In a dominant outing, the Boston Celtics traveled to Indianapolis and handed the Pacers their first loss in seven games, finishing with a 118-101 scoreline. The offensive effort was spearheaded by Jayson Tatum, who scored 38 points, and Jaylen Brown, who added 31. Tatum's impact went beyond scoring; the 25-year-old grabbed 13 boards and served up six assists, while showcasing his perimeter game by sinking eight three-pointers. Boston stayed ahead throughout the contest, leading 29-17 after one, 58-49 at the half, and 84-81 before the fourth quarter began.
The Boston Celtics produced a commanding performance to end the Indiana Pacers’ six-game winning streak with a dominant 118-101 victory in Indianapolis. Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics with a game-high 38 points, and the American power forward received excellent support from Jaylen Brown who chipped in with 31 points. The 25-year-old Tatum displayed his all-around abilities by not only scoring, but also getting 13 rebounds, and dishing out six assists. The American made eight of his 13 3-point shots, demonstrating his ability beyond the arc. The Celtics established their dominance early, leading 29-17 after the opening quarter, 58-49 at halftime, and 84-81 entering the fourth quarter.
Boston firmly seized control late in the game; a 14-2 surge, capped by a Tatum triple, pushed their lead to 100-85 with 7:30 remaining in the fourth. Tatum later sealed the deal with another long-range shot with 1:17 left, making it 116-97. Al Horford contributed a well-rounded stat line of ten points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Even though Boston struggled at the charity stripe, hitting only 10 of 19 free throws, they did enough to keep Indiana at arm's length.
For the Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin led the scoring with 20 points, followed by Tyrese Haliburton with 17 points and seven assists. Buddy Hield and Myles Turner added 15 and 12 points, respectively. However, Indiana's offense stalled from deep, where they shot a dismal 19 percent, connecting on only eight of their 42 three-point attempts.
The victory came despite a significant blow to Boston's lineup: center Kristaps Porzingis missed the bulk of the game. After an encounter with Aaron Nesmith with about seven minutes left in the first quarter, Porzingis suffered an eye injury. Although he attempted a brief return after receiving treatment and eye drops from the medical staff, he lasted only two minutes before having to leave the court again.
Although Porzingis went through warm-ups before the second half, the Celtics eventually ruled him out due to ongoing discomfort in his right eye, leaving him sidelined for the final 40 minutes. Despite his absence, Boston's depth shone through. This marks another health hurdle for the 28-year-old Latvian, who has appeared in 26 of 35 games this season after dealing with calf and ankle injuries.
Boston continues their impressive run, having won 13 of their last 15 matchups. Meanwhile, the Pacers will look to bounce back when they face the Celtics once more this coming Monday night.