Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out as Celtics' Defense Steps Up in Final Frame of Offensive Battle vs. Pacers
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The Indiana Pacers have a unique way of putting pressure on their opponent. While they don't strive to allow the most points in the paint, they counter with a high-octane attack and a motion offense that often makes teams pay for attacking downhill.
The benefits weigh too much to resist, but constantly sprinting from one side of the court to the other is exhausting. And not only does it tend to create favorable setups for Indiana's offense, but it makes it challenging to keep the Pacers off the glass.
The hosts of Tuesday's tilt found that out the hard way, giving up 31 second-chance points.
But they also consistently got the ball in and around the paint, producing 44 points from there and executing an inside-out approach that resulted in 25 assists on 47 field goals, shooting 54 percent from the floor and drilling 17/36 (47.2 percent) of their threes.
Jayson Tatum generated 30 points, leading all scorers. Jaylen Brown put 25 on the board. Derrick White registered 24, and Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis had 17 apiece. It's the third time this season that each of Boston's starters has scored at least 17 points.
But on a night where the Pacers manufactured such a sizable advantage in second-chance scoring, repeatedly capitalizing on their 19 offensive rebounds, got 26 points from Aaron Nesmith and 23 from Pascal Siakam, and produced 64 in the paint, what made the difference in the final frame was the Celtics stepping up defensively to survive their comeback attempt.
The C's held the visitors to 21 points in the last 12 minutes, exemplified by stellar on-ball defense by Holiday and back-to-back blocks by White and Tatum to help them seal a 129-124 win.
Now for further exploration into what stood out as Boston improved to 37-11.
1. Against a Pacers team that surrenders nearly 59.7 points per game in the paint, the most in the NBA, the Celtics wasted little time attacking downhill.
Their aggressive and up-tempo approach translated to producing 18 of their 36 points in the paint in the opening 12 minutes.
Even when it didn't lead to scoring from that area of the floor, consistently getting the rock in and around the paint drew double teams and sparked ball movement that created high-quality shots.
A prime example came on a play where the hosts fed Jaylen Brown in the low post. The two-time All-Star drew a second defender and quickly kicked the ball out. Boston kept Indiana's defense scrambling, passing up potentially good shots until getting a great one when Jayson Tatum drove downhill, then dished to Jrue Holiday for a corner three.
2. The Celtics' approach led to them shooting 51.7 percent from the field, including 5/12 (41.7 percent) from beyond the arc and assisting on 11/15 makes.
Derrick White, who broke out of his slump in emphatic fashion on Monday, going from missing 16 of his last 17 attempts to erupting for 13 points on 5/6 shooting in the final frame, propelling Boston to a 118-112 victory vs. the New Orleans Pelicans, was the lone player on either side to score in double figures in Tuesday night's first frame.
The former Colorado Buffalo produced 15 points in the period, knocking down 6/9 attempts from the field, including 3/4 from three-point range. He also dished out three assists, helping stake the hosts to a 36-26 advantage entering the second quarter.
3. Defense proved optional in the following frame, as the Celtics put 45 points on the board while the Pacers produced 40.
The former made 15/18 (83.3 percent) shots in the 12 minutes before halftime and drilled 7/9 (77.8 percent) of their threes. They also went 8/9 at the free-throw line.
Tatum generated 15 points in the period, getting to the basket and uncorking threes off the bounce. The latter included burying a pull-up attempt from 27 feet with 1:22 left in the first half, giving him 1,200 made threes for his career. That's the second most in franchise history, behind only Paul Pierce's 1,823.
4. But while the three-time All-NBA selection entered intermission with 23 points, leading all scorers, faring 10/12 from the field, and his team on top 81-66, after their offensive outburst, even slightly better defense would've had them ahead by a more meaningful margin.
Indiana manufactured 34 points in the paint and an 18-2 edge in second-chance scoring in the first 24 minutes. The latter included a 12-0 advantage in the second quarter. Three of the visitors were in double figures at the end of the opening half. Aaron Nesmith put 15 on the board, Pascal Siakam had 12, and Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 10.
The Pacers' production, including significant wins on the margins, isn't something to gloss over. But it's worth noting the Celtics registered their highest-scoring first half this season and became the sixth team in the 2023-24 campaign to produce at least 80 points before the break.
5. What stood out the most in the third frame was the hosts continuing to struggle to limit Indiana to one shot per possession. The visitors built a 9-2 advantage in second-chance scoring in the period, helping them outscore Boston 37-25, turning what was once a 20-point deficit into a 106-103 contest entering the last 12 minutes.
6. While the quarter mostly went the Pacers' way, the Celtics received a significant impact off the bench from Neemias Queta, courtesy of bringing skills his team knows it can rely on from him: effective screening, blocking shots, and finishing at the rim. He also found Hauser for a good look at a corner three that didn't go down.
7. While Boston gave up 16 points in the paint in the final frame and failed to find its rhythm, faring 2/9 (22.2 percent) from beyond the arc and shooting below 42 percent from the field, they turned in their best defensive period of the night, limiting the visitors to 21 points.
They combined keeping Indiana under 42 percent shooting and protecting the perimeter, limiting their guests to 1/7 (14.3 percent) from three-point range, with an attacking approach that helped them go 7/9 from the free-throw line. Credit to the Celtics, they also kept the Pacers off the stripe.
8. In a crucial defensive sequence to fend off the visitors, after Jrue Holiday got floored by a screen, he got up and put the clamps on Andrew Nembhard. That led to a Nesmith corner three as the shot clock neared expiration, an attempt Derrick White swatted.
The Pacers produced a good look under the rim on the ensuing baseline inbound, but Tatum rejected Myles Turner, forcing a shot-clock violation. That kept the hosts ahead 127-124 with under 30 seconds left.
Indiana subsequently sent Holiday to the free-throw line, where he gave Boston the breathing room it needed, helping them hang on for a 129-124 victory.
Further Reading
Celtics Maturation Molded by Experience: 'It Builds, Like, an Armor'
Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Top Heat in One of Their Best Performances This Season
Celtics Finding Joy in Basketball and Each Other's Company: 'We've Been Blessed'
Fixated on Winning, Jayson Tatum Again Proves He's Not 'Bored Making the Right Play Over and Over'
Brad Stevens Shares What Celtics Are Looking to Add and How He Hopes to Do So
Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'
Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'
Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'
