When Kristaps Porzingis went down early with an eye fixed harm on Saturday evening in Indianapolis, it spelled some hassle for the Celtics. Porzingis is the brand new key to Boston’s engine, they usually clearly missed him the final time they had been on this constructing final month, after they misplaced to the Pacers within the In-Season Tournament.
But the Celtics nonetheless have Jayson Tatum, and their strengths lie not solely of their depth however their capacity to adapt and overcome unexpected challenges when the sport isn’t unfolding precisely as anticipated.
The Celtics performed with some hearth on Saturday evening. They led wire-to-wire, however let the Pacers dangle round as a result of they dedicated too many turnovers, ending with 18 of them, and a few weird taking pictures on the free-throw line. But they stayed in management. They had a solution to each Pacers run, after which buried them with a powerful end to seize a powerful 118-101 victory.
Tatum scored 38 factors, together with eight 3-pointers and 15 fourth-quarter factors, with 14 rebounds and 6 assists, Jaylen Brown had 31 factors, and the Celtics acquired main contributions down the stretch from others within the absence of Porzingis, together with Al Horford and Oshae Brissett. Boston’s protection shined within the fourth quarter as they restricted Tyrese Haliburton and the league’s greatest offense. An evening after the Pacers recorded an obscene 50 assists for 150 factors, the Celtics held them to a season-low 101 factors.
The Celtics had been lucky that the Pacers missed lots of open appears as they went 8-for-42 from deep, however other than a number of runs, by no means let the hosts get into an actual rhythm. Haliburton, who torched the C’s final month, completed with simply 17 factors and 7 assists.
The C’s, who led by as many as 16 within the first half, allowed the Pacers to get inside two twice within the third quarter. After not making an attempt a single free throw within the first half, the Celtics in some way missed three of their first 11 makes an attempt on the line within the third quarter. Tatum and Derrick White had been mired in some foul hassle, and had been on the bench for a lot of the interval. But the C’s dismissed each Pacers run and by no means misplaced the lead.
Then, Tatum took over. An early 3-pointer within the fourth ignited a 14-2 run, and the Celtics by no means appeared again. Brissett, who had 5 offensive rebounds, scored a three-point play. Tatum then transformed a three-point play, then after a White block of Haliburton, buried one other pull-up 3-pointer to place the C’s up 15.
With Porzingis out due to his eye harm, a contemporary Horford – who rested in Friday evening’s win over the Jazz – helped carry the Celtics house. He blocked Haliburton on the rim. Moments later, he completely learn a Haliburton cross and deflected it for a steal, then discovered Brown for an alley-oop in transition. He then discovered Brissett for a 3-pointer for his eighth help of the evening that put the Celtics up 16, and successfully sealed the victory.
Source: www.bostonherald.com