The Boston Celtics rallied to a 105-102 win over the Indiana Pacers at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday night to win their Eastern Conference Finals series 4-0.
The Celtics, who completed the sweep over Indiana, return to the Conference Finals for the second time in three years and the 23rd time in franchise history.
RACING STRAIGHT TO THE FINALS 🏎️💨 #DifferentHere pic.twitter.com/agnjCMeb2z
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 28, 2024
Boston headed into the second half with a one-point lead, but the Pacers, who were without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton for the second straight game, took the lead in the third quarter.
However, the Celtics got back in the lead in the final quarter thanks to a tie-breaking 3-pointer from Derrick White, who finished with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, and five steals.
“We feel confident, we feel comfortable in any type of game, and we feel we’ve got answers for anything at us,” White said. “We’ve just got to find the right ones.”
The Celtics were led by Jaylen Brown’s 29 points, six rebounds, and four 3s as the three-time NBA All-Star claimed the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, taking home the Larry Bird trophy.
The second time a Celtic has won the Larry Bird ECF MVP ☘️🏆 pic.twitter.com/zmH5lwWc7u
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 28, 2024
Jayson Tatum finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists; Jrue Holiday got 17 points and nine rebounds; and Al Horford finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
The Pacers, who had a perfect 6-0 record at home in this postseason, ended with two straight losses, which were made painful as they relinquished their leads in both games.
Head coach Rick Carlisle appreciated is team for their togetherness despite Haliburton’s appearance before praising the Celtics for their win.
“Our guys embraced it,” Carlisle said “Give them [the Celtics] credit for the stuff they pulled off at the end of the last two games. They simply made more plays.”
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 28, 2024
For the second game in a row, they were led by Andrew Nembhard, who finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and ten assists. Pascal Siakam got 19 points and 10 rebounds; T.J. McConnell added 15 points from the bench; and Aaron Nesmith settled for 14 points and six rebounds.
The Boston Celtics will now wait for the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks, which the latter currently leads 3-0 with Game 4 slated to take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Tuesday night.
