. The Celtics now return home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. That matchup will tip off at 7:00 EST.
Further Reading
Celtics Make Decisions on 4 Players with More than Trades in Mind
Oshae Brissett Making Strong Case to Fill Celtics' Search for Big Wing
Celtics Maximization Fueled by Their Maturation: 'Not Taking Days for Granted'
Brad Stevens Shares What Celtics Are Looking to Add and How He Hopes to Do So
Brad Stevens Says Celtics Have 'Green Light' to Add to Payroll, But Boston Still Restricted
Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'
Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'
Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'
