BOSTON — The Celtics pulled off a stunning rally in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, erasing a three-point deficit in the final seconds of regulation to pull off an overtime 133-128 win over the Pacers at TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown was the hero of the night, hitting a game-tying 3-point shot with 6.1 remaining in regulation after a pair of crucial turnovers by the Pacers with under 30 seconds left gave Boston a second chance to force overtime.
Boston trailed again by two points with 1:20 remaining in overtime but Jayson Tatum put together a 6-0 run on back-to-back baskets to put the hosts up for good in the thrilling overtime win.
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Tatum led five Celtics players in double figures with 36 points and 12 rebounds while Jrue Holiday (28 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds)) and Jaylen Brown (26 points, six rebounds) had huge performances in the victory to give Boston a 1-0 series lead.
Tyrese Haliburton (25 points) led a balanced scoring effort by the visitors as seven different players scored in double figures. Indiana shot a red-hot 53 percent from the field bouncing back from an 0-of-6 start to give Boston a scare and keep them in control of the game for most of the second half.
Boston dominated the opening minutes of the game against what appeared to be a shellshocked Pacers squad, starting the scoring with a 12-0 run over the opening three minutes. The visitors regroup quickly though, trimming the lead periodically throughout the first half before tying things up at 64 heading into intermission.
Obi Toppin provided a big boost in the first half rally with 11 points off the bench but it was Indiana’s entire offense that came alive after a sluggish start. The Pacers closed the first half shooting 27-of-40 (67 percent) from the field after beginning the game by missing their first six shots of the contest. Indiana also shot 55 percent from 3-point range before intermission.
A hot shooting start by Tyrese Haliburton to open the third quarter briefly gave the Pacers the lead. However, the hosts quickly responded with a 13-0 to retake control of the game midway through the frame. However, the Pacers closed out the third quarter with a 14-2 run of their own which included a buzzer-beating 3 by Haliburton. However, Halliburton was denied another buzzer beater at the end of regulation by Tatum who played tight defense to ensure Boston would get a chance at the win in the extra frame.
The Celtics and Pacers will face off in Game 2 back at the TD Garden on Thursday night.
