Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from decisive Game 3 win vs. Pacers

The Boston Celtics took a commanding 3-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the postseason after another dominant defensive performance in Game 3.

The Boston Celtics‘ decisive Game 3 win over the Indiana Pacers was once again defined and decided by stout defense, a common theme through the first three games of the series. While Boston finally cracked the triple digit barrier in the 104-96 win, Indiana once again limped to sub-100-point performance.

In their first away playoff game since last postseason’s abysmal 1-7 road performance, the Celtics showed up to play in the first quarter. They put up 41 points after splashing eight of their 10 3-point attempts through the first 12 minutes. After that, the game slowed and both team’s defensive-minded approach showed out, only for Boston to take over again in the final stages of the game.

Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics, scoring 23 points on a scorching 8-of-9 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3. Kyrie Irving followed suit, putting up 19 points as well as 10 assists and five rebounds for a well-rounded performance. Indiana’s Tyreke Evans scored an efficient 19 points off the bench, complementing Indiana’s well-balanced offense in the starting five, all of whom scored in double digits.

While overall Indiana’s offense looked as good as it has this whole series, it simply was not enough to beat Boston’s talent and late-game execution. Here are three takeaways from the decisive win.