Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pacers: Boston Weathers the Storm
In the Celtics' first game back from the All-Star break, Boston had its starting lineup intact for only the seventh time this season.
The visitors having their entire rotation available was necessary. The Pacers played with pace and the fiery edge of a young squad looking to prove itself against the team atop the NBA standings.
Indiana also found ways, elaborated below, to consistently create clean looks from beyond the arc, burying 22/49 (44.9 percent) of their threes. Myles Turner poured in a game-high 40 points, drilling 8/10 long-range attempts.
But Jayson Tatum (31 points) and Jaylen Brown (30) combined for 61, helping Boston weather the storm on a night that required a fifth frame.
And in a game where it became apparent the Celtics were better off with one of their bigs on the floor than two, abandoning double-big lineups after Robert Williams subbed out at the 6:34 mark in the third quarter, Boston got a needed boost from its bench, which outscored Indiana's second unit 22-13.
Downsizing with two guards on the floor to better match up with a smaller opponent who plays up-tempo, Malcolm Brogdon, who produced 24 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals, got the nod in crunch time and overtime over Derrick White.
While White logged 25 minutes to Brogdon's 37, the former played well, too, contributing 17 points on 6/12 shooting, knocking down 3/6 threes.
There was also another difference-maker in the matchup, elaborated on below in a deep dive into what stood out in each quarter of the Celtics' 142-138 overtime win over the Pacers.
Celtics Come Out of the Gates with Energy in First Frame Back from Break
After the long layoff, there were some sloppy passes early on, as the Celtics dribbled into turnover-prone situations, then threw the ball away. They had four giveaways in the first 4:30, resulting in eight of the Pacers' first ten points.
But other than that, Boston played well at the start, coming out of the gates with energy, allowing the visitors to capitalize on their talent advantage.
That included a sequence where Jaylen Brown perfectly timed his dig down, helping Al Horford against Myles Turner, swiping the ball from him, taking off down the floor, driving into Turner, initiating the contact, then finishing at the rim.
Shortly after that, with Brown again taking on Turner at the cup, the latter made contact with the former's mask as Brown got fouled by Buddy Hield. The two-time All-Star quickly checked on his cheek, made sure his mask was on properly, and he cashed in on two free throws that gave the Celtics an 18-13 lead with 6:08 to go in the opening frame.
That's also when Boston made its first substitution, bringing in Derrick White for Robert Williams. One of the layers of that decision is opting against short-shifting Jayson Tatum, a sign he would play the entire period, which he did. That also signaled Brown's breather was coming soon, happening 1:25 later, so he could return to start the second quarter.
White quickly made an impact, burying a three and spinning by rookie Bennedict Mathurin for a layup that extended the visitors' advantage to 26-17.
As the Celtics' second unit continued filtering into the game, Tatum anchored a lineup alongside White, Malcolm Brogdon, Grant Williams, and Luke Kornet. The latter got the nod over Mike Muscala to give Boston more size at center to match up with Turner.
That group got outscored 14-11, as Chris Duarte drilled a three from the left wing at the buzzer, trimming Indiana's deficit to 34-31 after 12 minutes.
White led all scorers with eight points on 3/3 shooting, including knocking down a pair of threes. Tatum and Brown had six apiece. The former also grabbed five rebounds, pacing all participants.
In a concerning moment late in the period, after a Brogdon steal, Tatum got whistled for a charge in transition. He braced his fall with his heavily taped left hand and wrist. He quickly popped up and stayed in the game, finishing his shift, but he checked on it a few times after that as the first frame played out.
The Celtics produced 12 points in the paint in the first quarter, turned four offensive rebounds into an 8-2 advantage on second-chance opportunities, assisted on 8/12 field goals, and shot 60 percent from the floor, including 5/10 from behind the arc.
As for the Pacers, Hield led the hosts with seven points, and Turner chipped in six. They also converted seven Boston turnovers into 10 points to help stay within three entering the second frame.
Brown and Brogdon Pace Celtics in Second Quarter
Three performances, in particular, stood out in the second quarter.
Brogdon was excellent, generating a period-best ten points on 4/5 shooting. Six came at the cylinder, manufacturing a pair of transition layups and charging downhill on a half-court possession.
Brogdon entered the break with 13 points on 5/7 shooting and contributed three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
White matched Brogdon's point production off the bench, scoring eight in the first quarter and five in the second. He also provided his trademark quick decision-making offensively and All-NBA caliber defense at the opposite end, helping hold Indiana to 25 in the second frame.
And in a period where Boston scored 33 points, despite a quiet first half from Tatum, who put six of those on the board, Brown registered nine of his fifteen points in the second quarter, including this thunderous throwdown.
That helped the visitors claim a 68-58 edge after 24 minutes.
The Celtics held a 28-20 advantage in points in the paint, their second unit outscored the hosts 30-22, and they assisted on half their field goals, facilitating that helped them shoot 52 percent from the floor, including 9/21 (42.9 percent) on threes.
But misses from in close and at the free-throw line resulted in the Pacers outproducing Boston 12-6 in the final 3:07 of the second quarter, helping them cut a 16-point deficit to something more manageable for the second half.
Pacers Catch Fire from Behind the Arc in Third Frame
The Celtics, who consistently get off to slow starts in the second half this season, came out ice cold in the third quarter. While Boston threw up one brick after another, the red-hot Pacers erased a deficit that once stood at 16, taking the lead on a Tyrese Haliburton three that put the hosts ahead 71-70, as the visitors' ten-point halftime advantage evaporated at the 9:27 mark.
The Celtics struggled to contain Haliburton throughout the period, as the engine that drives Indiana's offense had the hosts humming.
Haliburton generated eight points and five assists in the third frame, consistently pushing the pace off Boston's misses, helping create quality, in-rhythm looks that led to the Pacers putting 39 points on the board, drilling 8/14 threes.
Haliburton also got into it with Marcus Smart in what developed into a chippy third quarter. That included the former blocking a three by the latter and Smart going through Haliburton for a layup, then picking up a technical for flexing on him.
Turner led all participants with 13 points, burying 6/7 threes, repeatedly making the visitors pay for leaving him open as he flared after setting an on-ball screen. He entered the final frame with 27 points on 9/11 shooting, including 6/8 from beyond the arc.
Indiana also got 11 points from Hield in the third period.
No one on the Celtics scored in double figures, but their offense warmed up enough for them to put 32 points on the board. Tatum paced Boston with nine, and Brown chipped in seven.
That helped Boston take a 100-97 edge into the final 12 minutes.
Fourth Quarter a Heavyweight Slugfest
With both teams trading blows at the start of the fourth quarter, Sam Hauser swatted a Jordan Nwara layup attempt, his third block of the game. At the other end, Tatum swung the ball to Brogdon, who drove and slung it to Hauser for a left-corner three, extending the Celtics' lead to 111-102 with 9:09 remaining.
At that juncture, Hauser was 3/3 from the field, had three blocks, and a plus-minus rating of plus-20 in ten minutes.
But the Pacers swiftly responded with a 14-3 run to regain the lead, including another three from Turner and one from Mathurin. And when Aaron Nesmith followed up the latter's three by stripping the ball from Smart and going in strong for a layup through contact, it put Indiana ahead 116-114 with 5:49 to go.
But the Celtics countered with a 7-2 burst, gaining a 124-120 advantage on a Brogdon three with 3:11 left.
But Boston's execution down the stretch was terrible. That included Brown missing 2/3 free throws, Tatum not converting on a layup, then throwing the ball away, and Brown following that up by airmailing a pass to Horford as Boston failed to capitalize on a two-on-one opportunity with Indiana's second defender, Aaron Nesmith, on Brown's inside hip.
The Celtics' struggles in the final minutes of regulation resulted in the score knotted at 125 after 48 minutes and the need for a fifth frame.
Boston Weathers the Storm
The Pacers pushed off makes all night, and that didn't stop at the start of overtime. After a bucket by Smart, Boston lost track of Mathurin, who buried a three from the right corner, putting the hosts ahead 130-127 with 4:19 remaining.
Smart manufactured seven of the Celtics' first eight points in the extra period. The other came on a Tatum free throw after Mathurin got a technical for throwing an air punch, expressing his disagreement for a foul call against him, sending Smart to the line for three shots. It was a soft call, but something the NBA takes a hardline stance on; if it even resembles a punch, it's a technical.
And when Smart attacked off the catch and knocked down a pull-up below the free-throw line, the visitors, on a 6-0 run, took a 133-130 lead with 3:11 on the clock.
In a wild sequence in which Boston deserved a better fate, the Celtics did well to keep up with the Pacers' swinging the ball around, keeping them in rotation. Aided by Andrew Nembhard passing up an open three in the left corner, the visitors got a stop.
But when Tatum tried to save the rebound, which was going out off Boston, it ended up in Nesmith's hands, and he not only got a layup, but Smart fouled him in the process. Nesmith's free throw tied the game at 136 with 1:40 left.
But the Celtics continued weathering the storm, then delivered the knockout blow when Tatum missed a three, Smart grabbed the board, and his baseline jumper was off the mark, but Tatum came swooping in for a tip-in that put Boston ahead 142-138 with 10.1 seconds remaining.
That proved the final score, as the Celtics turning 20 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points proved the difference, allowing Boston to overcome the Pacers drilling 22 threes.
Up Next
The Celtics take on the Sixers Saturday night in the City of Brotherly Love. That game tips off at 8:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
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Jayson Tatum Unveils Jordan Tatum 1's
Wyc Grousbeck Expects Celtics to Make Another Move: 'We’re Not Saving Roster Spots for a Rainy Day'
Joe Mazzulla Opens Up About Celtics Naming Him Head Coach: 'a Dream Come True'
