Celtics' recent loss to the Pacers was a heart-wrenching defeat that left fans and players alike disappointed. The game ended with a final score of 133-131, highlighting the intensity and competitiveness displayed by both teams throughout the match.
From the opening tip-off, it was evident that this would be a closely contested battle. The Celtics came out strong, displaying their offensive prowess with exceptional shooting and ball movement. However, the Pacers were equally relentless, matching every basket with their own impressive displays of skill.
After a T.J. McConnell jumper rolled out, Jaylen Brown raced the other way and elevated for a contested baseline jumper with 3.2 seconds left. It appeared as though Buddy Hield slapped him on the head, but the Pacers challenged, and the referees overturned the ruling (looked like the wrong call).
On the other end, the Pacers got the ball to Bennedict Mathurin, and Kristaps Porzingis fouled him behind the 3-point line with 0.6 seconds left (looked like the right call). Mathurin made the first two and purposely missed the second. The Celtics nearly tied it, but Luke Kornet’s acrobatic tip rolled out as time expired.
Rick Carlisle said postgame that he believes the Pacers are in a better position than last season to withstand a potential lengthy absence by Haliburton, who missed 10 games last January. The Pacers went 1-9 in those games.
"We've had another year of experience. We've added depth," Carlisle said. "You saw it out there in the second half. We've been a together group. We've got to stay together. We've had a strong collective determination with each game."
The C’s responded with a 7-0 run behind Brown, who made two buckets before finding Porzingis for a 3-pointer that gave them a two-point lead with a minute left. But McConnell answered with a game-tying layup before the teams exchanged misses, leading to the final sequence that went sideways for the Celtics.
Luke Kornet – into the game in an attempt for a miracle tip-in, and Kornet nearly tipped in Derrick White’s inbounds volley to the basket.
But it should not have gotten to that point.
“We all have to be better on defense,” Mazzulla reiterated. “No 25-point quarters and a 44-point quarter isn’t good enough for us to win, so we all have to be better in that.”
“Ultimately, multiple league sources have indicated to MassLive that the Celtics are strongly expected to make some kind of move ahead of the trade deadline,” Robb wrote Monday. “Keeping the team’s roster fully intact now past the guarantee deadline keeps more potential opportunities open for getting a deal done to bolster the back end of the roster.”
As far as potential targets go, that’s still pretty unclear. Even with these newly guaranteed contracts, it wouldn’t be easy to match the salary of an Alex Caruso without relinquishing a member of the core rotation.
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