The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 142-105 in the first of a two-game series. Jaylen Brown had a dominant 44-point game as Boston cruised to victory. Both teams entered the game shorthanded. The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, who were both dealing with injuries. The Pacers were missing Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, and Aaron Nesmith. After a rough stretch, the Boston Celtics bounced back in a big way and improved to 23-8. The Pacers fell to 15-17.
The Boston Celtics Start Hot
Both teams came out firing on offense. It was fast-paced with many three-point attempts. They weren’t all falling, but with how quickly they played and how much they were shooting, it had the feeling of a high-scoring affair. The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers went back and forth. Brown and Benedict Mathurin carried the scoring load early on, getting to the rim and hitting shots from the perimeter. The Celtics then built a double-digit lead on a 15-2 run when their threes began to fall. Brown was on fire and his excellent scoring put Boston ahead. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 39-22. Brown had 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting.
The Pacers tried to claw their way back in the second quarter. Pascal Siakam heated up and Tyrese Haliburton began to score, but Brown continued to dominate on offense and defense, getting steals and throwing down some mean dunks to the delight of the Boston crowd. Despite this, Indiana would not go away. The Celtics nearly took a 30-point lead, but a pair of Siakam threes brought the deficit down to 22. Still, Boston had a commanding lead and was firing on all cylinders. At halftime, the Boston Celtics led 67-45.
Entering on their worst stretch of the season, the Boston Celtics were motivated. They were playing good defense, moving the ball, hitting their threes, and crashing the glass. Brown had a monster first half with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Jayson Tatum already had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Payton Pritchard also contributed off the bench with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Siakam led the Pacers with 12 points, followed by Haliburton with 10, and Mathurin with 7. Indiana had a large deficit to overcome, but as one of the fastest teams in the NBA, it was not out of reach. The Celtics had blown leads before this season.
The Celtics Cruise to Victory
The third quarter was more of the same for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics pushed their lead to 30 with Brown, Tatum, and others continuing to dominate. The team was finally locked in defensively, and the Pacers were not shooting well enough to mount a significant comeback. Indiana did go on a scoring run eventually, trimming Boston’s 30-point lead down to 23. However, at the end of the third quarter, the Boston Celtics led 103-78.
The last time these teams played it came down to overtime, but overtime was not necessary for this game. Brown kept on scoring, even with the large lead. He had his best shooting night of the season with six three-pointers and a season-high in points. With the game out of reach, the Boston Celtics put in their bench unit. Players like Jordan Walsh and Drew Peterson, who rarely see the floor, got the opportunity tonight. The Boston Celtics led by as much as 38 and cruised to a 142-105 win. It was their highest-scoring game and largest win of the season.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 23-8 with the win. Before this, they had lost two games in a row and three out of their last four. Brown had his best game of the season with 44 points on 16-of-24 shooting with 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Tatum finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds while Pritchard had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The Indiana Pacers dropped to 15-17 with the loss. Tyrese Haliburton led the team with 19 points and 9 assists, followed by Mathurin with 18. This was a much-needed win for the Boston Celtics, but the Pacers have a chance at revenge when they play again on Sunday.
