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Using a big run to clear a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Boston Celtics took a 2-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night with a 99-91 home win in Game 2. It was really a defensive game, but far from the 84-74 draw that the teams played in the first match on Saturday.
Boston led Kyrie Irving, who scored the highest point of the game with 37 points on a 15-26 shot, including 3-6 for 10, and seven assists. Jayson Tatum added 26 points, including clutch buckets at the end of the race to help seal Boston's win.
Indiana had four double-digit players, led by Bojan Bojanovic with 23 points on a 4-of-8 shot, but the Pacers again struggled to put the ball in the basket when it mattered most.
Here are some takeaway victories in Game 2 of Boston.
Kyrie, Kyrie, Kyrie
Irving is one of the best scorers in the NBA and his full arsenal was exposed in Wednesday's match 2. Irving worked on almost every facet of his offensive game: 3-point hitter, midrange pull-ups and finishing at the rim. As his team led by four in the fourth quarter, Irving scored at 7:35 and then toppled two three-point markers to give Boston the lead and all the momentum.
Great games of Tatum
The Pacers wisely began to force the ball out of Irving's hands late, which left other Celtics to take charge of ending the game. Tatum responded to the call, hitting a huge Corner 3 in transition to give the Celtics the advantage, then finding Gordon Hayward under the basket for an open lay-up to make it a 3-point match with 12.1 seconds to play. He also sealed the win with a dunk in full swing to give Boston a 2-0 lead. It has been said that Tatum's progression would be a little upset this season, but his late performance in Match 2 shows that he is able to be a major player in the playoffs for Boston.
Frozen Pacers
After being beaten offensively for much of Game 1, the Pacers looked much better Wednesday night. But when the fourth quarter of the hour came and Boston reinforced its defensive intensity, Indiana simply could not buy a bucket. Most of their looks were well defended, but they became extremely cold while the Celtics led 16-0, during which they took the lead late in the fourth quarter. The race was eventually interrupted by a Wesley Matthews 3-pointer, but the absence of Victor Oladipo was never as noticeable as when the Pacers were desperate for a bucket in the last right and apparently had nowhere to turn.
Do not sleep on Bojan
It may not be a household name, but Bojan Bogdanovic had a great year for the Pacers. He was already one of the NBA's best three-point shooters, but had become a playmaker role as Indiana's top scorer after the injury to Oladipo. It was fantastic Wednesday night, almost pushing the Pacers to victory with two big 3 points late in the fourth, but they finally failed.
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