Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 104-96 win over the Pacers to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Celtics backcourt comes up big to produce 3-0 series lead: Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting while Kyrie Irving added a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists, helping the Celtics take a commanding 3-0 series lead with a 104-96 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday night. The visitors jumped all over the Pacers in the first quarter with a 41-point first quarter but they won the game with their defense in the second half, limiting the hosts to just 35 points after intermission after allowing them to shoot 57 percent from the field in the first half.
Jayson Tatum (17 points, 7 rebounds) and Al Horford (17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) chipped in with big shots in the second half, as Brad Stevens once again turned to his opening night starting five to close the game with a 14-9 run. The Pacers shot just 28 percent in the second half and 20 percent from 3-point range. Tyreke Evans led seven different Pacers in double figures with 19 points.
The playoff reset is working: It hasn’t been easy or pretty throughout the first three games of the first round but the Celtics are one of only two teams that have positioned themselves for a first round sweep (Bucks and Rockets could do it Saturday). Adversity has hit in all forms at various points in the first three games, but the Celtics have stayed focused along the way, leaning on their defense (second-best rated in postseason) and crunch-time execution to beat a pesky but undermanned Pacers squad in three straight contests. The stage is set now for the first potential sweep of the Brad Stevens era on Sunday afternoon back at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
TURNING POINT
The Irving/Horford two-man game took over in the final five minutes of the win, as the duo combined to score or assist each other on three straight baskets before a Gordon Hayward putback capped off a 9-3 run with 1:40 remaining in the game. The outburst broke open a 91-89 game and helped the C’s cruise to the win in a pivotal Game 3.
TWO UP
Jaylen Brown: The third-year guard reached the 20-point mark for the ninth time in his postseason career, making his first eight shots of the night on his way to a 2019 playoff-high 23 points. He knocked down 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and 8-of-9 from the field on his way to a game-high 23 points.
Tatum: The 21-year-old kept the Celtics offense afloat for much of the second half, scoring 12 of his 18 points after intermission while Kyrie Irving and Al Horford struggled before re-emerging during crunch time for some big shots. He’s shot above 50 percent from the field in all three games this series.
TWO DOWN
Celtics first half defense: The Celtics came out red-hot scoring the ball but they did not bring their defensive intensity in the first half. The Pacers erased an early 15-point deficit with 54.8 percent shooting from the field and 53.3 percent from 3-point range on their way to a series-high 61 points in the first half. Boston outshot them early on but still trailed by two at the half due to plenty of lapses in the half court and transition.
Free throw shooting: The Celtics got away with an ugly night at the free throw line, going just 12-of-22 at the charity stripe. Tatum (1-of-4) and Brown (3-of-7) were the main culprits but luckily those misses did not come back to haunt Boston.
TOP PLAY
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 20, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
A huge win for preserving plenty of rest for the veterans: The Celtics aren’t any more likely to get Marcus Smart back for the next series with a potential sweep, but they could have a week of downtime waiting for them if they finish the job on Sunday. Milwaukee is poised to sweep Detroit as well but the earliest the second round could even start is a week from Sunday. After grinding their way through a seven-game first round series last year, the likes of Al Horford and Kyrie Irving will be able to rest up and refuel for an awaiting battle with the Bucks without taking on too much wear and tear. With plenty of guys still nursing minor injuries at that point, the fact that this series is poised to go no longer than five games now definitely helps the odds of this group pulling off an upset in Round 2.
The Celtics can rebound far better than expected when fully engaged: After watching this group getting pounded on the glass by the Pacers at several points during the regular season, it was impressive yet again to see the Celtics stay small for nearly half of the game and beat Indiana on the boards for the third straight win. They limited the Pacers to just six second-chance points and only 34 points in the paint all game long, which allowed them to unlock better offensive lineups late in the game that was needed for crunch time scoring. The Celtics don’t have a ton of natural rebounders in play but their length and versatility on the wing are helping them stay consistent on the glass night-to-night. Without second-chance points, Indy has a very hard time scoring and that was shown yet again by a 35-point second half in Game 3.