The Boston Celtics won their first game since the NBA All-Star break when they faced the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. Before the break, the Celtics won 5 out of their last 6 games, including a 127-109 win against the Detroit Pistons on February 15.
The Celtics had some familiar faces when they matched up against the Pacers because former Celtics players Daniel Theis and Aaron Nesmith were in the game for the Pacers. Both players were involved in the trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics this offseason. Also, this is Brogdon’s first return to Indiana since the trade.
Boston Celtics had a challenge on their hands from the Pacers
In the Pacers last game on February 15, the Pacers snapped a five-game losing streak when they won against the Chicago Bulls 117-113. The Pacers are 12th in the Eastern Conference and are 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the Play-In Tournament.
The Pacers won their previous matchup against the Celtics 117-112 on December 21, despite Jayson Tatum scoring 41 points and Jaylen Brown having a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Turner became the 47th different NBA player to score 40+ points, which ties the record set in the 2020-21 shortened season.
The Celtics allowed Miles Turner to have a monster game with 40 points including 8 three-pointers. The 40 points tied for Turner’s career high, which he also achieved on the October 22, 2021 135-134 loss against the Washington Wizards. The 8 three-pointers is also a career-high for Turner as he went over his previous high of 7, which was achieved twice in his career. But despite this, the Celtics were able to pull off this win and it was because of these reasons.
Boston Celtics had a full lineup Thursday night
For only the second time this season, the full Celtics starting lineup was in the game. The starting lineup of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, and Al Horford all started this game. Their other start this season was on the January 19 NBA Finals rematch win against the Golden State Warriors.
The Celtics have been dealing with the injury bug with at least one of these starters had to miss this game, and the Celtics were even shorthanded at certain games but Joe Mazzulla was able to pull these games off with the different lineups each game.
Also, the bench was healthy too, and it showed on the parquet. Brogdon lead the charge on the bench with 24 points against his former team. Derrick White, who is back in the bench for the first time since the injuries of Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, scored 17 points. In the starting lineup, Smart had 15 points and more on Brown and Tatum later.
Hopefully, this entire lineup is healthy for the rest of the season leading up to the Playoffs, which would be crucial if they want to make another run to the NBA Finals, and to win it all. For the rest of the season, they only have four back-to-back days, which the next one will be against the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers on March 5 and 6.
This was the lineup that carried the Celtics to the Finals and the Celtics are hungry for another NBA Finals championship, as if they have enough with their 17 championships.
The dynamic duo of Brown and Tatum went off for the Boston Celtics
Fresh off an NBA All-Star game performance for the ages, Jayson Tatum lead the Celtics when he scored 31 points, snatched 12 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists. However, not far behind him is Jaylen Brown with 30 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
This is the 9th time that Brown and Tatum had scored 30 each in a single game this season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the duo of Brown and Tatum is only one behind the record of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in their Laker teammate days in which they achieved this 10 times in the 2000-01 season and 12 in 2002-03 season.
This is the 2nd time this season that Tatum and Brown had scored 30+ points and 10+ rebounds in the same game. Their other time was on a 125-114 win against the New Orleans Pelicans back in January.
Also, Tatum has tied Paul Pierce for 4th most 30+ point games in a season in Celtics history with 33 games, which Pierce achieved in the 2001-02 season. Larry Bird has the most with 39 in the 1987-88 season. Jaylen Brown also had 16 games with 30+ points and his 4th with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds this season.
Tatum and Brown worked like Peanut Butter and Jelly on sandwich bread tonight, they even connected on this play for a three-pointer.
Jaylen Brown 👏 pic.twitter.com/8Sgcezrmvn
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) February 24, 2023
Tatum & Brown are a special duo like no other in the NBA, one that clicks together unlike some others like the Kyrie & Durant duo in Brooklyn. This duo has helped the Celtics reach new heights and be the best team in the league this season.
Boston Celtics choked a halftime lead but were able to hold on in OT
The Celtics lead by 10 points at half-time and lead as much as 16 points, but it all slipped away and they eventually tied at the end of the 4th quarter to go into Overtime.
All and all, the teams had 17 lead changes by the end of the 4th quarter in the highly contested game. The Pacers had the last shot in the 4th quarter but it was too deep and it hit the top of the backboard.
In Overtime, Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers had a technical foul on Smart when he was trying to shoot a three-pointer. What ended up happening was Tatum had the technical shot and Marcus Smart made all three free throws for the C’s to take the lead 131-130.
Tatum scored the last four points for the Celtics to win the overtime game, including this tip-in that sealed the win.
They just don't quit pic.twitter.com/RPL8Bq7XLo
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) February 24, 2023
The Celtics worked as a team and pulled the overtime win in this tough game, as the Celtics were unstoppable in the last minute to pull it off.
The Celtics are now 4-5 in Overtime games this season as they lost two out of the previous three games against the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks Bucks. Meanwhile, the Pacers are now 0-2 in Overtime, with the other Overtime loss being against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 4.
The next couple of games will be on the road against the 76ers on Saturday night and the Knicks on Monday night before returning to TD Garden for a three-game homestand against the Cavaliers, Nets and Knicks.