Celtics can’t keep up with Pacers’ finishing kick

INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers were hoping to use their superior size to pound out a win Wednesday night, but the smallest Celtic starter nearly foiled their plan.

Kemba Walker went for a season-high 44 points, but Indiana put up 38 fourth-quarter points and outscored the Celts by 13 at the free throw line to hand the Shamrocks a 122-117 defeat.

Walker’s contested 3-pointer over T.J. Warren drew only air. The Celts argued that the shot had been tipped by Warren, but a video review by the officials let the call stand.

The Pacers got 27 points from Malcolm Brogdon, and their bench outscored Boston’s, 47-19. Their inside plan also worked, as Domantas Sabonis had a double-double — with 5:38 left in the second quarter. He went to the line to complete a three-point play, heading back on defense with 11 points and 10 boards. As much as the interior scoring was a factor, the edge truly showed up at the line.

The Celtics — and, more directly, Gordon Hayward — suffered a blow when the forward drove to the hoop and got hit in the face by Doug McDermott. Hayward went to the trainers’ room with 6:28 left in the game and did not return because of what the team termed a “blow to the nose.”

The C’s were hurt, as well, when Jaylen Brown fouled out with 1:59 to go.

The Celtics didn’t need to worry about a slow start. Walker saw to that.

The point guard was big with the points and apparently impossible for the Pacers to guard. He hit his first four shots and emerged from the opening quarter with 15 of the Celts’ 32 points as his club led by as many as nine.

The problem is the C’s forgot to stop the Pacers.

Even while the Celts were getting 10 points from five Indiana turnovers while surrendering no points off their lone giveaway, the hosts made 10 of 19 shots and were able to get to the line for six more points. That allowed the Pacers to stay within 32-30 at the quarter pole.

The problem grew worse for the C’s in the second period when their shots stopped finding the strings.

Gordon Hayward gave them a 42-39 lead midway through the frame, but the Celts made just one of their next one of their next eight shots and turned the ball over three times. That lit the way to an 18-2 Pacer run and 13-point lead.

Walker tried to shoot the Celtics back to normal, but he missed three attempts before heating up in the last two and a half minutes. He hit a pair of treys and went for a traditional three-point play with 3.2 seconds left to close the deficit to 61-57 at the half.

Walker kept it going after the break, producing his second 15-point frame of the night to push the Celts to a 37-23 quarter and a 94-84 lead entering the fourth.

When he came out for a break with 1:31 left, Walker had 39 points in 28 minutes.

Overall with a quarter left, the Celts had executed a 23-point turnaround from their 13-point shortfall in the second inning.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2PALBKp