Indiana was close to mounting an exciting comeback against Boston but fell by 133-128. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam both contributed immensely for Indiana in this contest.
Jrue Holiday can vouch for Jaylen Brown from their time together in Milwaukee. According to Holiday, Brown is an all-around player capable of scoring multiple ways.
Rick Carlisle
Jaylen Brown made history Thursday when he shot a game-winning 3-pointer during overtime to lead Boston to an emphatic 133-128 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at TD Garden. Boston overcame a slow start and costly turnovers from Indiana Pacers (6th Seeded), to advance in their playoff run.
Starting off strong in the second quarter, the Celtics took control. But Indiana managed to come back in the final 12 minutes and close within one point before ending it. Reserve forward Obi Toppin was crucial in keeping pace with his teammates by scoring 11 points to keep the Pacers competitive.
"This loss is totally on me. With 10 seconds in regulation, we should have just taken the timeout, advance the ball and found a way to get it in and made a free throw or two and ended the game."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 22, 2024
Rick Carlisle after Pacers-Celtics Game 1.pic.twitter.com/yHkQ54iVsX
In the third quarter, Brown gave Indiana an initial advantage with his 3-point shot before Boston responded with points from Al Horford and Tatum to take a five-point advantage into the fourth.
Even after committing 22 turnovers in this game, the Pacers had their chances to win. Unfortunately, late mistakes proved costly — such as Tyrese Haliburton fumbling out of bounds with 27 seconds remaining that ultimately resulted in Jayson Tatum scoring with 3-pointer.
Jayson Tatum
Tatum was exceptional throughout the game, scoring 36 points and pulling down 12 rebounds – key factors in helping the Celtics overcome an initial slow start.
Jayson Tatum goes off on reporter during post game interview following game 1 win vs Pacers 😳 pic.twitter.com/uN4yIAOgV3
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) May 22, 2024
Boston opened up their scoring with 5 minutes and 15 seconds left in the second quarter when Brown made an opening three-pointer and scored 16 of their next 20 points, leading them on an 13-0 run that helped take control of the game in the third.
Indiana was able to gain some ground late, including a dunk by Siakam that forced a Celtics timeout with 3:24 remaining. Following that break, Tatum made a layup before getting fouled on his way down; hitting all three free throws as part of their win by the score of 118-107.
Pacers’ defense was an issue throughout, giving up 23 points in the first half and 27 more in the third. Myles Turner contributed 23 points while Pascal Siakam finished with 24; but ultimately it was Boston’s defense which proved decisive.
Jrue Holiday
Holiday was unfailingly cool throughout a game dominated by errors for the Pacers, making huge plays all across the floor — from creating 3-pointers of his own to getting into the paint and scoring — but perhaps his most impressive performance came during overtime when he forced Haliburton into an inbounds play turnover that led to Tatum’s game-winning three. Such is why teams dream of having Holiday as part of their roster.
As many questioned the Celtics’ ability to win ugly before this series began, their victory in Game 1 provided a welcome dose of confidence – not only for themselves but for fans as well.
The Pacers got off to a slow start, surrendering an 12-0 lead as Brown and Tatum hit hot streaks of their own. Not intimidated, Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner powered them back with stellar play; shooting 50% from the field, seven Pacers scored in double figures while turning over 21 times led to 32 Boston points scored against them — more than they’ve given up all postseason long!
Jaylen Brown
After an uneven opening quarter for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown made a dramatic turnaround in the second quarter by scoring 26 points (including 10 in overtime), seven rebounds, five assists and six 3-pointers – leading his team to victory!
"Jrue was fantastic… he's the reason why we won this game."
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 22, 2024
Jaylen Brown on Jrue Holiday's big game vs. Pacers pic.twitter.com/kD6OdZxxpd
Brown put Boston up four with under two minutes remaining when he hit two free throws, before benefiting from Pascal Siakam’s costly turnover and calling timeout to recover possession – eventually closing out the game with a contested corner heave from Brown that tied it at 117-117 with just 5.7 seconds remaining.
Tyrese Haliburton was an integral player for the Pacers, scoring 25 points and dishing out 10 assists. Additionally, he hit several key 3-pointers, such as his logo trey at halftime or a buzzer-beating triple at the end of third quarter play.
Brown was also a force defensively, making key blocks on Derrick White 3-pointers near the end of the game and drawing loose ball fouls against Holiday. Additionally, he hit two key free throws for Boston at key moments during this contest. Though Boston has struggled closing out games this season, Brown’s big 3-pointer in the final minute gave them hope of pulling off an upset victory.
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