NBA national team send a potential massage Indiana Pacers about Trade
The Boston Celtics erased it for the third time in the last four games. Boston overcame a deficit of 89-82 in the fourth quarter on Monday night to defeat the Pacers 105-102, winning their second straight game in Indianapolis.
The victory guarantees the Celtics a 4-0 victory in the Eastern Conference finals and a trip to the NBA Finals. For the NBA title, Boston will play the victor of the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Tuesday night at home is the Mavericks’ opportunity to complete their own series sweep as they lead the Western Conference finals 3-0.
Before Jaylen Brown’s floater to tie the score at 102-102, Boston trailed for the most of the fourth quarter. With 43.9 seconds left in the quarter, Derrick White made a 3-pointer to give the Celtics their first lead.
For the second straight game, the Celtics surprised the Indiana crowd with what turned out to be the final bucket of both the game and the series. The Pacers were missing All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton for the second straight game as Boston defeated Indiana. Haliburton missed Games 3 and 4 due to a hamstring strain.
Up until the last few minutes of play, it seemed like the Pacers were in charge and would force a Game 5. With 3:32 left, Pascal Siakam made a basket in traffic as the Celtics were getting closer, extending Indiana’s lead to 102-98. The Pacers’ last basket came at that point.
Over the last 3:32, the Pacers went 0-4 from the field and turned the ball over twice. Andrew Nembhard’s last-gasp 3-point attempt to match White’s missed the mark with 32.1 seconds remaining. Jayson Tatum secured the rebound for the Celtics, and Indiana never possessed the ball again.
For the Pacers, the conclusion signaled ultimate heartbreak in a series filled with frustration. They led Game 1 in Boston 115-110 in the final two minutes before losing in overtime. They led Saturday’s Game 3 at home by 18 points, but blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead in a 114-11 Celtics win.
Monday’s loss was more of the same. Indiana was a possession away from winning any one of those three games. But the Celtics made the plays down the stretch each time to secure the series victory.
Brown paced the Celtics in another sensational effort while posting 29 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists. He shot 11 of 22 from the field and 4 of 8 from 3-point distance. He averaged 29.8 points per game in the series and hit the clutch Game 1 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime. He earned ECF MVP for his efforts.
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