The Boston Celtics bounced back from a quiet performance by Jayson Tatum to overpower the Indiana Pacers 126-110 in Thursday’s Eastern Conference Finals matchup. The win gives Boston a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with a playoff career-high 40 points, while Derrick White chipped in 23 points. Al Horford provided stability with a double-double (6 points, 10 rebounds). Even with an off shooting night, Tatum managed 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.
The Pacers were hampered by a left hamstring injury to All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton exited the game late in the third quarter and did not return. His scoring was limited to just 10 points. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle expects to know more about the severity of the injury on Friday.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 28 points, but Indiana’s offense struggled overall compared to Game 1. Only four Pacers reached double figures in scoring, and Myles Turner, who had a big Game 1, was held scoreless until the third quarter.
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Boston’s strong defense, ranked number 2 in the regular season, shut down the Pacers’ high-powered offense (number 2 in the league). The Celtics dominated in the paint (54-34 points) and capitalized on second-chance opportunities (18 points off 13 offensive rebounds). Indiana committed 16 turnovers, another area Coach Carlisle acknowledged needing improvement in.
