Indiana Pacers can't overcome turnovers and lose Conference Finals Game 1 to Boston Celtics

The Pacers were in Boston for Game 1 Tuesday

May 21, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) looks to pass the ball against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in the second quarter during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON — The Indiana Pacers kicked off their 2024 Eastern Conference Finals series with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. It was the first time that the Pacers were in this position since 2014, and they were looking forward to the opportunity.

But they knew the Celtics would be tough. “These guys are almost impossible to match up with really because of their size and skill," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said before Game 1. Indiana went 2-3 against Boston in the regular season, and the hosts won 60+ games for a reason. They are talented, and the start of the series was going to be vital.

Boston started off the game with two highlight plays — a dunk from Jaylen Brown and a block from Al Horford. The Celtics crowd was vibrant and invested in the game after just a 2-0 stretch. It was a dream start for the hosts.

Indiana was trying to play fast early. They were getting the ball up the floor quickly even after Boston made shots. But the Celtics defense was crushing them, and the hosts were shooting well. It was 12-0 after less than three minutes when Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle took a timeout to talk things over.

The stoppage helped as the Pacers quickly went on a 7-2 run. They finally knocked down some shots and were back in the game. They needed to pair it with some stops, though, and that was much harder.

Even as the Pacers reached 16 on the scoreboard, they were down by nine. They weren't able to slow down the Celtics and their offensive attack. Every screen and quick action messed up Indiana's scheme, and they took the ball out of the net often in the first eight minutes of play.

Indiana kept pushing, though, and they cut the lead to three at 29-26 late in the frame. They had erased most of their poor start, which was important, but they still had work to do. Boston is relentless on both ends.

Reserve forward Obi Toppin was particularly valuable for the blue and gold early. He was efficient and made shots from all over the court. Thanks to his strong offensive play, it was a three-point game after one quarter. The Celtics led 34-31 after 12 minutes, and Toppin had 11 points.

To kick off the second period, the Celtics hit a few shots to expand their lead to eight. Even when they weren't knocking down their good looks, the top-seeded group was able to generate open shots. It made it hard for the Pacers to keep up.

Boston's advantage reached 10 after four minutes of second quarter play, and Carlisle took a timeout. His team needed to play better defense if they were going to keep the scoreboard close.

Indiana rolled out a bigger lineup after the stoppage with Pascal Siakam at the three spot, and that unit was successful for a few trips to keep the margin narrow. Those bursts are what the Pacers would need throughout the night to complete a comeback.

Myles Turner pulled the visitors back into the game with several impressive offensive plays in a row. He finished a tough layup, threw down a dunk, and drilled a three in quick succession, and it cut the edge down to five. The Celtics took a timeout at the time, and Turner was up to 18 points.

Indiana's starting five re-entered the game not long after the stoppage, and they went on a run. Tyrese Haliburton made some plays, and Indiana was generating, and making, open shots. They were able to surge and tie the game at 57 with under three minutes to go until halftime. Their bad start was a thing of the past.

They were able to keep the score tied going into halftime. It was 64 all at the break, with Haliburton getting going in the final stretch. He hit a deep three just before the second quarter buzzer. Haliburton had 11 points at halftime, as did Toppin. Turner led Indiana with 18.

To kick off the third quarter, Haliburton kept rolling. He scored to give Indiana their first lead of the game to start the half, and he hit a three-point shot on the next possession to extend that edge. He looked great after a slower start.

Boston responded with a quick 7-0 run, though, and they were back in front. Keeping the Celtics away is as tough as it gets, and the Pacers were finding out the hard way. Stopping them for multiple possessions in a row was difficult.

Turnovers were becoming an issue for the Pacers. They kept giving the ball away with sloppy ball handling or a lazy pass, and the Celtics took advantage. The hosts raced ahead to an eight-point lead in the middle of the third quarter as the blue and gold had some self-inflicted errors.

Those mistakes, combined with an offensive drought, for the Pacers led to a 12-0 Boston run. The Celtics were up by double figures again and looked as potent as they did to start the game. Carlisle took a timeout to stop the bleeding.

They struggled to catch back up. The Celtics lead remained just over 10 for the next few minutes as the squads traded baskets. Indiana needed a run, but they couldn't get it. Their defense needed to level up again.

It finally did for a few possessions, and it ignited a 9-0 run from the visitors. They cut the advantage to four and were right back in the game. Siakam was playing well in that stretch, as was T.J. McConnell. The Pacers second unit was effective to that point.

After three quarters, the Celtics were ahead 94-93. Haliburton hit a tough three at the buzzer of the quarter to cut into the edge, but Indiana still was behind entering winning time. They needed a strong close. Turner's 20 points led the way through three frames.

To kick off the final period, the Pacers took the lead once again. Even when the Celtics were up double-digits, the blue and gold didn't quit. They kept giving themselves a chance, which was setting up an exciting finish.

The score stayed close for the next few minutes, and the Celtics led by three when half of the fourth quarter had passed at 104-101. But soon after, Turner hit a three to tie the game, and Siakam followed it up with a mid-range shot. Suddenly, it was crunch time and the Pacers were ahead. They were playing with confidence.

Their four-point advantage stuck around for a few minutes, but with three minutes to go Horford hit a triple to cut the Pacers edge to one. It was going to be an epic final stretch to kick off the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pacers lead reached five in the last two minutes of play after a tough jumper from Andrew Nembhard. They were a few strong possessions away from stealing Game 1 on the road, but they still needed to make some plays.

Leading by one with under one minute to go, Nembhard found the bottom of the net and buried another shot. The Celtics called a timeout on their next possession trailing by three with 39.1 seconds to go.They had a massive possession coming up.

The Pacers got a stop, but they turned it over on their next possession. Boston had another chance, but they missed two shots from in close. Indiana grabbed the rebound, meaning they could win the game by making foul shots.

Instead, the Pacers fumbled an inbounds opportunity and turned it over again. That gave Boston the ball down by three with 8.5 seconds to go. The final stretch of the game featured many mistakes from both teams.

Brown stepped up. With 5.7 seconds left in the game, he rose up for a three in the left corner and buried it. That tied the game at 117. The Pacers had one more chance, but it was an epic shot to possibly extend the game.

Haliburton missed a three at the buzzer, and the game was off to overtime. The Pacers had a few chances to put the game away in the final seconds, but they weren't able to do so. Now, they had to be better than the Celtics for an additional five-minute period.

To kick off the extra five minutes, Haliburton hit a three to give Indiana the lead again. It was a massive shot. The Pacers needed some momentum and stability after their tough close to regulation, and Haliburton provided it.

Boston scored the next four points to reclaim the lead, though, and Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith fouled out in that stretch. Things were going to be that much tougher for the blue and gold in the final minutes without him.

Indiana scored via three foul shots from Haliburton to re-capture the advantage. Every possession was tense down the stretch, and the Celtics were now in need of points to catch back up on the scoreboard.

They got three via a Tatum and-one, and then Haliburton turned the ball over. The hosts led by one with under a minute remaining — the Pacers needed a stop. But they didn't get it as Tatum drilled a three to give the Celtics a four-point lead with 42.8 left.

The Pacers turned it over on their next possession, putting their chances on life support. And Derrick White all but put the game away with a layup on the next possession. Indiana needed a miracle.

They didn't get it. Despite leading late in regulation, the Pacers dropped Game 1 133-128 in overtime. They had chances to win it, but 21 turnovers was too many to overcome. Boston leads the series 1-0.

Haliburton finished with 25 points and 10 assists. Siakam added 24 points and great defense. Turner had 23 points.

Game 2 is on Thursday.

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