The Boston Celtics Got Exactly What They Needed Against the Pacers

The Boston Celtics raced out to a 12-0 lead against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday, May 21. It took overtime, but the Celtics inched closer to a berth in the 2024 NBA Finals after a 133-128 victory at TD Garden.

It was a roller-coaster affair for Boston. At times, the Celtics looked sharp and hungry. Other times, they looked sluggish and careless. In any case, they ran their record to 9-2 in the postseason and got the Game 1 victory. More importantly, they got exactly what they needed.

‘Chaos’ Is Exactly What the Boston Celtics Needed

In Boston’s previous eight postseason victories this year, only one was by 10 points or less. Even their two losses were blowouts. The Celtics hadn’t been in a game that came down to the wire. Game 1 against the Pacers did.

Despite jumping out to the early lead, the Celtics and Pacers were tied at halftime. The Pacers even tattled off the first five points of the second half to take a 69-64 lead. Boston led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but the lead never felt safe.

The Pacers had a chance to put the game away late, but turned the ball over with a three-point lead. Jaylen Brown then sent the game into overtime with an in-your-face 3-pointer. Boston outscored Indiana 16-11 in the extra session to pull out the win.

It’s a victory the Celtics probably wouldn’t have pulled out a year ago. Age, experience, and maturity took over against the young Pacers.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who scored 36 points and had 12 rebounds, called the game “chaos.” Chaos is exactly what the doctor ordered for Boston.

“That (expletive) was chaos,” Tatum told reporters after the game. “That (expletive) was wild. Just stay present. Stay in the moment.

“As long as there’s time on the clock, and the game is within reach, we feel like we have a chance. This core group has been in so many big-time games, big-time moments, where we’ve had a lead, lost it and still won or been down and figured out a way to win. I’ve had a lot of crazy endings in this building. In a weird way, we’ve been there before. We always believe.”

The Celtics’ Experience Won Out Against the Pacers’ Youth

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle took full responsibility for the loss, but in the end, Indiana committed 21 turnovers, including several in key moments. One of those came in the final seconds with the Packers holding a lead. It set up Brown’s late-game heroics.

“This loss is totally on me,” Carlisle said at his postgame press conference. “With 10 seconds left in regulation, we should’ve just taken the timeout, advanced the ball, and found a way to get it in and make a free throw or two and end the game. It didn’t happen.”

Veteran guard Jrue Holiday, in his first season with the Celtics, made an impact on both sides of the ball. He finished with a season-high 28 points and was locked in defensively, collecting three steals.

“We had a lot of turnovers that would be hard to explain,” Carlisle said, “but this is conference finals in the NBA playoffs.”

It was a gut-wrenching win for the Celtics, but it was the kind they desperately needed.