Match Recap
The NBA Eastern Conference Finals were officially played today, with regular-season No. 1 Boston
Celt
Hosting sixth-ranked Indiana
pedestrian
The Celtics are coming off back-to-back "gentleman's sweeps" of their opponents. The Celtics advanced with consecutive "Gentleman's Sweeps", while the Pacers eliminated the Bucks and Knicks to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
first quarter
The Celtics got off to a fast start with a 12-0 run to usher in the perfect start. Despite the Pacers' slow start, Siakam quickly found his form and scored consecutive points to help break the deadlock. However, the Celtics failed to take control of the situation, and Topping came off the bench to score nine straight points to help the Pacers quickly catch up.
subsections
The Celtics, with a half-starter, half-substitute lineup, were able to pull ahead by as much as 10 points at one point. The Pacers followed through on their fast-paced offense, and it paid off down the stretch, with Halliburton hitting a superb three-pointer late to erase the deficit heading into the second half.
Section III
The Celtics capitalized on their opponent's mid-quarter flameout and went on a 13-0 run to pull away again. However, the Pacers once again prevailed in the rotation matchup, as Halliburton hit another crushing 3-pointer to lead a 16-2 run back into the game.
inessentials
In the decisive quarter, the Pacers turned the tide for a while, with Siakam and Nembhard scoring consecutive key baskets to help seal the victory. Brown hit the tying three-pointer in the final moments to send the game into overtime.
extra time
In overtime, Halliburton hit a three-pointer and three foul shots to give the Pacers the initiative. However, in the final moment, Halliburton and Siakam have key errors, Tatum a 2 +1 plus three points to reverse the situation, to establish the victory. In the end, the Celtics reversed the Pacers in overtime to take a 1-0 lead in the aggregate.
Competition Highlights
Celt
: Despite leading and then being tied on multiple occasions, the team ultimately showed great resilience in overtime, with Tatum's key play being especially important.
pedestrian
: Despite the loss, they showed resilience and great offense, especially from Halliburton and Siakam.
