Celtics-Pacers takeaways: Tatum leads thrilling comeback win in Game 3

Celtics-Pacers takeaways: Tatum leads thrilling comeback win in Game 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics are one win away from the NBA Finals after a thrilling comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

After going up nine points early on, Boston struggled defensively and found itself down 18 during a woeful second quarter. Indiana shot a blistering 63.6 percent from the floor in the first half, including 69.4 percent on 2-pointers.

The second half was a different story. The C’s held the Pacers to 18-of-47 (38.3 percent) shooting in the second half and chipped away at their deficit. They finally regained the lead late in the fourth quarter, and Jrue Holiday preserved it with a clutch steal in the game’s final seconds:

That play sealed a 114-111 victory to give Boston a commanding 3-0 series lead.

The Celtics remain undefeated on the road (5-0) in the 2024 playoffs. This was the Pacers’ first loss on their home floor this postseason (7-1).

Jayson Tatum had a game-high 36 points for Boston. All five C’s starters scored in double figures, including Jaylen Brown (24 points) and Al Horford (23 points).

Andrew Nembhard filled in for injured star Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and dropped a team-high 32 points in a losing effort. Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner added 22 each.

The Celtics will look to complete the sweep and advance to the NBA Finals on Monday. Tip-off for Game 4 is set for 8 p.m. ET in Indiana, and coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live right here on NBC Sports Boston.

Here are three takeaways from Boston’s Game 3 win.

Huge bounce-back night for Jayson Tatum

Tatum’s critics have been loud throughout this postseason run, but they were silenced Saturday night.

The five-time All-Star was the best player on the floor in Game 3. He wasted little time making his presence felt, dropping 15 points in the first quarter — the second-most in a quarter for his playoff career, following his 16-point game in Game 4 vs. Cleveland. He finished the first half with 20 points on an efficient 8-of-14 shooting.

Tatum kept his foot on the gas in the second half, finishing…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-pacers-takeaways-tatum-leads-034808133.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-05-26 04:01:18

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.