BOSTON – If the Celtics go on to claim Banner 18, their Game 1 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals might prove the most pivotal during the championship run.
The knock on the Green Team during the season, as well as past playoff appearances, was their lack of finish, their inability to win the close games.
They needed to get over that hurdle to assuage the fears of their doubters, and perhaps fears of their own.
And while Tuesday night’s 133-128 overtime win was both infuriating and exhilarating, the Celtics ultimately showed their mettle and resolve when it counted.
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Yes, they wilted, blowing a 13-point lead with four minutes to play in the third quarter. They sure seemed to be headed down a familiar path. But just when it looked like they were destined to keep the choke collar, they rose up. They grew strong in those pivotal, got-to-have it moments.
They took advantage of the countless gaffes made by the Pacers, making them pay for their miscues, but none greater than the one with a few ticks remaining in regulation.
Down three with the clock running down from 10 seconds after the Pacers umpteenth turnover, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown calmly hit a corner bomb to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Brown, who had a disasterous Game 7 performance in the Eastern finals last season, said he basically willed the shot in ahead of time.
“I was just telling myself the whole time, if you get it, it’s going up and it’s going in,” Brown said. “I was able to make a big-time play.”
He sure did with Pascal Siakam in his face as he launched his off-balance prayer to tie the game.
Then it was Jayson Tatum’s turn to be the hero. He scored 10 of his 36 points in overtime, including a three-pointer that put the nail in the Pacers coffin with 42.8 seconds to go.
Tatum, who was having a rough shooting night (12-of-26, 2-of-8 from three), finally dialed it up during crunch time.
But the dynamic duo weren’t alone.
Jrue Holiday, who has largely sacrificed his scoring this season, also rose down the stretch and overtime with 20 of his 28 points coming after halftime.
Bottom line: The Celtics needed to win a game like this. If they do advance to the NBA Finals, they needed to know they can deliver in key spots, in the big games.
Although, listening to the players after the game, they never doubted they were capable.
“I think we always knew we could (win),” said Holiday. “Close games I don’t think have ever bothered us. I think we’ve always stayed poised no matter if it’s a win or a loss. We’d always give ourselves a chance again today. But, down 3, with some seconds left, making a big shot, and making big plays after that, we knew we had it in us.”
Of course, the Pacers were a willing accomplice. They helped the Celtics, giving them life, or, as Tatum put it, “a second chance” with all of their bumbling. Their whopping 21 turnovers led to 32 Celtics points.
At different points during the fourth quarter when they seemed to have the game in hand, the Pacers just gave the Celtics more chances time and again. Ditto overtime.
Talk about not knowing how to close out a game, the Pacers took the cake in Game 1.
Andrew Nembhard’s wayward inbound pass with 10 seconds to play set up Brown for the tying score. Then how do the Pacers not foul Brown, who is not the best free throw shooter in the world, before allowing him to take that three?
It’s almost an automatic to foul if a team is up by three with little time left on the clock.
Even Pacers had coach Rick Carlisle fell on the sword for his team’s meltdown, saying he should have called a timeout to advance the ball, and draw up a better in-bounds play.
So maybe the Celtics were lucky. Maybe the Pacers gift-wrapped the win. By the same token, they took advantage of their good fortune.
“I felt like we hit, they responded. They hit, we responded. It was just a lot of back-and-forth,” Al Horford said following the Game 1 win. “I think, despite all that, our group just stayed the course. We continued to work. We continued to try to play the right way. Eventually, we needed some sort of break and we got it there. I’m glad we were able to close it out in overtime.”
Added Holiday: “I think we always knew there was a chance. We’ve seen crazy stuff happen all the time … Anything can happen. We’re just the type of team that’s going to keep fighting, no matter how long, no matter what it takes.”
The Celtics were able to snatch a victory out of defeat. In many cases, it’s been the other way around. They’ve grabbed defeat, out of sure wins.
“It’s not over til it’s over,” Brown said, spouting a familiar refrain, “and we found a way to win this game at the very end.”
Finding a way in Game 1, could very well pay bigger dividends when they’re forced to muster up similar resolve down the road.
