Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Pacers: Boston Finds Itself in Second Half, But Can't Dig Out of 30-Point Hole
The first quarter was as uninspiring as the Celtics have played in any period this season. Boston's lack of confidence was evident as the hosts again failed to find solutions for how teams have recently defended them.
The impact spilled over to the defensive end, a familiar theme for the Celtics when the game isn't going well, leading to a lack of connectivity and resistance.
With their heads held low and the home crowd booing their performance, the Pacers hung 42 points on Boston in the opening frame.
And while it got worse before it got better, the Celtics, more closely resembling the championship-caliber team they've been most of the season, outscored Indiana 69-46 in the second half.
Jayson Tatum led the charge, scoring 28 of his game-high 41 points in the second half. Boston's increased and maintained aggression translated to 26 points in the paint and 22 on second-chance opportunities in the final two quarters.
And while the Celtics didn't make enough positive plays to dig out of a 30-point hole, both halves of Wednesday's loss reinforce how they need to play and what they can do to solve the ways defenses are challenging them after their historic start offensively.
Now, to elaborate on that in a deep dive into what stood out in the Pacers' 117-112 victory in Boston.
Recent Problems Persist as Celtics Get Thoroughly Outplayed in the First Frame
Teams have figured out how to defend the Celtics.
The looks vary, but the points of emphasis are the same. In the opening quarter Wednesday night, the Pacers kept Myles Turner camped out in front of the rim and kept the rest of their defenders spaced out from each other, making it more challenging to put them in rotation.
Between that and playing tight to whoever brought the ball up, especially when Malcolm Brogdon, a reliable option to produce paint touches, checked in, Boston looked like a team searching for answers.
With their ball movement often failing to produce quality attempts, the Celtics finished the first frame with 22 points on 8/24 (33.3 percent) shooting, including going 1/8 (12.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
Several attempts at the rim not staying down and six turnovers, sloppy in nature, leading to eight Indiana points, didn't help either.
And with Boston's lack of confidence affecting its concentration and commitment at the defensive end, the Pacers, who entered the night generating the 13th most points per game, produced 42 in 12 minutes.
Their tempo and ball movement translated to shooting 62 percent from the field and knocking down 8/11 (72.7 percent) threes.
Taking advantage of the Celtics' lack of defensive connectivity and physicality, Indiana also registered 16 points in the paint.
Tyrese Haliburton entered the second quarter with 15 points, leading all scorers. Haliburton, a rising star, did so while demonstrating an impressive display of taking defenders off the dribble to get to the cylinder and burying three of his five long-range attempts.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with seven points. He did so on 1/5 shooting but went 4/4 at the free-throw line.
Pacers' Lead Grows to Nearly 30 at Halftime
With boos raining down at TD Garden -- a strange choice for a home crowd to opt for kicking their team while they're down as opposed to trying to provide an infusion of energy -- the Celtics' lack of confidence was evident.
They played like a group that's uncertain of their ability to find the solutions necessary to get back in this game.
While holding a team under 30 points in a period is a win, especially after Indiana scored 42 in the opening 12 minutes, 20 of the Pacers' 29 came in the paint.
With the hosts feeling sorry for themselves, they weren't staying connected defensively or playing with much physicality. In a clear sign of how comfortable Boston's guests were, the visitors repeatedly took time to celebrate their work after scoring.
And while the Celtics' struggles continued offensively, registering only 21 points, at least some solutions were right in front of them.
Boston's best possession came following a sideline inbounds when the hosts played with pace on a half-court set, as Robert Williams set a high-ball screen for Tatum, who quickly attacked downhill, getting to the rim for two points at the cup.
If, along with the defensive antidotes mentioned earlier, the Celtics consistently play up-tempo, challenge defenders to do more than get well-positioned, and take care of the ball, they can get back into this game despite trailing 71-43 at halftime.
Boston Fights Its Way Back into the Game in the Third Quarter
The Celtics needed a positive start to the third frame, and they delivered.
The period began with two stops and back-to-back threes by Al Horford, providing a shot of energy for the team and the crowd at TD Garden. Wisely, Rick Carlisle called for a timeout after Horford's second make from beyond the arc.
From there, with Tatum leading the charge, Boston began playing with pace and aggression, challenging defenders to actually stop them, not just get in a good position to do so.
That included Tatum delivering a welcome back gift to old friend Aaron Nesmith.
And with Boston stringing together stops and playing up-tempo, a Chris Duarte turnover led to a transition three for Grant Williams, open in his corner office.
Then came another stop and a Sam Hauser three from above the break, cutting the deficit to 13 as the crowd at TD Garden erupted.
The Pacers' drought continued at the other end, and when Grant Williams cleaned up a missed three by Tatum, it extended Boston's run to 14-3 and narrowed the gap to 89-78.
Indiana delivered the last punch of the period, as Chris Duarte buried a three from 29 feet to beat the end-of-quarter buzzer, extending the visitors' lead to 100-85 entering the final 12 minutes.
Still, the Celtics are back in this game, the atmosphere's become electric, and if Boston doesn't stray from playing up-tempo, aggressively, challenging defenders, and stays connected defensively, the hosts can complete this comeback.
Boston's Valiant Comeback Attempt Falls Short in Final Frame
With 4:15 left in the fourth quarter, the Celtics had held the Pacers to eight points in the period.
Combine that with Boston turning five offensive rebounds into ten second-chance points, and the Celtics found themselves down 108-101 with less than five minutes left.
They had a chance to cut it to five, but in a five-point swing the home team could ill-afford, Payton Pritchard missed an open layup, leading to an uncontested three Haliburton had all night to take; he didn't miss.
And despite Indiana not scoring for the final 2:09 and Tatum closing the game on a 6-0 run, there were too many opportunities not capitalized on to overcome a 30-point deficit. That included what probably added up to leaving double-digits worth of points on the table on missed layups.
The positive is the Celtics showed the fight necessary to nearly dig out of their 30-point hole, outscoring the Pacers 69-46 in the second half. Maintaining an aggressive approach led to 26 points in the paint and 22 on second-chance opportunities.
If Boston plays that way with consistency, not just when desperate, even if the Celtics don't get back to the historic pace they were once on, they'll be just fine offensively.
Up Next
The Celtics host the Timberwolves on Friday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Rick Carlisle Has High Praise for Celtics' Sixth Man and Former Pacer Malcolm Brogdon
Celtics Discuss the Roots of Their Offensive Struggles and the Keys to Getting Back on Track
Celtics Fans Certainly Will Love What Robert Williams Said After Loss to Magic
Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Opens up After Boston's Second Straight Loss vs. Magic
Breaking Down the Top 5 Plays from Sunday's Celtics-Magic Game
