Celtics-Pacers takeaways: Jrue and the Jays come out on top in Game 1 originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON – If Game 1 is any indication, we’re in for a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals series between the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.
It took an extra period to decide the winner of Tuesday’s series premiere. Boston led Indiana by 13 points in the third quarter, but the Pacers would not go down easily. They held the C’s to just two points over the final 3:23 of the frame and cut the deficit to one point.
Indiana regained the lead with just under five minutes left in the quarter, giving Boston just its second clutch game of the postseason. The Celtics were on the verge of losing Game 1 at home, then Jaylen Brown made the game-tying 3-pointer with 5.7 seconds left to force overtime.
In OT, fellow C star Jayson Tatum overcame a difficult situation and scored 10 points – including a huge 3-pointer with 42.8 seconds left – to lead Boston to a 133-128 victory.
All five of the C’s starters scored in double figures, with Tatum (36 points), Jrue Holiday (28 points) and Brown (26 points) leading the way. Al Horford and Derrick White each dropped 15.
Indiana had seven players score in double figures, including Tyrese Haliburton (25 points), Pascal Siakam (24 points) and Myles Turner (23 points).
Game 2 at TD Garden is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. Coverage begins on NBC Sports Boston with Celtics Pregame Live at 7 p.m.
First, here are three takeaways from a wild Game 1.
The Jays pass in the clutch
The Celtics needed their stars to move forward with the game on the line and they rose to the occasion.
It wasn’t good for most of the fourth quarter. Tatum and Brown fought mightily in the frame until it mattered more. Brown made up for his rough stretch with an incredible game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into OT.
Tatum went 2-for-10 in the quarter and OT before scoring six straight points on a layup and a 3. He finished with 10 points in the OT period to seal the win.
Brown finished with 26 points (10-20 FG), seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. His 3-pointer (1-4) may have been the biggest shot of his NBA career.
Tatum had a game-high 36 points (12-26 FG, 2-8 3-PT) with 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Twelve of his points came from the line.
Jrue Holiday’s best game as Celtic
Holiday picked a great time to have his best offensive performance with the C’s.
The perennial all-defensive team – named second team All-Defense earlier in the day – advanced with a season-high 28 points on efficient 10-of-16 shooting (4-8 3-PT). His stellar outing continues what has been a hot streak dating back to Game 3 against Cleveland.
As Celtics stats guru Dick Lipe notesThis is the first time since late December that Holiday has scored at least 13 points in four consecutive games.
While leading the C’s offensively, Holiday made his usual impact on the defensive end. His presence was felt throughout the match, including in the third quarter, when he attacked former Celtic Aaron Nesmith.
Holiday’s D-block on Haliburton was key to Boston finishing the hard-fought victory.
“[Jrue Holiday] He’s the best defender in the NBA and has been for a long time,” Haliburton said after the game. “I’ll learn from this and I’ll be better in Game 2.”
Holiday added eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals in his outstanding all-around performance.
Fouls and turnovers doom Indiana
The Pacers’ high octane offense It was as advertised in Game 1, but 53.5 percent shooting from the field still wasn’t enough to overshadow his foul and turnover issues.
Indiana’s 21 turnovers were a playoff record. Boston capitalized on those mistakes with 32 points.
The C’s also got to the line for an impressive 30 free throw attempts. The Pacers had just 10 attempts, and only two, until Nesmith finally got to the line with 3:18 left in the fourth quarter.
Their carelessness made the difference and was costly in the most critical moments of the game. They turned the ball over on an inbounds pass with 8.5 seconds left in regulation, leading to Brown’s 3-all. In OT, Haliburton’s turnover with 1:02 left was a killer.
Twenty-four of the Celtics’ points came from the charity stripe, meaning 56 of the 133 points came from Pacers fouls or turnovers. No matter how good Indiana’s offense is, it won’t be enough against this Boston team.
