2 Studs, 1 dud from Indiana Pacers incredible late-game win over Boston Celtics
By Jack Simone
Dud - The court
There were no duds in this game. The closest thing to a dud may have been Isaiah Jackson, who got goaded into an altercation with Boston Celtics big man Luke Kornet.
Jackson pushed him to the ground, and then Kornet gave his teammates some high-fives while the Pacers big man tried to anger him (to no avail).
However, the one dud of the night was the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, as Tyrese Haliubrton’s slip in the paint could have huge ramifications for the remainder of the Indiana Pacers’ season.
When Haliburton was driving to the paint in the second quarter, he slipped, falling into a split position and hurting what appeared to be his left hamstring, as reported by the team’s official Twitter account.
They revealed that the injury is just a strain, but from the look of Haliburton’s reaction on the court and his teammates carrying him off with a towel over his head (as the point guard was in tears), it could end up being a lot worse.
If Haliburton ends up having to miss extended time, the Pacers’ hopes of making a run to the playoffs could end just as they did last season when the star point guard went down. It would be an absolute disaster for Indiana.
Bennedict Mathurin hit some big shots, as did Buddy Hield and Aaron Nesmith. Jalen Smith made a huge impact on the glass, affecting the game with his energy. Obi Toppin poured in 13 points off the bench.