Indiana – Boston, act II. Already opposed to each other on Saturday evening (C's victory), the two most effective attacks in the country found themselves again on the side of Indianapolis and, as expected, the meeting was very focused on the attack.
On arrival, however, they are Pacers who took their revenge on the Celtics in the very last moments (133-131), at the cost of a much better second half than the first.
Without Jayson Tatum this time, absent (ankle) after his card two days ago, it's Jaylen Brown (40 points) who was responsible for carrying Celtic hopes throughout the evening. The problem is that he was not able to respond until the end to Indiana's impressive offensive strike force: seven players with more than 10 points, and in particular Bennedict Mathurin (26), author of the free throws to win at the last second.
TO REMEMBER
– Tyrese Haliburton's injury. This is obviously the news of the night: the exit of the All-Star leader in the first half, after a slip on the floor. Very quickly, he collapsed in pain and had to be carried by his teammates back to the locker room. Ultimately, it seems that this injury is less serious than expected, because even if he did not return to the game all evening, “Rese” is currently “only” suffering from a strained hamstring. To be continued…
– Jaylen Brown was not enough against the Indiana collective. Without Jayson Tatum, hampered by his ankle, “JB” held his position as interim boss of the Celtics, with his season points record. Without a solution against him, the Pacers' defense gradually contented itself with containing the other Celtic attackers as best as possible, without forgetting to break Boston's barrier, with the help of its fiery collective: seven players with more than 10 points, and even ten with at least 7 points. Impressive, even more so in the absence of its maestro Tyrese Haliburton for more than half-time.
– Bennedict Mathurin, hero of the evening. Author of the free throws for the win at the last second, after causing Kristaps Porzingis to foul just before the buzzer sounded, the Canadian was the Pacers' strong man coming off the bench. Untenable offensively, he took advantage of a Celtic defense that was not always in place and aggressive to punish it, again and again. Well helped by his friends TJ McConnell and Buddy Hield, without forgetting Aaron Nesmith or Myles Turner in the starting five, “Benny” therefore confirms his place among the best replacements in the league.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
