The Boston Celtics are hot favorites to win the NBA title. However, the record champions have to tremble a lot against the Indiana Pacers at the start of the Conference Finals.
Close first game: Pacers coach Rick Carlisle (left) freezes because Jaylen Brown keeps his nerve. NBAE via Getty Images
As contenders for the title, the Celtics entered the series against the Pacers, who had defeated Isaiah Hartenstein and the New York Knicks in seven games. The start at TD Garden was supposed to set an example, but Indiana also caused a lot of problems for the big favorites.
In the 133:128 win, overtime was necessary to determine a winner. And Jaylen Brown ensured that this could happen with a three-pointer 6.1 seconds before the end of the fourth quarter. The shooting guard, as so often one of the mainstays alongside Jayson Tatum (36 points, 12 rebounds), not only saved the Celts from an opening defeat in this best-of-seven series with this successful long-range shot. Further strong scenes in overtime and in the end a total of 26 points, seven boards, five assists and three steals crowned his performance.
Strong Pacers trio – “You have to find a way”
All of that was necessary to ultimately keep All-Star Tyrese Haliburton (25), Pascal Siakam (24, 12 rebounds) and Myles Turner (23) in check. Deep in the third quarter, when the score was 92:79, it still looked like an easy gallop for the home team. But the Pacers fought back in this game and led in crunch time before Brown pulled the ripcord for Boston.
“Indiana plays so fast and applies so much pressure, we have to be better,” said the savior ESPN and spoke of “a lot of ups and downs today.” So it wasn’t the Celtics’ best game, “but you have to find a way to win, and we did that.”
The Celts still need three wins to reach the finals. The second edition will take place again in Boston on Friday night (CEST) before heading to Indianapolis for two games. In the Western Conference, the series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves begins on Thursday night in Minneapolis.
2024-05-22 08:48:16
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