The Boston Celtics overcame a late double-digit deficit to take a 2-0 lead against the Indiana Pacers. This is what we learned from the game.
After the Boston Celtics stymied the Indiana Pacers in Game 1, it felt like the Cs would steamroll the Victor Oladipo-less Pacers en route to an Eastern Conference semi-finals berth. Game 2 proved that, in fact, nothing in this league comes easy, as Boston needed to put together a 31-12 final quarter to best Indiana 99-91.
The Kyrie Irving show was in full effect, as the All-Star point guard racked up 37 points to go with a team-high seven assists. Irving put his distance shooting on full display, splashing home six of his 10 attempts from the 3-point line.
The Pacers struggled to get offensive production out of their top scorers in Game 1, getting just 24 points combined from Myles Turner, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Damontas Sabonis. That trend continues tonight, despite a 23 point contest for Bogdanovic, as the trio combined for only 32 points in Game 2.
Winning both games at home has been a rarity in these NBA playoffs, with the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston Rockets as the only teams to head into their respective Game threes with a 2-0 lead. These are the main takeaways from Boston’s Game 2 win.