Boston Celtics defeated Indiana Pacers 126-110 to take 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Jaylen Brown was the star of the show scoring 40 points. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White also starred both scoring 23 points while Jrue Holiday assisted 10 and scored another 15.
It was a stress free night for the Celtic crowd as they shook off their sluggish start. Despite their lackluster offense, the game was close in the first quarter with Pacers leading by two points at the end of it.
The Celtics started the second quarter on a 17-0 run to build a healthy lead, but the Pacers roared back in the final few minutes of the frame to cut the deficit down to six at the break. Brown led all first-half scorers with 24 points as the scores ended 57-51 at half time.
The Celtics’ offense was ruthless in the third quarter, as they shot 16-of-22 from the field enroute to 36 points, which helped them push their lead back to double-digits heading into the fourth quarter. Jayson Tatum was lively in the third quarter who snapped out of a funk to shoot 4-of-6 in the third.
Indiana was within two points, 68-66, after Siakam’s 3-pointer with 7:55 remaining in the third, but Boston had a 93-80 advantage entering the final 12 minutes.
Andrew Nembhard took the brunt of Haliburton’s absence, who went back into the locker room with the leg issue in third quarter, putting up 16 points, 2 points and five assists. The game was essentially over in the mid way of the fourth quarter so the bench guys got to play few minutes.
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton leaves Game 2 due to hamstring injury
Pacers’ star Haliburton had to leave in the third quarter due to sore left hamstring. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said it was the same injury that Haliburton had suffered earlier in the season. “He was sore at halftime,” Carlisle said. “He was getting work done for the entirety of halftime. The trainers determined he had to be brought to the back to be worked on and then he was ruled out“.
Haliburton remained sidelined for the first 10 games of the season due to a hamstring injury which he suffered against Celtics after slipping as he was forced off the court.
Celtics vs Pacers Game 3 Preview:
Game 3 of Eastern Conference final between Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 25 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will start at 8.30 PM EST and will be nationally televised on ABC.
Haliburtons’s availability for Game 3 in Indianapolis is still in question and even if he plays it remains to be seen if he is 100% fit or not. Earlier in the season he tried to play through his injury and was not fully effective as he otherwise is. The Pacers have a huge task in hand as they are 2-0 down in the 7 match series and it will be an extremely difficult task to mount a comeback if Haliburton is not fully fit.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
