Inside The Celtics

Celtics' Championship-Mettle Has Them on Verge of NBA Finals

Bobby Krivitsky

May 25, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) and center Myles Turner (33) during the fourth quarter of game three of the eastern conference finals in the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) and center Myles Turner (33) during the fourth quarter of game three of the eastern conference finals in the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics' core may only feature one player who's lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy, but their championship resolve was on full display on Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Pacers relentlessly pushing the pace, repeatedly getting to the rim, and being stuck on automatic from mid-range resulted in the hosts scoring 69 points in the first half.

Their 42 points in the paint in the first two frames are two shy of the record the Mavericks set in the first 24 minutes against the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Indiana's attack and Boston's offense struggling to find itself had the visitors on their heels.

But even as the Celtics failed to seize the opportunities that came from raising their play on the defensive end to go from one of their worst halves to one of their most impressive on that side of the ball, they stayed within striking distance.

Limiting Indiana to 21 points in each of the final two quarters and sub-40% shooting after intermission allowed the resolve of a core that's newly configured this season but has been through countless playoff battles in the past, with most of that group doing so together, to shine when needed most.

Boston narrowed the gap to three with 8:31 remaining but didn't flinch when the Pacers extended their lead to three possessions. Their response featured a pair of threes from Al Horford, including off a behind-the-back dish from Jayson Tatum, the latter burying a triple courtesy of inside-out basketball, and Jrue Holiday giving the visitors a one-point edge with 38.2 seconds left. 

The six-time All-Defensive team selection then stonewalled an Andrew Nembhard drive, knocking the latter off balance and coming up with a game-sealing steal.

The Celtics' ability to regain their composure and seize the opportunities in front of them as their chances to win dwindled has them on the verge of their second appearance in the NBA Finals in three years.

Now for a deep dive into what stood out as Boston rallied for a 114-11 victory to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

1. The Celtics came out firing to start Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Leading the charge was Jayson Tatum.

While the Gainbridge Fieldhouse visitors made their first six shots, the five-time All-Star registered eight of their first ten points, staking them to a 16-9 lead. 

Tatum was aggressively attacking downhill, including creating the necessary separation from former teammate Aaron Nesmith, then finishing through contact and flexing before making his way to the line to complete an old-school three-point play.

He also made two of his four threes in the opening frame. If not for two missed free throws as the period neared its conclusion, the three-time All-NBA selection would've surpassed his playoff career-high of 16 points in a quarter. Instead, he went 0/2 at the stripe, settling for 15 in the opening 12 minutes.

2. While Boston did an excellent job of protecting the perimeter, and one would think Indiana living off points in the paint would result in losing the math equation and the contest, despite limiting the hosts to 0/3 from beyond the arc, the Pacers produced a 26-10 advantage in the paint.

With Pascal Siakam putting 11 points on the board and Myles Turner chipping in eight, a 12-6 close to the quarter pulled Indiana within one, entering the second frame trailing 32-31.

3. The Pacers parlayed that momentum into a dominant second period. They took the lead and grew it as large as 18. That's the most Boston's been down this postseason since Game 2 against the Cavaliers.

At the root of that was Indiana relentlessly pushing the pace off makes and misses. The hosts outscored their guests 16-8 in the paint and were stuck on automatic from the mid-range. They also did a great job of getting positioning and then capitalizing down low.

That formula translated to the Pacers shooting 68.2% from the field in the second quarter. 

4. The other reason the visitors got outscored 38-25 in the 12 minutes before halftime was a stagnant offense that often failed to push the pace, at times prompting Joe Mazzulla to implore them to increase the tempo.

There was also minimal activity, especially off the ball. Instead, it was mostly about screening for whoever had the rock and hoping it created a numbers advantage or a lane to attack and get to the rim or collapse the defense.

The problem was it wasn't particularly effective, and the Celtics didn't show much variance in their approach.

The problems plaguing Boston at both ends of the floor resulted in trailing 69-57 at halftime despite limiting Indiana to 3/8 from three-point range. That's tied for the second-most points scored in a half in playoff history with three or fewer makes from behind the arc.

The Pacers' 42 points in the paint in the first half are two shy of the record the Mavericks set in the first 24 minutes against the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

5. The Celtics raised their play defensively in the third quarter and continued to do an excellent job of protecting the three-point line. However, even with the hosts taking more shots from beyond the arc and faring 0/9, dragging their field goal percentage for the frame below 40%, they still manufactured 18 points in the paint.

Going 6/9 in the restricted area in a period Indiana only put 21 points on the board was paramount to it continuing to play from ahead.

6. Boston looked better offensively in the final five minutes of the third quarter, utilizing stops to play faster. However, settling for threes early in the shot clock prevented it from cutting further into the Pacers' lead.

Still, taking nine free throws and capitalizing on eight helped them narrow the gap to 90-81 entering the last 12 minutes.

7. The visitors' defense continued to function as the driving force in chipping away at Indiana's lead, limiting them to three points in the final period until 7:15 left in the game. And when Al Horford screened for Tatum, then freed himself for a triple from the left wing, it brought the Celtics within three, 93-90, with 8:31 remaining.

8. Even after Indiana extended its advantage to three possessions again, Boston struck back, including on an example of inside-out basketball and Jaylen Brown making the extra pass, swinging it to Tatum for a clean look at a three that pulled his team within three, 109-106, with 1:41 to go.

9. As the Celtics continued showing their championship mettle, Tatum found Horford for a three from the left corner, and a missed layup by Pascal Siakam led to a Jrue Holiday layup through contact by Siakam, resulting in an old-fashioned three-point play by the two-time All-Star, giving Boston a 112-111 edge with 38.9 seconds on the game clock.

10. Holiday then delivered the dagger, fittingly, doing so at the defensive end, stonewalling an Andrew Nembhard drive, knocking the Pacers' guard off-balance, allowing the six-time All-Defensive team selection to scoop up the loose change and drain most of the remaining time.

He then iced the game at the free-throw line, making both attempts and propelling the Celtics to a 3-0 lead that has them on the cusp of their second NBA Finals appearance in three years.

11. Game 4 is on Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It will tip off at 8:00 EST.

Further Reading

Jaylen Brown Reacts to Not Making an All-NBA Team: 'Embrace It'

Celtics Grab Elusive Game 2 Win vs. Pacers, Now Halfway to NBA Finals

Jrue Holiday Starts Eastern Conference Finals with Best Game as a Celtic

Jaylen Brown's Heroics Propel Celtics to 1-0 Lead in Conference Finals

Aaron Nesmith Left Lasting Impression with Celtics Before Finding a Home with Pacers

Past Hardships Brought Out Best in Al Horford in Career Night: 'You Saw His Gift'

Jayson Tatum Breaks Out of Scoring Slump That Never Defined Him: 'Underappreciated'

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Target Date to Rejoin Celtics' Playoff Run: 'Doing Everything I Can'

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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