Celtics complete sweep of Pacers,
punch ticket to Finals
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[May 28, 2024]
Derrick White had missed 7 of 8 3-point attempts when he
found himself open in the right corner of the floor in the final
minute of a tie game with an NBA Finals berth at stake.
He watched Jaylen Brown handle the ball and was just waiting for his
Boston Celtics teammate to deliver a pass. Once Brown did just that,
it was White's turn to make a play.
"Just was trusting that JB is going to make the right play like he
has this entire year," White said. "I got a good look and wanted to
stay in the shot and knock it down."
White drained the 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and the Celtics
finished off a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern
Conference finals with a 105-102 victory on Monday night at
Indianapolis.
"It's a credit to him," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of White.
"He's another guy who has short-term memory. The last (missed) shot
doesn't bother him, he plays with a sense of presence."
Brown scored 29 points and Jayson Tatum added 26 points, 13 rebounds
and eight assists as the top-seeded Celtics landed a spot in the
Finals for the second time in the past three seasons.
"It's been nothing but a grind," Brown said. "We didn't skip no
steps all season. We have a bunch of great guys in this locker room.
We have a bunch of tough guys and our coaching staff and front
office has been great. Now we want to take it to the next step."
Andrew Nembhard had 24 points and a playoff career-high 10 assists
for the sixth-seeded Pacers, who lost in the East finals for the
eighth time in nine trips. Indiana's only victory was over the New
York Knicks in 2000.
Boston overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter while
once again playing better basketball down the stretch.
A defensive breakdown by the Pacers left White standing alone in the
right corner on the decisive shot. Brown, who was named the MVP of
the series, spotted him and his pinpoint pass was on the mark, and
White's shot swished through the net.
Nembhard missed a 3-pointer with 33.6 seconds left and Tatum got the
rebound. Indiana decided not to foul, and Tatum missed a trey with
8.3 seconds remaining. But Jrue Holiday collected the offensive
rebound with 4.7 seconds left, and the Celtics ran out the clock.
It was Boston's second straight comeback win in Indianapolis. The
Celtics overcame an eight-point deficit with 2:38 left in Game 3 to
post a 114-111 victory. Boston trailed by as many as 18 in that
contest.
"We never say die," Tatum said. "These were some tough games we had
to play in, and we always find a way to figure it out. It's
different guys every single night and we sacrifice in order to reach
our ultimate goal."
Holiday had 17 points and nine rebounds and White added 16 points,
five steals and three blocked shots for the Celtics, who will face
either the Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Timberwolves in the Finals.
Pascal Siakam had 19 points and 10 rebounds and T.J. McConnell added
15 points for Indiana. Aaron Nesmith scored 14 points and Obi Toppin
added 12.
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May 27, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Boston Celtics guard
Derrick White (9) and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) react
to a play during the first quarter during game four of the eastern
conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) missed
his second straight game.
"The level of fight was tremendous all the way
through this," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said of his team.
"Circumstance never fazes them one way or the other. They were in
this to win every possession that they could and any game that they
could.
"A lot of respect to our players and how they conducted themselves
in the series."
The Celtics shot 44.9 percent from the field, including 14 of 44
from 3-point range.
Indiana made 46 percent of its shot attempts and was 10 of 29 from
behind the arc.
McConnell scored six points in 64 seconds early in the fourth
quarter to give the Pacers an 89-82 lead. A three-point play by
Nembhard made it 94-85 with 8:57 remaining.
After Boston moved within four, Nesmith made back-to-back baskets to
give Indiana a 98-90 lead with 5:56 to go.
The Celtics answered with an 8-2 run, moving within 100-98 on
Holiday's three-point play with 3:54 remaining.
Brown's runner tied the score at 102 with 2:40 left.
Tatum scored 16 points before halftime as Boston led 58-57 at the
break. Nembhard also tallied 16 points in the first half.
The Pacers took an 83-80 advantage into the final stanza but were
outplayed by Boston down the stretch of a close game for the third
time in the series. Indiana lost Game 1 in overtime.
"It's hard because I think when you look at all those games, we were
right there," Siakam said. "It stings and it's hard because I know
how hard we work.
"It's heartbreaking losses after heartbreaking losses. ... It
doesn't matter how good we played. We didn't get it done."
--Field Level Media
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