The Indiana Pacers gave the Boston Celtics a tough challenge in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night. Indiana held a five-point lead with under two minutes remaining in regulation, but Boston managed to force overtime and ultimately secured a 133-128 victory to take an early lead in the best-of-seven series.
Despite their success, the top-seeded Celtics have struggled in Game 2s this postseason. They failed to go up 2-0 against the Miami Heat in the first round and settled for a 1-1 series tie against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semifinals. Boston star Jaylen Brown acknowledged the challenge, stating, “We just gotta be prepared. We know it. We’ve seen it. We’ve been hearing it. Now we just have to come out and execute and be better. We will.”
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals is scheduled for Thursday in Boston. In Game 1, Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 36 points and 12 rebounds, including 10 points in overtime. Jrue Holiday contributed 28 points, and Brown added 26.
Andrew Nembhard’s 3-pointer gave the Pacers a 115-110 lead with 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Boston rallied. Holiday’s layup and Brown’s free throws brought the Celtics within one point. Nembhard made a jumper to extend Indiana’s lead to 117-114, but Brown tied the game with a corner three-pointer. The game went to overtime after Tyrese Haliburton missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Haliburton led the Pacers with 25 points and 10 assists, while Pascal Siakam recorded 24 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Myles Turner added 23 points for Indiana.
Despite their efforts, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle emphasized the need for his team to maintain their resilience for Game 2, stating, “Our guys just need to concentrate on fighting the way they fought in (Game 1) from start to finish, and we’ll be back Thursday.”
Boston capitalized on Indiana’s turnovers, scoring 32 points off 22 turnovers. The Celtics also excelled at the free-throw line, shooting 24-for-30 compared to Indiana’s 9-for-10.
The game was closely contested, with the Celtics leading 34-31 after the first quarter and the score tied at 64-64 at halftime. The Pacers closed the gap to four points, 92-88, late in the third quarter and trailed by just one point, 94-93, entering the fourth.
Brown emphasized the importance of defense for the Celtics, particularly in transition, stating, “Defense is where we have to hang our hat. We have to make sure we execute on defense and the majority of it is transition — getting back in transition. No layups. Gotta run.”
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