Indiana Pacers Nab 9th Win of the Season with Clutch Victory Against Boston Celtics
After starting the season at a dreadful 6-31 through the first 37 games so far, the Indiana Pacers notched their third straight win in a nail-biting 98-96 finish to notch their 9th win of the year.
Jay Huff Stars for Indiana While Pascal Siakam Seals the Win For the Pacers
It was coming out party of sorts for Pacers Center Jay Huff, who continues to be a bright spot for Indiana during this tough season. The fifth-year NBA journeyman dropped in 20 points in the win, which marked his second 20-point game in 5 games, as Huff has been on a bit of a hot streak as of late.
However, Huff wasn’t the only Pacers player putting together another solid performance, as All-Star Forward Pascal Siakam joined in on the action while also playing hero for Indiana. The former Raptor finished with a solid stat line of 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, while also hitting the game-winning shot with 6 seconds left to give the Pacers the win.
The Pacers played their usual brand of team basketball, with four players scoring in double figures, in an overall productive day on the offensive side of the ball for Indiana. Pacers Guard Andrew Nembhard had himself a nice outing in the win, as the former Bulldog notched 13 points and 9 assists in a near double-double performance.
Celtics Offense Sputters In Jaylen Brown’s Absence
It was going to be an uphill battle for the Celtics coming into tonight’s game, as All-Star Jaylen Brown was a late injury scratch before the game due to back spasms. Tonight’s game marked just the fourth game missed by Brown this season.
The absence of Brown left the Celtics with a limited scoring punch on offense, and that was none more evident than in the three-point shooting department. The Celtics shot just 25% from beyond the arc, as the Pacers’ defense was able to close out to Boston’s shooters all night.
There were some solid performances from a few Celtics players despite the loss. The most notable was Payton Pritchard, who continues to shine as the Celtics’ starting point guard this season. Last season’s Sixth Man of the Year winner finished with 23 points and 8 assists in the loss.
Celtics Drop Down In the Eastern Conference Standings
Following tonight’s loss, the Celtics officially moved down a spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics now sit in the third-place spot in the East, with the Knicks leapfrogging them for second place.
For the Pacers, there’s a lot more positivity going on in the standings department for them. With their third straight win tonight, Indiana moves just a game back of the Washington Wizards for 14th in the East. While that certainly won’t move the needle for a potential playoff push, it will at least give Pacers fans a little bit to cheer about in this lost season so far.
