Everything you need to know about the Pacers’ 99-97 win over the Celtics in quickie form.
Box Score
HEADLINES
Kyrie Irving leaves game with left knee soreness: The good vibes the Celtics built in the first half (strong defense and a 10-point lead) dissipated quickly after the All-Star failed to emerge from the locker room in the second half. After a lengthy wait, the Celtics announced he would be sidelined for the remainder of the game with a sore left knee, the same one that hobbled him last week in Houston. “He doesn’t seem overly concern big picture-wise with it,” Brad Stevens said after the game. “It’s obviously giving him fits here and there for the last five to eight days or so.” Terry Rozier started the second half in his place.
Shorthanded Celtics can’t muster enough offense in second half: The hosts incredibly had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, despite missing Al Horford (illness), Jaylen Brown (concussion) and Irving for the second half. Terry Rozier (16 points) misfired on a jump shot with 1.5 seconds remaining, however, which was a common theme for Boston after intermission. Boston shot just 38.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range without four of their top scorers in uniform, but still put an admirable fight thanks to some strong defense and timely playmaking by Marcus Smart (20 points, seven rebounds, eight assists). Ultimately, there wasn’t enough offense to fend off superb performances by Victor Oladipo (27 points) and Myles Turner (19 points, 10 rebounds).
TURNING POINT
Brad Stevens elected to go small in the final minute of a tie game on Sunday night to help combat Oladipo taking advantage of switches. With Marcus Morris playing center and Semi Ojeleye at power forward, the 6-foot-11 Turner took advantage of his size advantage and set up in the post. He sunk the go-ahead layup with 21 seconds remaining after bullying Morris on the block, which put a stop to a 9-2 run by the Celtics.
TWO UP
Smart:
In a spot start for an injured Brown, Smart played one of his best games of the year. He matched a season-high with six made 3-point field goals and scored 20 points for the third time this season. The fourth-year guard has become a more consistent offensive factor in recent weeks as he has scored 15 or more points in five of his past 16 games. He did that just five times in his first 38 games of the year.
Tatum:
The rookie made some mistakes down the stretch but showed some encouraging aggression against a slower wing in Bojan Bogdanovic. His 19 points gave him his 30th game of the year in which he has posted 15 or more points, the most for a Boston rookie since Paul Pierce achieved the same feat in 1998-99. He also ranks fifth among NBA rookies in 15+ point games this year.
TWO DOWN
Greg Monroe’s interior defense:
Not only did the big man struggle at times in the post, but the Pacers abused him with their speedy lineups that stretched the floor. On a night the Celtics could have used his offense, Stevens only elected to play him for 16 minutes. He had a team-worst plus/minus of -10 over that stretch. Against teams with quicker bigs that can stretch the floor, Monroe is going to be a problem for Boston.
Marcus Morris from downtown:
He’s been an improved shooter from 3-point range this year (36.1 percent) but the law of averages were not on his side on Sunday night. The veteran missed all six of his 3-point attempts over 31 minutes of action, including several wide open looks.
TOP PLAY
INJURY REPORT
Outside of Irving,
Marcus Smart
sprained his right thumb while making a dive on a loose ball in the second half but remained in the game. Daniel Theis also came up hobbling with a knee issue during the final seconds of the defeat. He’ll have an MRI on that knee on Monday.
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Terry Rozier’s new-found consistency is one of the biggest stories of this year:
The reserve guard finished with 16 points on Sunday, marking his 16th consecutive game with at least 10 points. He’s averaging 15.4 points over that stretch. That type of production hasn’t been seen off the Celtics bench in nearly 13 years (Ricky Davis accomplished the feat in 2005). Not only do the Celtics need the offense with their injury list getting crowded quickly, but the future looks a lot brighter for this team now with the knowledge that Rozier has emerged as a reliable scoring weapon for the second unit while still on a rookie deal.
The Pacers are not going to be a problem in the playoffs:
The win put Indiana in sole possession of the No. 3 seed in the East after the Cavs stumbled against the Lakers on Sunday night out west. Still, this is a team the Celtics should want to see in the first or second round of the postseason. Oladipo and Turner can put up points but their supporting cast is full of question marks and they had trouble closing out a Boston squad that was missing four starters in the second half. A tough schedule down the stretch will make it tough for them to hold onto to that third seed, but Celtics fans should be rooting hard for them to do so. In an improved Eastern Conference, they are not a scary squad.
