The Celtics were seemingly on their way to their fifth-straight win on Saturday night in Indiana, which would have qualified as a quality one against a feisty Pacers team. Kyrie Irving drilled a tough 3-point shot with 38 seconds remaining, giving the visitors a four-point lead with 38 seconds remaining.
Barring a disaster (or missed free throws), blowing a four-point lead entirely in 38 seconds is tough. Losing a game in regulation with that type of a late edge rarely happens.
Yet, that’s exactly a spot the Celtics found themselves in following a late clutch performance by Victor Oladipo in the Pacers’ 102-101 victory. The All-Star guard closed out Boston with a 5-0 run on his own in the final 30 seconds of the game, a situation that some would be inclined to just tip your cap and move on from.
However, this was a game that the Celtics should have had, especially with three more tough opponents looming on this trip. They shot well enough (41 percent from 3) to win this one and yet they managed to let it slip away. While it’s not exactly fair to call this finish a collapse for Boston, there were a few gaffes that proved costly. Let’s take a closer look at what went wrong, who was responsible and what it may lead to moving forward.
Play No. 1.: Celtics lead 101-97: Oladipo gets fouled on drive with 29 seconds remaining
Everyone on the floor knows what the Pacers are trying to do here. They need to score twice and they need to do it quickly so they don’t have to foul the Celtics in order to get the ball back. Brad Stevens gets his best defender into the game (Marcus Smart for Irving) but that doesn’t stop Oladipo from getting into the paint and drawing contact. The C’s have had trouble defending Oladipo for years so it’s hard to fault them here. He’s an All-Star who got to where he wanted. He sunk two free throws to make it a two-point game with 29 seconds remaining.
Play No. 2: Celtics lead 101-99: Irving misses layup with 11 seconds remaining (five seconds on shot clock)
This is where some minor second-guessing can begin. Brad Stevens called timeout after the Oladipo free throws and had a chance to run down the clock to five seconds left in the game with 29 seconds remaining in regulation at the start of Boston’s possession. He chooses a great playcall that produces an open Irving on the backdoor cut after Cory Joseph expects Irving to cut to the top of the key for a screen.
Amazing backdoor set from Brad Stevens. Kyrie hits this, it's ballgame. pic.twitter.com/IDyUllTdwr
— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) November 4, 2018
THE GAME-WINNER! ?
Victor Oladipo scores 24 PTS with 12 REB to give the @Pacers the 102-101 victory on @NBATV! pic.twitter.com/WPv09kCN7x
— NBA (@NBA) November 4, 2018
Victor Oladipo gets the steal to clinch the victory and lets everyone know this is his city. pic.twitter.com/zW2AhurQk2
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) November 4, 2018