Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 100-96 win over the Pacers with BSJ insight and analysis
HEADLINES
Hayward and bench carry Celtics to sweep: It wasn't always pretty for the fourth straight game, but the Celtics got a big boost from their bench down the stretch in Game 4 to close out the Pacers with a 110-106 win, advancing to the second round with a 4-0 series win. Gordon Hayward had a team-high 20 points off the bench to lead seven different Celtics in double figures, helping the C's seize control in the fourth quarter with an 18-5 run to take their fourth straight game against the Pacers. Hayward, Marcus Morris (18 points) and Terry Rozier (11 points) combined for 49 points on 18-of-26 FG off the Celtics bench, which helped the visitors overcome a brutal shooting night for Kyrie Irving and Al Horford (8-of-32 combined from the field) and seal the series win.
First series sweep since 2011: The 4-0 series win was just the second four-game series sweep for Boston in the last 32 years and first one of the Brad Stevens era. The last time they did it came in the first round in 2011 (against the Knicks) before bowing out to the Heat in five in the second round. The Bucks likely loom as a second-round opponent as they have a chance to close out the Pistons on Monday night in Detroit with a commanding 3-0 series lead. Even if they win that one, the Eastern Conference Semifinals will start no earlier than Saturday, giving plenty of time for both teams to strategize ahead of one of the most anticipated matchups of the postseason.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics seized control of the game midway through the fourth quarter, erasing a two-point Pacers lead with a 17-5 run behind the scoring of Morris, Tatum and Hayward. The outburst put the Celtics up by 10 with two minutes remaining and the visitors rode that advantage to the victory.
TWO UP
Hayward: The swingman saved some of his best work of the series for Game 4, scoring nine of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter on 3-of-3 shooting from the field in front of his hometown crowd. It was the ninth 20-point postseason game of his career and his first as a member of the Celtics.
Celtics bench: While Hayward was worthy of individual acclaim for his late-game heroics, the entire second unit of Hayward/Morris/Rozier was sensational in this contest. That trio combined to score 49 points on 69.2 percent shooting (7-11 3-PT), which helped the C’s overcome a shoddy offensive night by their All-Star starters.
TWO DOWN
Al Horford’s shooting: The big man uncharacteristically led the Celtics in shot attempts (19) but managed to misfire on 15 of those attempts, several of which came from point-blank range in the paint. He still was a net positive thanks to his defense and rebounding (team-high 12 boards) but the Celtics were lucky to escape with this win after such a horrid shooting night.
Kyrie Irving: A rare clunker for the All-Star guard who was defended quite well in this series by the Pacers outside of a monster Game 2. He shot just 4-of-13 from the field and went 0-of-4 from 3-point range with three turnovers. His 14 points were easily a series-low.
TOP PLAY
C. US. RISE. pic.twitter.com/tAIx4IvsNl
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 21, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Tough lineup decisions loom against the Bucks: While the Pacers served as a nice warmup for Boston’s postseason run, the stiffest challenge in the Eastern Conference awaits next week with Milwaukee. While the Celtics performed fairly well with the Horford/Baynes frontline against the Pacers traditional bulk, the equation gets much tougher against Milwaukee and their elite outside shooting around Giannis. With Baynes struggling to defend shooters on the perimeter, Stevens will have plenty of options to think about in mixing up the starting five ahead of round two. Will Semi Ojeleye get the nod like last season? Will Marcus Morris be thrown into the mix to help stretch the Bucks perimeter defense? Or will Stevens just start his best five out of the gate with Hayward? Boston’s coaching staff will have a lot to dissect in the next week but with no margin or error against Milwaukee, how they come out in Game 1 is crucial. The fact that Morris and Hayward played well in this series gives Stevens important options.
Rozier’s defense might be the biggest story of the first round: While any series sweep is impressive in the NBA Playoffs, doing it against arguably the least talented team in the NBA playoffs should not be overlooked. Indiana made the Celtics work for everything and was a good test for their residence but the bigger takeaway from this predictable series win was the re-emergence of Rozier’s defense. Without Marcus Smart healthy, backcourt defense looked like a potential weak spot on Boston’s roster given how Rozier performances during the regular season. However, under the brighter lights of the postseason, Rozier provided terrific ball pressure and rebounding nearly all series long, which helped prevent Boston defensive breakdowns. Matching that kind of intensity against the Bucks will be a tougher test but Rozier helped to wipe away a lot of an ugly regular season with his play in the past week. If he can help Kyrie Irving outplay Eric Bledsoe and George Hill in round two, the Celtics will give themselves a shot against the NBA’s best.
