Inside the 20-0 streak that fueled the Celtics’ blowout win over the Pacers

Celtics

The Celtics put Indiana’s beefed-up offense in neutral – reeling off a 20-0 run that gave Boston a 126-110 victory and a 2-0 series lead.

The Indiana Pacers thrive on chaos.

With Tyrese Haliburton as the main conductor of a breakneck attack, no track is safe when Rick Carlisle’s team turns the hardwood into a track and field competition.

In the regular season, the Pacers led the NBA with an average of 123.3 points per game. They have exceeded 140 points, a record, 11 times this season.

But for six minutes and 29 seconds of Thursday’s Game 2 at TD Garden, Carlisle could only sit and stew as shot after shot after shot from his team echoed off the rim.

Late in the first quarter and early in the second, the Celtics brought Indiana’s beefed-up offense back to a standstill – riding a 20-0 run that propelled Boston to a 126-110 victory and a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference. finals.

“The bottom of the stat sheet is ugly,” Carlisle said. “We lost rebounds, those second chance points were a big factor and turnovers were a big problem again.”

While Carlisle harped on his team’s lack of execution, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla thought Boston gave the Pacers a taste of their own medicine.

“When you play in chaos, you have to embrace chaos,” Mazzulla said. “And so there’s going to be some possessions where it’s chaotic and you just have to be prepared to deal with that. And I thought our guys did a good job handling the situation with multiple efforts.

A spirited effort on the glass and a revamped lineup paved the way for Boston’s surge.

It took 1 minute, 21 seconds into the second quarter for Carlisle to call a timeout in an attempt to stem the tide. At this point, the Celtics had already scored seven straight points, culminating in a stretch where Boston pulled down three offensive rebounds on the same possession.

The sight of four Yellow Jerseys stagnant in the paint as a surging Jaylen Brown heaved the turnover bucket was enough for Carlisle to stop the play in search of a regroup.

The Celtics hold on and snag 3 offensive rebounds before the bucket 💯 pic.twitter.com/K0cgwxccqI

– Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 24, 2024

It did little to turn around Indiana’s fortunes, especially once Oshae Brissett joined Boston’s lineup following Luke Kornet’s wrist injury.

Despite being left out of the Celtics’ playoff rotation, Brissett has served as a much-needed spark for a revamped unit with Celtics star Jayson Tatum primarily on the bench.

Brissett entered the game for the first time in place of Al Horford with 10:39 left in the second. By the time the 25-year-old forward was replaced by Tatum with 7:49 left in the quarter, the Celtics had outscored Indiana 10-0 and led 39-27.

Brissett grabbed two rebounds and recorded a steal in that limited time, while passing to the Pacers’ guards on defense to limit their ability to penetrate the open court. He finished the second game plus-18 in 12 minutes and also had three rebounds, three steals and two points.

“Just his presence, his energy, his athleticism,” Mazzulla said of Brissett’s impact. “I think he had a dunk, got a steal that started transition, a couple rebounds. He plays with such a level of intensity and energy. It’s big for us.

As the Celtics won battles on the boards and their smaller lineup overwhelmed Indiana and limited their chances to get out in transition, the Pacers were forced to move forward with a more standard half-court offense – one that does little to exploit their strengths. .

“I thought the transition defense was good – really good, kept them in the half court. I thought our individual defense was good,” Mazzulla said. “I thought we were able to get into the driving lanes and get to the shooters. They test our discipline, they test our communication. And I thought we handled it better in the second game.

The Pacers missed nine straight shots during Boston’s 20-0 run and recorded four turnovers.

“We know they love getting into painting. … But I think because we’re long and athletic, we can take away some of those things and try to speed them up as much as possible,” Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said.

CELTIC RUN 20-0 ☘️

The Celtics roll into Game 2 of the East Final on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/2sjC3shzat

-NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024

By the time the dust had finally settled and Aaron Nesmith was heading to the free throw line with 6:45 left in the second quarter, what was once a 27-22 lead for the Pacers had turned into a 42-27 advantage for the Celtics.

After the first quarter of Thursday’s game featured 10 lead changes in total, Boston’s extended run gave it a cushion it didn’t relinquish.

According to Celtics team stats on by-play – surpassed only by a 21-0 surge. against the Miami Heat on April 20, 2010.

“They move the ball. They move bodies and play fast,” Holiday said. “But we can do this too. We can go small, think big, we can play fast, we can slow down and execute. But I think having Oshae there was just a different element where I mean – all five guys, just if we change or if we stay with our guy, we’re able to do so many different things.