Celtics maintain off shorthanded Pacers for 128-123 win behind Jaylen Brown’s 32 factors

Jaylen Brown stored the Celtics offense afloat as he and Jayson Tatum every dropped in 30+ factors, pushing Boston to a tricky win over a testy Pacers staff, 128-123.

Brown scored 32 with seven assists, Tatum scored a less-efficient 31 and all 5 Celtics starters scored in double-figures as Boston stored within the East’s top-3 on Friday night time.

Sixth man Derrick White was additionally in double figures for the C’s, scoring 13 with 8/8 free throws. Al Horford had himself an evening, as the massive man completed with 17 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

The Celtics had a comparatively gentle damage sheet, lacking simply Robert Williams and Nik Stauskas. The Pacers had been extraordinarily shorthanded attributable to their accidents, lacking Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell, T.J. Warren, Ricky Rubio, Chris Duarte and Malcolm Brogdon.

Boston’s offense was cooking early on, hitting 5/7 of their photographs for an 11-2 lead. Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle referred to as a timeout after solely two and a half minutes elapsed — his staff shot 0/5 from the ground.

After the timeout, the Pacers closed the hole, tying the sport at 11-11 due to 4 Boston turnovers. Horford broke the 9-0 run with a 3.

Tyrese Haliburton was the engine of the Pacers offense early, scoring 10 factors on 4/4 taking pictures. Fortunately for Boston, Brown was firing like an eight-cylinder engine as nicely, scoring 11 factors on 5/7 taking pictures. Jayson Tatum had solely two factors, however was facilitating nicely with three assists. Brown completed the quarter with 14 factors.

The Celtics protection tightened up close to the tip of the primary, they usually carried a 37-28 lead into the second quarter.

After an 0/5 begin to the second, Tatum drilled a 3 from the appropriate wing. On the following possession he drew contact within the lane for 2 freebies.

Indiana continued to chip away on the Boston lead, however the Celtics constantly discovered methods to maintain the Pacers at bay. Horford pulled down a Brown miss for an and-one putback, placing Boston up 10. After his and-one, Horford had 10 factors, 4 rebounds and two assists. With six minutes left within the first half, Haliburton had the Pacers trailing 51-43.

Haliburton was deadly within the pick-and-roll, amassing 18 factors on 7/8 taking pictures, together with 4/4 from deep. After a floater over Payton Pritchard, Haliburton had 20 factors with time left within the second.

The Pacers made a late push within the second to shut the hole earlier than halftime, counting on the sensational second-year guard. The Celtics noticed their lead evaporate to simply three factors, however they led 68-61 at halftime after 4 straight factors.

Haliburton led all scorers at halftime with 22 factors, however Brown was not far behind with 21. 4 of the Celtics 5 starters had been in double figures, with Theis not far behind at eight factors.

On the again of the Iowa State product, the Pacers continued to hold inside 6-10 factors, as Haliburton reached 28 factors on 10/11 taking pictures, 6/6 from deep. The Celtics’ beginning 5 stored preventing, as Daniel Theis continued to make key performs, reaching double figures within the third on a second likelihood layup.

Because the third quarter wore on, the Celtics caught a break within the type of Haliburton’s fifth foul with 4 minutes remaining. Derrick White drew a foul on a free ball, then hit the 2 free throws to increase the Celtics’ result in 9.

Regardless of Haliburton sitting, the Celtics allowed the Pacers again within the recreation, seeing their lead drop to 4. However, as they’d carried out all night time, the Celtics fought again, stretching the lead again to eight after a Tatum poster.

That run was shortly answered by Indiana, and the Pacers lower the sport to 90-89 with a minute remaining. White nailed two free throws to shut out the third and the Celtics led 96-91 with 12 minutes to go. White had all eight of his factors on the free throw line, taking pictures 8/8.

The Pacers bench was essential to serving to them dangle in. The Indiana bench outscored the Boston bench 35-16 because the fourth wore on. Jalen Smith stored pushing inside and reached 14 factors and 5 rebounds halfway by the ultimate interval. Duane Washington Jr. got here in and scored 4 straight for Indiana to scale back Boston’s lead again to 2, 103-101.

Straight after Washington’s factors, Haliburton fouled out with eight minutes remaining. He ended the night time with 30 factors. With the momentum seemingly shifted, White drilled a 3 to succeed in double-figures.

Grant Williams scored 5 straight for the Celtics to stretch the lead again to a cushty eight factors, 111-103. Williams, protector of Gotham Metropolis, acquired each of his buckets inside, ending by contact.

The Pacers (25-52) weren’t enjoying like a bottom-tier staff. Indiana as soon as once more lower the Celtics lead again to a single possession with minutes left within the fourth. With three and a half minutes left, up 4, Brown compelled his manner inside, drew an and-one layup on Oshae Brissett and reached 30 factors. Brown scored 30 for the sixteenth time this season.

Tatum quietly approached 30 late within the fourth, lacking a free throw that will have made it 30.

Brown, keeping off one other flurry from Indiana, discovered Horford for a dime, then hit a pull-up jumper to maintain the lead at 5.

As the sport clock dwindled, Tatum put the lead at six with an enormous two-hand slam to succeed in 31 factors. After a Brissett three, White discovered the online with a layup to place the sport out of attain, lastly burying the Pacers for good.

For extra postgame protection of the Celtics breaking their brief dropping skid, tune into the the Backyard Report Postgame Present LIVE on CLNS Media proper after the sport. Be part of A Sherrod Blakely, Bobby Manning, Josue Pavon, Jimmy Toscano and host John Zannis for a full breakdown. Plus, the fellows will talk about Boston’s staff effort tonight, buoyed by Brown and Tatum’s massive scoring performances.