BOSTON – The Boston Celtics had already defeated the Indiana Pacers on an improbable play in the final seconds of play earlier this season – Terry Rozier’s steal and subsequent game-winning lay-up at Indiana.
Could they do it again?
The offensive foul drawn by Marcus Morris on Sunday gave Boston the ball back with 1.5 seconds to play and a chance to tie or win it with a 3-pointer.
But Rozier’s fadeaway jumper was well short of the rim as Indiana escaped with a 99-97 win.
Marcus Smart had 20 points for the Celtics, with Jayson Tatum chipping in 19 points and five rebounds while Rozier had 16 points off the bench.
The Pacers were led by Victor Oladipo’s 27 points while Myles Turner had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Boston Celtics
The late charge drawn by Morris against Oladipo was reminiscent of a similar sequence in which Marcus Smart drew a pair of offensive fouls against Houston’s James Harden in the final seconds of play that led Boston to an improbable win after having trailed by as many as 26 points.
Had Boston managed to escape with the victory, it certainly would have ranked among their best this season considering how it would have come about and the adversity, before and during the game, they had to overcome.
Boston (46-21) went into the game without Jaylen Brown (concussion) and Al Horford (sick), and lost Kyrie Irving (left knee soreness) who did not return to play in the second half.
Despite being down three key performers, the Celtics had their chances down the stretch.
It was an exhilarating ending, one the Celtics probably felt would not have been that close if not for Irving’s sore left knee that saw Boston’s double-digit lead at the half, evaporate into a 74-70 deficit going into the fourth.
There was no question the Celtics missed Irving’s scoring as Indiana pushed its lead to nine points early in the fourth, only for Boston to battle back to cut the deficit to 83-78 following a lay-up by Daniel Theis in which he was fouled on the basket.
Theis made the free throw, cutting Indiana’s lead to 83-79 with a little over eight minutes to play.
Boston would inch a little closer following a pair of free throws by Jayson Tatum that made it a one-possession (83-81) after Tatum drove into the lane and drew a foul – the kind of aggressive play that often falls on the shoulders of Irving or Brown.
The Celtics jumped out to a 7-2 lead, only for the Pacers to bounce back with a 6-0 spurt. The first quarter was a tightly contested battle, ending with Boston ahead 25-24.
The second quarter was more of the same with neither team putting enough distance between themselves to fully control the game until Boston’s 11-0 run capped off by a Morris basket that made it 43-34.
Another Morris basket closed out the quarter to give Boston a comfortable 50-40 halftime lead.
Indiana didn’t waste any time going to work on Boston’s double-digit lead, opening the third quarter with a 15-7 run to come within 57-55 following a 3-pointer by Cory Joseph.
The Pacers soon tied the game at 57-all following a pair of free throws by Victor Oladipo with 6:50 to play in the quarter.