The Indiana Pacers went on a late fourth quarter run and put seven players in double figures on Monday night, in defeating the Boston Celtics 122-112 in a NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinal played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The game was very back and forth and saw 16 lead changes and 15 ties. Boston held Indiana, who is averaging 129 points per game so far this season, to 48 in the first half and would lead 55-48 at the break. The Pacers came alive, including a 37 point third quarter, and took the biggest lead of the night at 11 thanks to an 8-0 run at 85-74. The Celtics came back to tie it 94-94 on a Jaylen Brown three-pointer with 6:07 left to play. The visitors had their final lead by one point 99-98 on a Jayson Tatum free throw with 4:19 remaining. With the score even at 105 with 1:57 showing on the clock, Tyrese Haliburton hit a three-pointer and was fouled by Brown to complete a four point play to give Indiana (11-8) the lead for good. Buddy Hield hit a three-pointer and Aaron Nesmith had a fastbreak dunk to complete a 9-0 run to send the Pacers to Las Vegas for the semifinal round of the tournament, by scoring 74 second half points in the victory.
Tatum led Boston in the loss with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Brown finished with 30 points and nine rebounds. Derek White and Sam Houser also finished in double figures with 18 and 15 points respectively. White added four rebounds and eight assists, and Hauser hauled in six rebounds as the Celtics fell to 15-5 on the season. Haliburton had a triple double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists to lead Indiana, and his team hit 19-40 from the three-point arc (47.5%). Hield had 21 points, while five others also hit double figures as Myles Turner had 17, Bennedict Mathurin 16, Nesmith 14, Bruce Brown 13, and Obi Toppin had 12. The Pacers had lost to the C’s 155-104 in Boston back on November 1. Boston will return home and back to regular season action on Friday night to play the loser of the other Eastern Conference In-Season Tournament quarterfinal between Milwaukee and New York.
