Statement made: Pacers roll to second season win over NBA champions Celtics
Tyrese Haliburton had 31 points, six rebounds and seven assists as the visiting Indiana Pacers pulled away late for a 123-114 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night (Monday, December 30, Manila time).
Six players scored in double figures for Indiana, which beat Boston in two of the teams’ three regular-season meetings.
Andrew Nembhard returned from a one-game absence (left knee) and added 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pacers, who also got 17 points, eight boards and six assists from Pascal Siakam.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 14 points, Myles Turner netted 13 and Jarace Walker contributed 12 points off the bench to help Indiana snap its two-game losing streak.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 31 points and six assists. Jayson Tatum added 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists but was just 2-of-10 from 3-point range. Al Horford went just 1-of-10 from deep and finished with five points.
Reserve Payton Pritchard scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half for Boston, which has lost three of its last four games.
A three-point play by Tatum completed a 9-0 spurt that pulled the Celtics within 105-103 with 7:38 left, but the Pacers scored the next 13 points to put the game out of reach.
Although Indiana led by 11 early, Boston had a 29-27 advantage after one quarter. The Pacers scored 38 points in the second quarter and had a 65-58 halftime lead. Indiana shot 59.5 percent from the field in the first half (25-of-42).
Each team scored 33 points in the third quarter, which gave the Pacers a 98-91 edge entering the fourth.
The Celtics were again without Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle), both of whom didn’t play in Friday’s 142-105 home victory over Indiana. Holiday has missed the last three games, and Porzingis turned his angle during a loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday.
The Pacers’ Obi Toppin missed his second straight game with a left ankle sprain. – Rappler.com