Celtics-Pacers takeaways: Jaylen wins ECF MVP with full C sweep originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics punched their ticket to the 2024 NBA Finals with another hard-fought win in Indiana.
It will go down in the record books, but it was without a doubt the most competitive postseason series so far for Boston. The Pacers forced overtime in Game 1, led late in Game 3, and led with less than a minute left in Game 4. In the series clincher, the Celtics erased a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter and played lockdown defense . the final stretch to secure the 105-102 victory.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 29 points and was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Jayson Tatum added 26 points, while Jrue Holiday and Derrick White scored 17 and 16, respectively.
Andrew Nembhard had another strong showing for Indiana with a team-high 24 points. Pascal Siakam had 19 and TJ McConnell added 15 off the bench.
The Celtics will face the Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Finals. Dallas holds a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals and will look to complete their own sweep on Tuesday night.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 pm ET at TD Garden. You can see the full finals schedule here.
Before we look ahead to the championship round, here are three takeaways from Boston’s decisive win over Indiana.
Jaylen Brown Finishes Strong to Win ECF MVP
Brown has repeatedly come up big for the Celtics in this series, so it’s only fitting that he was the one who powered Boston to another comeback victory in Game 4.
The two-time All-Star overcame a slow start (1-7 FG) and caught fire in the second half, making 10 of his next 15 shots. He led all scorers with 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting (4-8 3-PT), including 19 in the second half.
Brown, perhaps playing with extra motivation later his contempt for the NBA, saved the day for the C’s late in the fourth quarter. He hit a game-tying shot and made a great block on Andrew Nembhard
Jaylen Brown with the game-saving block on Andrew Nembhard, then hit Derrick White for a triple to give Boston their first lead of the second half, then gave it to Derrick White for the go-ahead 3-pointer.
Brown was awarded the Larry Bird Trophy after the win, and it was well deserved. He averaged 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 51.7% from the floor in the series.
Derrick White puts on a defensive clinic
Even when White’s shots don’t fall, he still finds a way to leave his mark on the game. That was the case again in Monday’s clash.
White’s all-defensive talents were on full display from start to finish. He ended up with five steals and three blocks, becoming just the third Celtic to have at least three blocks and four steals in a playoff game, according to stats guru Dick Lipe.
White is the first player since Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen with at least five steals and three blocks in a conference finals game.
Although White struggled from beyond the arc (2-9 3-PT), he stepped up offensively when it mattered most. He drilled what turned out to be the game-winning 3-pointer with 48.9 seconds left. He finished with 16 points (7-14 FG), five steals, four rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 42 minutes.
Celtics take advantage of Pacers mistakes late in the game
If not for a few mistakes late in the game, the Pacers it could theoretically has a 3-1 series lead now. Three of the series’ four games came down to the wire and could have had a much different outcome had Indiana avoided its late-game mistakes.
Late comebacks have haunted the Pacers in this series. They had five fourth-quarter comebacks in Game 1, four in Game 2, two in Game 3 and three in Game 4. They were on the offensive during Monday’s critical period, going scoreless in the final 3:33.
It can be argued that in previous years, the Celtics would have given up and failed to take advantage of their opponent’s mistakes. This C’s team has proven that they are different and that could be the key to Banner 18.
