Game Rewind
The Pacers' offense couldn't find its footing in the second half en route to an 84-74 Game 1 loss to the Celtics in Boston. In total, Indiana scored just 29 combined in the third and fourth quarters, and though the defense was able to hold the Celtics in check, the lack of scoring was the Pacers' downfall in this one.
Indiana started the third quarter with a seven-point lead after a nice first half, but the Celtics started fast in the third quarter, scoring the period's first seven points to tie the game at 45.
From there, Boston continued to pile it on with what would end up being a 22-5 run. The outburst gave the home team a 60-50 lead with just under three minutes to play in the quarter.
When the third was said and done, Boston had outscored Indiana 26-8 in the quarter and led 64-53.
"We just didn't make enough shots," Pacers forward Thaddeus Young said of the third. "We were getting wide open looks and they were rattling in-and-out or they were just missed shots."
The fourth was not any better for the Pacers. They continued to struggle to score and at the 5:21 mark in the final quarter, Boston led by 20, 79-59, and the game was effectively over.
"Well you figured they'll make adjustments," Pacers guard Darren Collison said. "We handled them pretty well in the first half, so it was their turn to make adjustments. They did that, so we'll go back to the drawing board ourselves, and we'll come back."
Indiana struggled from every spot on the floor, shooting 33.3 percent overall (28-of-84), including just 6-of-27 from beyond the arc and 12-of-21 from the free-throw line.
"We had open looks that we didn't knock down," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. "I thought we lost a little confidence. They got the momentum and never let that go."
Indiana got off to a nice start behind Wesley Matthews. Matthews canned two 3-pointers in the early going to help give the Pacers a 12-6 lead with 6:20 to go in the opening quarter.
Boston got a boost off the bench from Marcus Morris. His 3-pointer at the 2:15 mark tied things at 18, and his pair of free throws near the end the quarter made the score 20-20 heading into the second. Morris finished the first with 12 points.
In the second, the Pacers trailed 22-21 before ripping an 8-0 run to lead 29-22 and force a Boston timeout with 9:08 left in the first half. The Celtics quickly made it 29-25, but the Pacers answered with six straight to lead 36-25 with 5:15 to go in the second.
Boston would get within seven, but Cory Joseph drilled a long triple to push the lead back to double-digits, 43-33, with 2:19 remaining. From there, Indiana was able to hold onto its lead heading into the locker room. Unfortunately for the Pacers, the second half ended up being much different than the first.
Cory Joseph was Indiana's leading scorer with 14 points. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 12 and Matthews finished with eight.
For Boston, Kyrie Irving and Morris each scored 20 points. Jayson Tatum added 15.
Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images
Inside The Numbers
Each team finished with their season low in points scored.
The Pacers were outrebounded 48-33 by the Celtics.
The Pacers were outscored 24-14 on the fastbreak.
Stat of the Night
The third quarter went a long way in deciding today's contest. Boston outscored Indiana 26-8 in the period. It was the Pacers' first single-digit scoring quarter this season and in franchise playoff history.
You Can Quote Me On That
"We didn't establish ourselves in that third quarter and the turnovers led to poor execution and missed some shots. I thought we had some open looks in that third quarter and really lost our rhythm." - Pacers head coach Nate McMillan
I think what we were doing out there today was good for us, we just didn't make shots in that third quarter." - Pacers forward Thaddeus Young
I think if you look at the shots we missed, they were good shots. Those shots fall in Game 2, we're talking about a different game." - Pacers guard Darren Collison
Noteworthy
- The Pacers were just 12-of-21 from the free-throw line, while the Celtics shot 18-of-22.
- The Pacers' starters shot just 34 percent today (15-of-44).
- Rookie Aaron Holiday scored his first postseason points with a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter
Up Next
Game 2 against the Celtics is on Wednesday, April 17. The action will start at 7:00 PM on TNT, FOX Sports Indiana, & 1070 The Fan.
Tickets
After opening the series in Boston, the Pacers will return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to face the Celtics in Games 3 and 4 of the first-round series. Find Tickets »