Jayson Tatum led the Celtics to a 118-101 victory over the Pacers, contributing 38 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.
The Boston Celtics came to Indiana on the second night of a back-to-back and started their two-tilt mini-series against the Pacers by holding the hosts to their lowest-scoring output this season.
That most notably included stifling Indiana’s high-octane offense in the fourth quarter, limiting the Pacers to 20 points in the final frame of Saturday’s 118-101 victory.
Jayson Tatum scored 15 of his game-high 38 points in the last 12 minutes of Boston’s incredible performance, nailing one three-pointer after another.
The soon-to-be five-time All-Star made 14 of 23 field goals, including 8 of 13 beyond the arc, and converted. Along with that output, he added six assists and 14 rebounds, which was the most in the game.
Jaylen Brown scored 31 points, which was the second-most for either team, as a result of his relentless downhill approach and ability to exploit a defense that finds it difficult to stop the paint.
Not to be outdone, the Celtics received significant contributions from their bench players, most notably from Al Horford’s nearly triple-double. The 16-year-old veteran finished with 10 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He made one clutch play after another in the fourth quarter.
Here’s a closer look at what stuck out as Boston improved to 28-7 and went two points short of scoring at least 120 points in a game for the eleventh time in a row, taking sole possession of a franchise record. However, there were many more significant takeaways.
On the opposite end, Tyrese Haliburton’s pass was intercepted by the visitors’ seven-foot-three center, who was rewarded for sprinting the floor and finishing with a two-handed flush.
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