The Celtics had their chances to get to Las Vegas as part of the in-season tournament, but they weren’t able to stop the Pacers in the second half. Indiana poured it on, scoring 74 second-half points, as the Pacers had enough made shots down the stretch to bury the Celtics.
While the C’s could’ve shot better, the mistakes piled up as they had 18 turnovers. Eventually, the effort wasn’t enough in a 122-112 loss to the Pacers on Monday in Indiana. So the Celtics fought to make it to the knockout stages of the tourney, but they were eliminated from the tourney in the quarterfinals.
“I wanted to (expletive) go to Vegas,” Jayson Tatum said, via NBC Sports Boston. “I ain’t want to go home. I want to go to Vegas. So yeah, I’m mad. Next year, I guess.”
The third quarter proved to be a downfall for the Boston Celtics as they faced a 37-23 point deficit against the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton’s exceptional performance, contributing to his first-career triple-double, played a significant role in the Pacers’ dominance. The Celtics’ struggles were exacerbated by turnovers, allowing the Pacers to capitalize on pace and pressure.
This recurring issue in the third quarter has become a concern for the Celtics, reflecting in some of the league’s worst performance statistics in the 12 minutes following halftime. Despite maintaining a solid record at 15-5, there are evident areas that require improvement for the team moving forward. The team’s lack of intensity coming out of halftime has led to setbacks in multiple instances this season.
Looking ahead, the Celtics are set to face either the New York Knicks or the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at TD Garden. The outcome of the Knicks-Bucks matchup on Tuesday will determine the opponent for the Celtics. However, with the conclusion of the in-season tournament, Friday’s game will revert to being a regular-season matchup for the Celtics.
Derrick White emphasized the need for improvement in the third quarters, acknowledging the team’s responsibility to play a full 48 minutes. The challenges faced during this critical period highlight an area where the starters, in particular, need to elevate their performance for the Celtics to maintain their success.
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