The Boston Celtics secured a tight 114-111 victory against the Indiana Pacers in Game 3, thanks to a late-game surge led by Jrue Holiday's decisive three-pointer and a key steal. Jayson Tatum was a powerhouse, recording 36 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists to put Boston up 3-0 in the series. Supporting him were Jaylen Brown with 24 points and Al Horford, who scored 23 points including a career-best seven shots from behind the arc.
Jrue Holiday made a game-winning three-pointer and added a crucial steal in the dying seconds of regulation to lead the Boston Celtics to a 114-111 victory against the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference in Indianapolis. Jayson Tatum had 36 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists to help Boston take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Jaylen Brown scored 24 points and Al Horford made a career-high seven three-pointers while scoring 23.
Indiana's chance for a comeback ended when Aaron Nesmith's final shot missed the mark. For the Pacers, Andrew Nembhard was the standout, putting up a career-high 32 points and nine assists. He was supported by T.J. McConnell (23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists), Myles Turner (22 points, 10 rebounds), and Pascal Siakam (22 points). The loss was a tough blow for Indiana, as it snapped their winning streak at home during the playoffs.
Indiana continued to struggle without the presence of Tyrese Haliburton, whose hamstring injury in Game 2 sidelined the All-NBA star. On the other side, Jrue Holiday's participation was uncertain until shortly before tip-off because of an illness, but he stepped up to finish with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. The two teams will meet again for Game 4 this Tuesday, May 28, back in Indianapolis.
Trailing by five late in the game, Boston clawed back starting with a three-pointer from Horford with 1:12 left, followed by a critical three-point play from Holiday that gave the Celtics a 112-111 edge with 38.9 seconds remaining. In the final stretch, the Pacers chose not to call a timeout, trusting Nembhard with the ball, but Holiday stripped him of possession with only 3.3 seconds on the clock. Holiday then drew a foul and knocked down two free throws with 1.7 seconds left to ice the game.
Derrick White added 13 points to Boston's effort; the team shot 47% overall and hit 16 of their 46 attempts from deep. The Pacers were more efficient from the field at 50.5% but struggled miserably from long range, making only 5 of 22 threes. Their momentum dipped in the second half, where their shooting percentage fell to 38.3%. Boston had to fight back from an 18-point deficit in the third quarter, eventually cutting the lead to 93-90 via a Horford three-pointer with 8:31 remaining.
The Pacers tried to maintain their gap, with McConnell and Nembhard scoring to push the lead back to seven. With 2:38 left, Indiana held a 109-101 lead after a layup by McConnell, but Boston responded with a decisive 13-2 run to take over. Earlier in the game, Nembhard had been unstoppable in the second quarter, scoring 17 of his 21 first-half points to give Indiana a 69-57 halftime advantage. The Pacers were incredibly hot in the first half, shooting 63.6% from the field, while Tatum led Boston's early efforts with 20 points.