Maybe you can be competitive in the NBA without a superstar, but when the other team has one and you can’t stop him, that’s a problem.
One week after the Celtics lost by two points in Indiana, Boston again fell to the Pacers in TD Garden, 102-91. Paul George, who surely is a superstar, made numerous big-time plays to lead Indy with 26 points on 10-22 shooting, plus 10 rebounds. Six Pacers were in double figures scoring.
Although Evan Turner had 20 for the home team, the Celts were crippled by shooting just 4-24 on threes and 32-77 (41.6%) overall. Boston was within three points with seven minutes to play, but seven fourth-quarter turnovers were fatal as the Pacers closed it out on a 12-4 run. The disappointing loss leaves the Celtics with a 3-4 record.
Turner started in place of Avery Bradley, who couldn’t go after being kicked in the left calf during the Milwaukee game. Boston’s other starters were Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger. Marcus Smart came off the bench after missing three games with a toe injury.
As has been their bad habit, the Celtics began the game in a fog, committing three turnovers and having a shot blocked while falling behind 6-0. IT then picked up his second personal foul after just four minutes, and he went on to struggle all night. The little lefty scored just 14 points on 4-13 shooting.
Crowder scored only five points for the game, but they all came in a 7-0 run that got Boston back into it – until Indy responded with a 9-0 burst behind six points from C.J. Miles.
Smart entered after six minutes and immediately tipped in Kelly Olynyk’s miss, then drew a charge on the other end, contributing to six straight Celtics points. But the Pacers scored eight of the next 10, capped by a very tough, contested 18-footer by George, to lead 31-23 at the end of one. The Cs committed eight fouls and six turnovers in the ugly quarter.
The second quarter started poorly as Chase Budinger, an unathletic jump shooter, made a driving dunk after Olynyk fell flat on his ass trying to backpedal. Boston got a spark from David Lee, who was 4-4 for nine points in nine minutes, plus five rebounds. Without Bradley, Brad Stevens also called on Terry Rozier in the second, and he responded immediately with a driving layup. The Celts then resorted to the hack-an-Ian Mahinmi tactic, but the 16.7% free-throw shooter made 3-6 and one of the misses was rebounded by Indy leading to a score. So that didn’t work.
George again stuck a jumper right before the buzzer, giving him nine for the half, and the Pacers went to the break with a 51-49 lead. Miles led all scorers with 13, while Boston was topped by Turner’s 10 points. It was amazing the Celtics were that close, as they had only nine assists on 18 baskets, and just two fast break points.
Turner and Sullinger opened the third with a combined for 5-6 shooting, Sully contributing a trey and a strong tip-in in traffic. The Celtics enjoyed their biggest lead, 60-53, until George and Miles paired up for an 11-0 run that put Indy on top, 64-60.
The rest of the third was a parade to the stripe, as the teams combined for 30 total free throws. Thanks, refs. Indy led 81-74 at the buzzer. Celts were just 6-20 from the field and 1-8 from the arc. Ouch.
The Cs opened the fourth with a Rozier lay-up off a steal and RJ Hunter’s deep three-pointer. After Turner made a short jumper, the Pacers’ lead was down to three. But Boston then fell apart with a slew of turnovers as Indy’s lead grew to 100-89, and that was that.
The Green:
- Other than Turner’s scoring, the only bright spot was David Lee’s 13 points and six boards in just 15 minutes.
The Gross:
- Amir Johnson had nothing in the first half, with only three points in six minutes, and his ankles were broken by a Monta Ellis drive. Jonas Jerebko started for AJ in the second half.
- Smart struggled with his shot (1-6) all night, perhaps not having his legs under him after missing three games. But he got to the line often (6-8).
- After 12 free throw attempts in the third quarter, the Celtics attempted none in the fourth quarter.
- Tyler Zeller was a DNP-CD.
- Paul George scored in the final two seconds of the first, second and third quarters.
- Pacers rookie Myles Turner sprained his thumb and was done for the night after just 1:19 of playing time.
The Greenlights:
Turner turnaround
RJ not just a jump shooter
No, Kelly. No.
The Grid:
- 54 fouls were called. Boston was 23-32 at the line, Pacers were 20-31.
- Fast Break Points: Pacers 13 (6/8), Celtics 9 (3/5)
- 2nd Chance Points: Pacers 14 (6/12), Celtics 12 (5/8)
- Points in the Paint: Pacers 50 (25/39), Celtics 44 (22/42)
- This game completed the Celtics’ first back-to-back set of the season. They have 19 scheduled, which – thanks to the team’s youth and depth – shouldn’t be an issue like it was during the Paul/KG/Ray era. They were 17-5 on the second night of B-to-Bs last season.
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