It was a back-and-forth affair early on in Wednesday night’s game. The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers were both hitting threes. Neither team could pull away.
That was, until the Celtics made their first subs of the game. Luka Garza, Anfernee Simons, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh helped Boston turn up its intensity. Their defense picked up significantly, and as the second quarter progressed, the Celtics’ lead inched toward 20.
Jaylen Brown wasn’t ready to let the bench unit have all the fun, though. He was aggressive from the opening tip, forcing his way into the threads of Indiana’s defense. He ended the night with nine free throw attempts (scoring his usual 30 points along the way).
For the second game in a row, Neemias Queta and Sam Hauser were perfectly in sync. Queta’s screening gave the Celtics a ton of space to work on the offensive end, and Hauser wasn’t afraid to take said space. The deep-range specialist continued his hot stretch from beyond the arc. Hauser nailed five deep balls en route to a 17-point performance.
Boston controlled the flow for most of the night, but Indiana surged late in the third. The Celtics’ offense hit a wall, and the Pacers used that to get out in transition—exactly what happened to them on Monday in Detroit. In the half-court, the Celtics were in control, but the third quarter saw a lot of full-court offense.
There were some shaky moments in the fourth, but the Celtics' offense calmed itself down, and Queta was a big part of it. He and Pritchard showed off their beautiful chemistry in the pick-and-roll; he did a great job getting guys open off the ball, and his defense popped off the page, too. The big man finished the game with 17 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.
The Celtics, led, as usual, by Brown's scoring punch, consistently kept the Pacers at arm's length. It was exactly what they needed after a tough loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Big winner: Depth. If there were ever a game totruly show how deep this Celtics roster goes, it’s this one. Everyone dipped their hands into the well of contribution on Wednesday night.
Scheierman’s first stint was highlighted by a no-dip three. Hugo Gonzalez grabbed a monster offensive rebound, relocated, and hit a triple in the corner. Walsh nailed a three and snagged some rebounds. Pritchard’s offensive orchestration, Derrick White’s defensive dominance, Garza's hustle, and Simons’ shot creation.
The list goes on and on.
Even if a player only stepped onto the floor for a few minutes, they found a way to impact winning. That’s what this Celtics team is about.
Ouch, tough one: Indiana's runs. This was a pretty well-rounded game for the Celtics, so there wasn’t much to pick out. However, there were a few pockets of the game where it felt like Indiana had a bit too much space to work.
A group of threes here, a few untimely Boston fouls there—those moments add up. Indiana’s run at the end of the third quarter was particularly notable. Luckily for the Celtics, they had talent and execution on their side.
Every time the Pacers had a chance to really dig into Boston’s lead, the Celtics turned the tide somehow. Whether it was a Joe Mazzulla timeout, a forced turnover, or a big-time bucket to slow the Pacers’ momentum, Boston always responded.
Still, the small runs were noticeable.
The big picture: Losses to bottom-of-the-league clubs are noteworthy. Wins? Not nearly as much. That said, seeing Boston bounce back to take down the Pacers after dropping a game to them last week was a positive.
Some trends continued in this game. The pick-and-roll worked beautifully, a third straight team sent pressure at Boston’s ball-handlers, and the Celtics' half-court defense looked impressive. Even though the Pacers are a 10-win team, seeing Boston push forward with positive tendencies is always a good sign of the bigger picture.
The Pacers missed some open shots. They jumped at a lot of pump-fakes. They're an imperfect team (and that's being generous). But a win is a win, and considering how close the standings are in the East, Boston should value every one of them they can get.