The Indiana Pacers’ series opener against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals was marred by costly turnovers, leading to a 133-128 overtime defeat. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star guard, committed two crucial turnovers, one at the end of regulation and another in overtime, allowing the Celtics to erase a five-point deficit in the final minutes.
Haliburton reflected on the game’s pivotal moments, admitting, “Just turnovers. Turnovers. I had two bad turnovers that I feel cost us the game.” Despite their impressive run, having upset the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks in the previous rounds, the Pacers faltered against the top-seeded Celtics.
A Strong Start by Boston
Boston, the NBA’s top team with a 17-win advantage over Indiana, dominated early with a 12-0 lead, hinting at a potentially uncompetitive series. However, the Pacers rallied, tying the game by halftime and even holding a 115-110 lead with less than two minutes left in regulation.
Haliburton expressed confidence in his team’s abilities, stating, “We know we can play with these guys. There’s a lot of people out here saying we don’t belong here. We don’t really care. We know we belong.” Despite this confidence, turnovers remained their Achilles’ heel, with Indiana giving up 22 turnovers, resulting in 32 points for Boston.
Crucial Mistakes in the Final Moments
The game’s final moments were defined by the Pacers’ mistakes. With a three-point lead and 40 seconds left, Haliburton’s unforced error—dribbling off his foot—allowed Boston to regain possession. In overtime, another turnover by Haliburton, losing the ball out of bounds, further exemplified the team’s struggles under pressure.
“Big-time turnovers,” lamented Pacers center Myles Turner. “We showed our age a little bit tonight, being a youthful team in this high stakes of a game. We made some mistakes. A lot of uncharacteristic turnovers.” These errors prevented Indiana from capitalizing on their opportunities.
Missed Opportunities and Final Blunders
As the game drew to a close, Indiana still had chances to seal the victory. Leading 117-114, Haliburton’s mishap allowed Boston two more attempts at the basket. Andrew Nembhard’s errant inbounds pass with 10 seconds left provided the Celtics with a final chance. Jrue Holiday capitalized by finding Jaylen Brown, who tied the game with a three-pointer. Haliburton’s last-second, off-balance shot missed, sending the game into overtime.
“That’s replayed a bunch of times in my head already,” Haliburton admitted. “That was probably the look for me to shoot.”
Looking Ahead to Game 2
As the series moves to Game 2 on Thursday night, the Pacers must secure a win in Boston to keep their hopes alive. Coach Rick Carlisle took responsibility for not calling a timeout in the final moments, saying, “This loss is totally on me. We made some other mistakes. … We’ve got to own it, and we’ve got to get ready for Thursday.”
Carlisle also refrained from commenting on the significant free throw disparity, quipping, “My daughter’s already going to sit out one semester of college. I can’t have her take a whole year off.”
With the series shifting to Indianapolis after Game 2, the Pacers will need to regroup and address their turnover issues to challenge the formidable Celtics.
