Coaching wins milestone earned in Celtics-Pacers Monday night showdown

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and Celtics counterpart Joe Mazzulla chased signature wins in Boston.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is getting key production from the likes of center Neemias Queta on a revamped roster doing a nice job of treading water until Jayson Tatum's expected return a few months into 2026. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

1. Depth fuels Mazzulla's Celtics' rally, denies Carlisle win No. 1,000

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

For the better part of Monday night’s game, it looked like Rick Carlisle would get win No. 1,000 at TD Garden, victimizing the Celtics franchise he spent most of his playing career with. 

While that would’ve been a fitting way to get his milestone win after an 0-4 run since capturing win No. 999, Boston had other ideas. Jaylen Brown saved his best for last, scoring 14 of his 31 in a fourth quarter the Celtics dominated 29-13 to win 103-95. The Pacers have now blown fourth-quarter leads against Philadelphia, New York and Boston during this five-game losing streak.

Joe Mazzulla ended up getting win No. 200 at Carlisle’s expense thanks to his team outscoring Indiana 60-34 over the final 24 minutes. He ended up benching his starters after falling behind 69-49 a few minutes into the second half, which was the right move since it served as a wake-up call. 

“To be honest I was pissed. I was ready to play, I didn’t feel like we were mailing it in, it was only three minutes in, but we trust our coaching staff. It was the right decision. That second group was the reason why we won the game. It was a great call by Joe.”

Unfortunately for Carlisle, he simply doesn’t have the luxury of pulling his main guys in searching for an energy boost since his roster is so depleted. G League import Ethan Thompson started ahead of Quenton Jackson, but those two have been interchangeable of late. Thompson played 34 minutes, while Jackson finished second in playing time among reserves behind Johnny Furphy.

Jackson provided nine of Indiana’s 18 bench points as the reserves finished 5-for-16 from the field and were outscored by 14 by their Boston counterparts.

2. Hot shooting allowed Pacers to surge ahead, but cooled late

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics guard Baylor Scheierman (55) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Indiana connected on eight 3-pointers in the first quarter, by far their most productive shooting spree of the season. Pascal Siakam, Nembhard, Mathurin, Thompson and center Jay Huff all connected from deep as the entire starting lineup got in the act on a 35-point first quarter. At one point, the Pacers were 11-for-16 on 3-pointers, but they wore down and couldn't knock down their looks from beyond the arc when it mattered most. Indy closed 3-for-24 on 3-pointers and saw Furphy and Jarace Walker combine to go 1-for-8 off the bench. Garrison Mathews, signed to be a marksman Carlisle could count on in key situations, played only in the final minute with the game's outcome already decided.

3. Mathurin must emerge to fill out Pacers' "Big Three"

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) and Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) battle for the ball during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

In the modern NBA, teams need three standouts to drive success. Boston seems to have found Payton Pritchard to deliver on a nightly basis next to proven commodities Brown and Derrick White. With Siakam and Nembhard delivering nightly in similar fashion to what the Celtics' key pieces bring to the table, Bennedict Mathurin must fill the role of a consistent threat on a nightly basis. He's got to take over and be the go-to guy at times, but more than anything, he's got to find ways to be a factor night after night. Mathurin was aggressive in Boston, taking 20 shots, blocking Brown in a memorable play at the rim and finishing with a team-high nine rebounds, but it feels like he's got it in him to do much more. Considering his future with Indiana remains up in the air since he's expected to be traded or signed long-term, now is the ideal time for him to ensure the Pacers want to keep him. Finishing with 16 points on 20 shots is inefficient. No assists in nearly 38 minutes of play is laughably sad. No one had a worse plus-minus than Mathurin's -21. He must step up and be better.

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