Oh my goodness, Tyrese Hamilton Three clutches and One! Celtics have been eliminated in-season tournament
On Monday night, the Indiana Pacers hosted the Boston Celtics in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal. From the players to the spectators, everyone in the arena was clearly buzzing. It was more than just a typical season game.
Not only was it a regular season game, but it also had significance for the bracket. The goal for both teams was to advance to the Semifinals later this week in Las Vegas. Momentum and a solid start were going to be crucial, with the crowd far more engaged than at a normal December game.
Two minutes in, Indiana was ahead 7–4. They defeated the Boston Celtics around a month ago, and they looked primed for the big stage right away.
Every time a three went up in the air, the fans created tension. Boos greeted each foul call against the Pacers. It enhanced each point and had the atmosphere of a major game. With just under seven minutes remaining in the first quarter and Indiana leading 14–9, the first TV timeout was called.Early on, Myles Turner was playing both ends well. The Celtics went on a mini-run after Turner left the game because their second unit outperformed Indiana’s. In the first quarter, with roughly 2.5 minutes remaining, the Celtics took the lead. Their finest me𝚗 came forward.
By the end of the first quarter, Boston was ahead 24–22. Compared to other Pacers games, this one had a slower tempo. Although Boston was imposing its design, the blue and gold continued to be popular.Indiana regained the lead in the second quarter thanks to a three-pointer made by Bennedict Mathurin. His ability to stay focused from the beginning of the game was crucial for younger players in a game such as this one.
The next five minutes were spent in back-and-forth figҺting. The Pacers had the answers, despite some huge plays from Luke Kornet for the Celtics. There was a stoppage shortly before the second quarter’s midpoint. At that point Boston was ahead 36–35.
Throughout the first half, nobody was able to gain the upper hand. The game was fascinating since each team had to put forth a lot of effort to score points. The biggest lead of either team was only six points with a little more than two minutes remaining in the half.
Boston eventually gained some momentum with just a few seconds remaining in the first half. They embarked on a 12-0 run, which was a noteworthy outburst for this particular game, to extend their lead. The Celtics led by 55 to 48 at the half as a result. With 12 points, Jayson Tatum gained momentum toward the end of the half. With nine, Bruce Brown led the Pacers.Tyrese Haliburton opened the second half with a performance. In the first four minutes of the third quarter, the Pacers’ star point guard scored eight points, which was more than he had in the first half. That reduced the Cetlics advantage to just one. At the first pause in the frame, he gestured for the audience to become more boisterous, clearly sensing something.In Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the intensity increased along with the volume. The score was knotted at 71 with 5:30 remaining in the third quarter. Haliburton scored a few moments later to give the Pacers the lead. The game was really intense.
As the third quarter went on, the Pacers continued to dominate. They continued to score as they advanced with the support of the crowd. With just over a minute remaining in the quarter, they were ahead by eleven.Before the frame ended, Boston responded and reduced the deficit to seven, but Indiana had regained the upper hand. They regained the lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 37-23, and they were playing excellent defense. It meant something to be the home team.
With the Celtics cutting the margin to two at 85-83, it was finally time to win. Although Boston was employing their formidable defense to put pressure on Indiana, Haliburton was back in for the Pacers. They were able to catch up thanks to it.
However, the Pacers knew the solutions, and a few moments later they were up seven points again. Every basket and every run felt important for both teams because of the extra energy surrounding the game.
There was no escaping the Celtics. They can’t be defeated by a few short runs, and they have the greatest record and net rating in the NBA for a reason. After a few possessions in which they held Indiana close, they tied the score again with roughly six minutes remaining.
More back-and-forth play resulted from that. At 99-98, Boston took the lead again, but the Pacers took the lead moments later thanks to a three-pointer made by Haliburton. There was going to be a wire in this one.
Tyrese Haliburton’s three-pointer with one minute and thirty-three seconds remaining knotted the game. He fouled it after drilling it. Indiana never relinquished the lead after that.
They managed the last ninety-three seconds and prevailed 119–111. They completed the task with great skill in the second half.
Haliburton achieved his first triple double of the season. He finished with 13 assists, 10 rebounds, and 26 points. Turner had 10 rebounds and 17 points in the end.
On Thursday, the Pacers will play the victor of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks quarterfinal match.
