Indiana Pacers take down Boston Celtics to move on to In-Season Tournament Semifinals

The Pacers hosted the Celtics on Monday night

The Indiana Pacers hosted the Boston Celtics for the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal game on Monday night. There was a clear buzz in the arena from the players all the way down to the fans. It felt like more than a regular season game.

It was still a regular season game, but it also had bracket implications. Both teams were playing for a chance to move on to Las Vegas for the Semifinals later this week. With the crowd more involved than a typical December game, momentum and a strong start were going to be important.

After two minutes, Indiana led 7-4. They looked ready for the big stage early against a Celtics team that crushed them about a month ago.

Fans were generating suspense every time a three went into the air. Every foul call against the Pacers was met with boos. It felt like a big game, and it added to every point. The first TV timeout came with just under seven minutes to go in the first quarter and Indiana ahead 14-9.

Myles Turner was playing well on both ends early. When Turner exited the game, the Celtics went on a mini-run — their second unit was better than Indiana's. The Celtics took the lead with about 2.5 minutes to go in the first quarter. Their best guys stepped up.

Boston held that lead 24-22 after the first quarter. It was a slower paced outing than most Pacers games. Boston was imposing their style, but the blue and gold hung around.

Bennedict Mathurin opened the second quarter with a three-point shot, which gave Indiana the lead back. He had been focused since the start of the game, a key for the young players in a game like this.

The battle went back-and-forth for the next few minutes. Luke Kornet made some big plays for the Celtics, but the Pacers had answers. Just before the halfway point of the second quarter, there was a stoppage. Boston led 36-35 at that time.

Nobody was able to snatch momentum during the first half. Each team had to work hard for points, which made for an entertaining game. With just over two minutes to go in the half, the largest lead for either squad was just six points.

With just seconds to go in the first half, Boston finally found some footing. They went on a 12-0 run — a significant burst for this game — and took a larger lead. That gave the Celtics a 55-48 lead at halftime. Jayson Tatum got going late in the half and had 12 points. Bruce Brown led the Pacers with nine.

The second half began with Tyrese Haliburton putting on a show. The Pacers star point guard scored eight points — more than he had in the first half — in four minutes to open the third quarter. That got the Cetlics lead all the way down to one. He was feeling it and motioned for the crowd to get louder at the first stoppage of the frame.

With the volume turned up in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the intensity turned up. With 5:30 to go in the third quarter, it was tied at 71. Moments later, Haliburton scored and gave the Pacers a lead. It was an intense game.

The Pacers kept rolling as the third quarter progressed. With the crowd at their back, they pushed forward and kept scoring. They went up by 11 with just over one minute to go in the quarter.

Boston answered and cut the lead down to seven before the end of the frame, but Indiana had recaptured momentum. They outscored the Celtics 37-23 in the third period to take the lead back, and they were defending well. Being the home team was important.

Winning time began with the Celtics pushing the lead down to two at 85-83. Haliburton was back in for the Pacers, but Boston was using their strong defense to make things hard on Indiana. It helped them catch up.

But the Pacers had answers, and they were up seven again just moments later. The added feeling around the game made every run, and basket, feel significant for both teams.

The Celtics wouldn't go away. They have the best record, and net rating, in the NBA for a reason, and they can't be taken down with a few smaller runs. They kept Indiana close for a few possessions before tying the game back up with about six minutes to go.

That led to more back-and-forth play. Boston regained the lead at 99-98, but Haliburton hit a three just after to put the Pacers back in front. this one was going to go down to the wire.

The game was tied with 1:33 on the clock when Tyrese Haliburton rose up for a three. He drilled it, and he was fouled. That gave Indiana a lead that they never gave back.

They controlled the final 93 seconds and held on to win 119-112. They were excellent in the second half to get it done.

Haliburton finished with his first career triple double. He had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. Turner finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pacers will take on the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks vs New York Knicks Quarterfinals game on Thursday.

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