BOSTON – No matter how good an NBA team may be, turnovers have a way of rearing its ugly head at some point in a game.
For the Boston Celtics, turnovers came in waves in the pivotal fourth quarter which paved the way for Indiana’s 102-91.
The Celtics committed 18 turnovers in Wednesday’s loss which included seven in the fourth quarter.
It wasn’t so much that the turnovers cost them in terms of points given up (Boston’s fourth-quarter turnovers only generated four points for Indiana).
The bigger impact was the possessions those miscues robbed the Celtics from having on a night when they didn’t play their best and yet still were within one possession with about seven minutes to play.
“We didn’t take care of the ball,” said Boston’s Evan Turner. “We kind of rushed a little bit. We had some shots we should have took, which kind of bit us a little bit. We just have to trust in our shots, trust in the plays and take the right shots.”
That’s easier said than done, especially on a night when the Celtics had almost as many turnovers (7) as made shots (8) in the fourth.
Boston Celtics
“We have to treat the ball like gold,” said Celtics big man Jared Sullinger. “Don’t let no one take your cookie.”
Here are some of the Stars, Studs and Duds from Boston’s second loss to the Pacers in this still-young NBA season.
STARS
Paul George
The Celtics were in trouble when Jae Crowder – the team’s best defender for George – got into early foul trouble. George led all scorers with 26 points along with 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double this season.
Evan Turner
He continues to be the unassuming glue guy for this Boston Celtics team, seemingly finding a way to contribute in a multitude of ways. On Wednesday, he had a season-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting as he filled in for Avery Bradley (left calf) who did not play.
STUDS
David Lee
The numbers keep looking better and better for Lee, who was the only true impact performer off the Celtics’ bench on Wednesday. He led all Boston reserves with 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting. In addition to his scoring, he led the Celtics reserves in rebounds (six) as well.
C.J. Miles
His ability to play as an undersized power forward has really opened up the Pacers offense. He had 17 points on Wednesday, connecting on 6-of-10 shots along with grabbing five rebounds.
DUDS
Boston 3-point shooting
Making 3s has been an issue for the Celtics for years, and this season is unfortunately shaping up to be no exception. Boston, which came into Wednesday’s game ranked 26th in 3-point shooting (30.1 percent), missed 20 of its 24 3-point attempts (16.7 percent) against the Pacers.
Boston Free throw shooting
It wasn’t just shots from the field and 3-point range that weren’t falling for the Celtics. Boston, which came into the game as the NBA’s best free throw shooting team (82.9 percent), was just 23-for-32 (71.9 percent) from the free throw line on Wednesday which was among the many factors contributing to their loss.