BOSTON (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton led the charge for the Indiana Pacers as they bounced back from a crushing defeat to the Boston Celtics, securing a 123-114 victory in their rematch on Sunday night. Haliburton put up an impressive 31 points to propel the Pacers to the win, with Andrew Nembhard making a significant contribution after returning from a brief absence due to tendinitis in his left knee, adding 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin also provided solid support with 17 and 14 points, respectively.
On the Celtics’ side, Jaylen Brown led the scoring with 31 points and six assists, followed by Jayson Tatum who tallied 22 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Payton Pritchard and Derrick White chipped in with 21 and 17 points, respectively. Despite the strong individual performances, the Celtics fell short, marking their sixth home loss of the season compared to their dominant home record in the previous season.
The Pacers, under coach Rick Carlisle, emphasized a physical approach after their previous defeat, focusing on inside scoring rather than relying on jump shots. This adjustment paid off as they outscored the Celtics 66-48 in the paint, compensating for the absence of injured forward Obi Toppin, who was sidelined with a sprained left ankle.
In contrast to their previous game where they connected on 23 three-pointers, the Celtics struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 16 of 54. Missing key starters Jrue Holiday due to a shoulder injury and Kristaps Porzingis with a sprained left ankle further hampered their offensive rhythm.
A pivotal moment in the game came when the Celtics managed to reduce an 11-point deficit to 105-103 following a three-point play by Tatum with 7:38 remaining. However, the Pacers responded decisively, going on a 13-0 run over nearly two minutes to seize control of the game.
In terms of free throws, Indiana held the upper hand, converting 22 attempts compared to Boston’s 16, underscoring the Pacers’ efficiency from the charity stripe.
Looking ahead, the Pacers are set to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday afternoon, while the Celtics will return to home court to take on the Toronto Raptors on the same day.
