The Celtics looked like they were going to suffer their first loss of the season in blowout fashion. Instead, they put together a huge comeback to force overtime. But it was all for naught at the end. The Celtics lost an overtime thriller to the Pacers 135-132 on Wednesday in Indiana to suffer their first loss of the season. The Celtics dropped to 4-1 on the season while the Pacers improved to 2-3.
Initially, the C’s kept up with the Pacers early, helped by a Derrick White buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter. But Indiana just kept going at Boston, also handing the C’s their first double-digit deficit of the season. When the Pacers went up by 24 points in the third quarter, they threatened to blow out the defending champs.
But the energy shifted midway through the fourth quarter. The Celtics ripped off a 33-12 run to force overtime to stun the Pacers, erasing a 21-point deficit in less than nine minutes of game action. Neemias Queta gets partial credit for that run as he changed up the equation with his play down the stretch. But the Pacers got the game-winning 3-pointer from Pascal Siakam in overtime to finally put the C’s to bed.
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Jayson Tatum led the C’s with 37 points and eight rebounds. Jaylen Brown had another 25 points while Derrick White had 23. Siakam was huge with 29 point and 11 reboundss — especially down the stretch — for the shorthanded Pacers, who were without big man Myles Turner. Bennedict Mathurin had another 30 points.
The Celtics continue their road trip as they take on the Hornets at 7 p.m. Friday in Charlotte for their next game. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss to Indiana:
Coming up just short: It looked like the Celtics were going to quietly suffer their first loss of the season. Even when they cut the deficit down to 14 points, the Pacers just kept coming at them at the start of the fourth quarter. Then some things changed for the Celtics. Queta‘s energy was immediately noticeable as he was seemingly everywhere — that was reflected with the plus-18 showing in his 14 minutes. Queta also finished with two points and nine rebounds. The C‘s also forced turnovers to put all the pressure on the Pacers. For the fight the Celtics missed early, they brought it late with some help from their bench guys. But they weren’t able to finish out the job as they lost for the first time this year.
Rotation wrinkles: As the Celtics put together their huge comeback, it was off the backs of some key players like Payton Pritchard and Queta. Notably, C‘s coach Joe Mazzulla rolled with those guys who lifted them up and gave them some life. Pritchard and Queta played through the overtime period. Pritchard, especially, has clearly earned more trust as he finished with 39 minutes, putting up 16 points, four assists and four rebounds. As a bonus, Jordan Walsh also got a few stints as he played eight minutes. That‘s despite Sam Hauser making his return from a three-game absence, so that’s a plus for Walsh that he still saw a bit of playing time.
Defensive test: While the Celtics swept the Pacers in the East Finals last year, the young Indiana squad gave them fits. That was more of the same to start this season as the Pacers gave the Celtics all they could handle and then some. The Pacers were relentless offensively, forcing the Celtics back on their heels. Indiana finished with 62 points in the paint and 29 fast-break points. Those are staples of this Pacers style as they just kept the pressure on the Celtics. But the Celtics upped their intensity during that fourth-quarter comeback, only allowing 12 points in the final 8:55 of play to give them a chance.
Tough shooting night: While Brown contributed elsewhere, it was a tough shooting night for the All-Star. Brown finished 1-for-11 on 3-pointers as he’s cooled after a hot shooting start. Tatum was also 5-for-18 on 3s, including a 1-for-7 start to the game. But Tatum was able to help his numbers by going 12-for-15 from the free throw line.
