Final: Celtics 114, Pacers 112 -- Kyrie hits game-winner as Celtics escape

Kyrie Irving hit a game-winner layup with 0.5 seconds remaining as the Celtics fought back after blowing a 13-point lead to beat the Pacers 114-112 in a crucial game at the TD Garden. Irving had a game-high 30 points for the Celtics who pulled into a tie for the fourth seed with their second straight win over Indiana. Aron Baynes chipped in with 13 points and 13 rebounds in a season-high 33 minutes while Al Horford added 19 points in a hard fought battle with a gritty Pacers team that did not quit after falling behind early.

The win clinches the tiebreaker for the Celtics in any head-to-head tie with the Pacers. Boston will go for their second third straight win in Brooklyn on Saturday night.

First Half Notes

• Celtics come out of the gate playing with a purpose, opening things up with a 9-1 run with plenty of physicality


• Baynes/Horford front line was front and center with the defense and using some bully ball down low


• Baynes also collided with Matthews, a collision that seemed to sideline the shooting guard right away


• C’s offense rolled for the first six minutes but did got off the rails midway through the quarter once Horford got a rest


• Stevens staggering Horford and Baynes early with some good success


• Some nice aggression shown early who has nine points in the first two quarter, most of which have come off transition chances.


• Offense stalled yet again early in the second quarter with Rozier running the point but once Hayward got back on the ball, things settled down.


• Sabonis is going to be a handful for the C’s in playoff series with his passing and length. He’s got a 7-5-3 line in the first half already


• Matthews and Evans aren’t doing much on the defensive end at this point, making them big targets for Irving and Brown during the playoffs


• Pacers bench combines to score 28 points in the first half to keep them in the game after C’s go up bu double digits


• Tatum is knocking down 3s but they have been sloppy with turnovers, Tatum particularly with three.


• Both teams shooting the lights out early from 3


• Bogdanovic giving the C’s all kinds of trouble in the post against mismatches and getting separation off of picks.


• Four Celtics finish in double figures in first half but Bogdanovic (18 points) keep the Pacers within three at half as turnovers (eight) keep Boston from a 70-point half. They will need to clean things up on D to get some separation.

• The Celtics are likely to be at full strength on Friday night with Al Horford (knee) and Robert Williams (back) both probable to play, according to the team. Horford remains on a minutes limit while Williams has missed the past two games with a back contusion. Kyrie Irving will also be back in the lineup after resting during the Cavs game on Tuesday.


• This is the third of four matchups between the Pacers and Celtics this year. The two squads will face off on back-to-back Friday nights, but the Celtics can secure the tiebreaker with a win tonight since they will be ahead in conference record (second tiebreaker) in case of a tie.


• The Pacers have lost five of their last six games overall, with all five of them coming on the road against Western Conference opponents. They have lost nine straight on the road overall and are 3-12 away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse since Victor Oladipo went down for the season.


• An extensive breakdown of the battle between the two teams for the No. 4 seed.