GAME RECAP: Indiana Pacers 135, Boston Celtics 132 (OT)

1. First Quarter

In Monday’s game against the Orlando Magic, Myles Turner injured his ankle late in the game and was ruled out for tonight’s game. Isaiah Jackson got the start in the place of Turner. During those Eastern Conference Finals games last season, Indiana often had first half success against the Celtics. That would be the case in the opening quarter as the team shot 56% in the opening quarter. The scoring quickly started with Andrew Nembhard converting a layup five seconds into the game. With 7:39 left in the quarter, Jaylen Brown put Boston ahead 13-12 with a layup. Indiana followed the Brown layup with a 7-0 run to lead 19-13. Boston would make it a one possession game just twice the final 6:04. The first instance came when Derrick White converted a reverse layup. Indiana was able to quickly get a basket from T.J. McConnell and then Luke Kornet converted both free throws with 1:39 to make it 28-25. Indiana closed the period with a Pascal Siakam three and an Aaron Nesmith layup to go up 33-25 with exactly one minute left. The Celtics did score a three at the buzzer with White sinking a thirty-footer to make it 35-31 after twelve minutes. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 9 points followed by Isaiah Jackson and Jaylen Brown with 7 points. Indiana held Boston, the league’s best three-point shooting team, to 2/8 in the opening quarter and Jayson Tatum to 3/8 shooting.

2. Second Quarter

Indiana opened the second quarter by scoring the first five points with T.J. McConnell converting a layup and Siakam burying his second three of the game to make it 40-31. It took some time, but Boston did trim its deficit to 46-45 with 7:46 left in the half after a Derrick White triple. Rick Carlisle’s team responded with a 9-0 run to take their first double-digit lead with a Ben Sheppard layup with 5:19 left in the period. The most Indiana would lead by in the first half was 13 points when Pascal Siakam converted a layup to make it 62-49 with 2:23 left in the quarter. The Pacers closed the quarter by maintaining a ten-point lead. At halftime, Indiana led Boston 67-57. Bennedict Mathurin led all scorers in the period with 9 points. Pascal Siakam led all scorers at intermission with 17 points followed by Jayson Tatum with 15 points. Indiana held Boston to 8/24 shooting behind the arc. The Pacers were also +3 on the glass and held Tatum and Brown to 10/27 in the first half for 25 points.

3. Third Quarter

In those Eastern Conference Finals games a season ago, Boston often dominated Indiana in the third quarter. Tonight, would be a different story. Bennedict Mathurin got the start in the second half in Andrew Nembhard’s spot and had it going immediately. After back-to-back threes from Siakam, Mathurin put Indiana ahead 75-61 with a midrange pullup jump shot. That basket was the first of eleven consecutive points by Mathurin. His backcourt counterpart, Tyrese Haliburton, drilled his first three of the game to put Indiana on top 87-68 with 7:27 left in the third. Mathurin’s final bucket of the third was a three to put Indiana up by 22 points with 6:33 left in the period. Indiana went from leading 70-61 to 92-68 with 4:47 left in the quarter. It felt like Indiana started coasting thinking that Boston would just give up, but they started chipping away. The Celtics closed the final 3:35 of the quarter by outscoring the Pacers 14-4 to trail 100-86 after thirty-six minutes. Tatum led all scorers with 24 points after three quarters followed by Siakam and Mathurin with 23 points. Haliburton had 12 points and 9 assists going into the fourth.

4. Fourth Quarter

With Boston closing out the previous quarter well, Indiana regrouped during the timeout and opened the final period outscoring the Celtics 12-5 to eclipse a twenty-point lead again following an Obi Toppin layup. With 8:55 left, the game started to take a turn. It just started feeling like the Celtics were ramping up their defensive intensity and started exposing defensive matchups. They went from down 21 to down ten with 3:34 left in regulation after a Tatum three. Isaiah Jackson then knocked down two free throws to push the Pacers lead back to a dozen. Boston then outscored Indiana 11-0 the next 2:07 to make it 122-121 after two Tatum free throws. White swished a three and Brown forced a turnover and then took it the other way for a dunk to represent the other five points during that stretch. With 20.8 seconds left, Haliburton converted a fadeaway jumped to end the two-minute scoring drought and to put his team up 124-121. Not even seven seconds later, Tatum tied the game with a step back three. The final possession in regulation was a double clutching three from Haliburton like he made against Philly, but he was unsuccessful. After four quarters, the two teams were tied at 124.

5. Overtime

For the second time in as many home games, the Indiana Pacers were going to overtime. Indiana’s All-Star point guard opened the scoring with his second three of the game to put his team on top. The red-hot Derrick White countered with a three almost two minutes later to even the game at 127 aside. Siakam went to the line with a chance to take another two-point lead, but he only converted one of the two free throws. Tatum would do the same thing as Siakam on the next possession for Boston. With 39.7 left in overtime, Derrick White gave Boston its largest lead with a layup to make it 132-130. Siakam would convert a fadeaway to tie the game and then Tatum took a quick three to give Boston to ensure another possession for his team, but it drew iron from three. However, Ben Sheppard was tied up on the rebound, but he did win the jump ball. Rick Carlisle elected not to call a timeout and Indiana generated a wide-open look for Siakam at the top of the arc, and he buried it with 7.3 seconds left. Boston called a timeout and drew up a play for the ice-cold Jaylen Brown and missed everything. Indiana had to inbound with 3.6 seconds left, and Haliburton threw it off the back of White and then ran up the court to run the clock out. Indiana snaps its three-game winning streak with a 135-132 overtime win.

6. Top Performers

Bennedict Mathurin (30p, 11r, 4a), Pascal Siakam (28p, 11r, 5a), Obi Toppin (18p, 7r), Tyrese Haliburton (17p, 12a, 6r, 2s), Aaron Nesmith (12p, 8r), Isaiah Jackson (10p, 5r, 2s, 2b), and T.J. McConnell (10p, 3a). For Boston, Jayson Tatum (37p, 8r, 4a, 4s), Jaylen Brown (25p, 6r, 5a, 2s, 2b), Derrick White (23p), and Peyton Pritchard (16p, 4r, 4a). For tonight’s full box score, click here.

7. Notes

• Tyrese Haliburton has recorded a double-double in back-to-back games
• Bennedict Mathurin recorded his first double-double of the season
• Bennedict Mathurin’s 11 rebounds tied the 2nd most in a game in his career
• Bennedict Mathurin’s 30 points mark the 7th time in his career that he has scored 30+
• Bennedict Mathurin recorded his first 30+ point and 10+ rebound game
• Pascal Siakam recorded his first recorded his first double-double of the season
• Andrew Nembhard started and only played the first 5 minutes and never returned. Rick Carlisle said after the game that he was experiencing knee soreness prior to tip-off
• Jayson Tatum has extends his Pacers opponent record of 30+ points in consecutive games to nine
• Indiana held Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to 1 point. The two combined to go 0/6 in OT
• Indiana is 1-1 in overtime this season, both home games have gone into OT
• Boston is 0-1 in overtime this season

8. Next Up

After one game at one, the Indiana Pacers hit the road for two games beginning Friday night in New Orleans and then Monday night in Dallas. Pat Boylan will get the pre-game show started at 7:30pm Friday night. Mark Boyle will have the play-by-play when the Pacers take on the Pelicans on 93.5/107.5 The Fan at 8pm.