In a thrilling and closely contested game, the Indiana Pacers emerged victorious over the Boston Celtics with a final score of 133-131. The match showcased the true essence of basketball, with both teams displaying exceptional skills and determination.
From the opening tip-off, it was evident that this game would be one for the books. The Celtics started strong, utilizing their fast-paced offense to gain an early lead. However, the Pacers quickly adjusted their defensive strategy, shutting down key players and forcing turnovers. With each possession becoming crucial, both teams fought tooth and nail for every point.
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.
Coach 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.
After Mathurin missed the last of his three free throws, Al Horford corralled the rebound and the C’s immediately called timeout. But the officials only gave them 0.3 seconds, which isn’t enough time to catch and shoot. They put their three tallest players – Porzingis, Horford and 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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