The NBA Playoffs finally arrived in Boston.
The Indiana Pacers proved a far cry from the zombie Heat and hopeless Cavaliers that previously graced the parquet at TD Garden, as the three-headed monster of Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton, and Pascal Siakam pushed the Celtics in a way no other team has this postseason.
Thank. God.
Regulation hero Jaylen Brown told ESPN’s Lisa Salters his team has to “be better” multiple times in his walk-off victory interview after the Celtics' 133-128 Game 1 victory, but this overtime drama is just what the doctor ordered for a languid Boston team.
Despite entering the series as the higher seeded and more talented team, Boston had demons from the regular season yet to be exorcised. Could their stars show up in truly clutch moments? Would their offense revert to sticky isolation play when confronted by Indiana’s fast game?
“We made momentum plays, JT finally woke up,” Brown said postgame.
Whether he was calling out or shouting out Jayson Tatum is up for debate. This much is clear: Jayson Tatum needed to sink a clutch shot, and with 38 seconds left in overtime, he did it. It doesn’t matter if it’s against a 6 seed, or that the Celtics’ defensive efforts were lackluster for much of the game. Tatum’s lack of clutch has been a hangnail critics have tugged for months.
By weathering 10 lead changes, including a few in overtime, this team also disproved the idea they’re just front-runners. They battled against a team that outrebounded them, and shot more efficiently from behind the arc. The Celtics attempted 10 more 3-pointers, but it wasn’t just spray and pray. They won points in the paint, second-chance points, and fast-break points.
But most importantly, both of Boston’s superstars rose to the occasion, with Brown saving the game in the last six seconds of the fourth quarter. It’s no surprise the assist on the play came from Jrue Holiday, who had a dazzling 28 points and eight assists.
Holiday inbounded the ball to Brown in the corner for a fall away 3-pointer in Siakam’s face. The shot saved Boston from the sort of loss at TD Garden that has, in the past, made naysayers roll their eyes and mutter, “Same old Celtics.”
Brown was matter of fact about the moment postgame:
“We drew up a play. It was perfectly executed. I told Jrue I was going to be open in the corner, and I was, and it went exactly how we planned it.”
How often do things just go according to plan in the playoffs? On this night, it felt downright special.