The #1 seed on East, Boston Celtics survived and eventually came out to win 133:128 the first match-up with the Indiana Pacers last night. The Celtics were 3 points down with 24 seconds remaining, when Indiana had possesion but Tyrese Haliburton made a strange mistake to turn the ball over. Jaylen Brown took full advantage from another Pacers mistake, tying the score 117:117 with a precise shot from distance, with less than 6 seconds remaining on the clock. Indiana failed to reply and the game headed into overtime. There, Boston outscored the Pacers 16:11 to take 1-0 lead in NBA’s Eastern Conference Final series.
In Game 1 of Celtics-Pacers…
Boston: 24-of-30 FT
Jayson Tatum: 10-of-12 FTIndiana: 9-of-10 FT
Celtics: 58 points in paint, 45 3PT attempts
Pacers: 56 points in paint, 35 3PT attempts pic.twitter.com/JI0QDBepBI— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 22, 2024
Boston, led by Jason Tatum’s double-double of 36 points and 12 rebounds had each of their starting line-up finishing the meeting in double-digits points. Seven of Indina’s roster scored more than 10 points, with Tyrese Haliburton recording a double-double of his own, with 26 points and 10 assists but two of his 3 turnovers on the night were crucial, costing Indiana the victory. The biggest difference between the two teams was in the free throw attempts. The Celtics were 24/30, while the Pacers shot 9 from 10, but 7 were in overtime and only 3 during the regular four quarters. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Thursday at TD Garden in Boston.