Indiana Pacers: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Celtics

The Indiana Pacers dropped Game 1 against the Boston Celtics Sunday at the TD Garden. Here’s what we learned from the Pacers’ performance.

The Indiana Pacers just couldn’t seem to find the rhythm in their playoff opener against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, despite holding Kyrie Irving and company to only 84 points and a season-low shooting percentage. The Pacers showed they can play with Boston, but couldn’t quite contain them when the going gets tough.

It was a tale of two halves. Indiana held a 45-38 lead at halftime and their defense, which anchored their regular season success, appeared to be too much for Boston. But it was an 0-for-9 start to the third quarter that spelled their defeat. The Celtics would outscore the Pacers 26-8 in the period, and Marcus Morris and Irving’s 20 points apiece would secure the victory.

Indiana actually topped Boston in blocks, points in the paint, assists and even had fewer turnovers, but their 33.3 percent shooting from the field was a bad omen against a Celtics squad with no Marcus Smart.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from Game 1’s low-scoring affair at the TD Garden.