The Indiana Pacers’ furious comeback fell just short, losing to the Boston Celtics in Indianapolis.
The Good: The Indiana Pacers made a nice comeback in the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell short. It’s always refreshing to see a team never give up. Jeff Teague continued his rock solid play, so that’s a positive to come out of this.
The Bad: Things got really ugly in the second quarter. The Pacers were outscored 29-9 in the second. Glenn Robinson III really struggled, and Paul George couldn’t get much to go either. Maybe the most important thing is that the Celtics officially won the season series against Indiana after this win. That matters, especially when you’re battling for positioning in the playoffs.
MVP: Isaiah Thomas took this game over in the 4th quarter. He and Jeff Teague had an entertaining dual, but Thomas ended up getting his team the win. He finished with 28 points, 9 assists and 0 turnovers.
LVP: Glenn Robinson III. The basket must have looked really small to Glenn because he finished just 1-9 from the field for 2 points in 35 minutes. He had his struggles at times on the defensive end, too.
X-Factor: Al Horford. Horford shot only 3-12 from the field, but his presence was definitely felt by the Boston Celtics. He kept possessions alive down the stretch, which resulted in giving Isaiah Thomas more opportunities to close the game.