The Celtics, led by Jaylen Brown, continue steadily towards the ring that has eluded them for 16 years. The 27-year-old guard scored 40 points to give his team a 126-110 victory over the Pacers in the second game of the tie.
Unlike the first clash, where Indiana let victory slip away in the final seconds, Game 2 reached the final stages with everything decided thanks to the performance of Brown, who has taken a step forward in the Eastern Finals, as he accumulates 66 points in two games.
The Celtics player, who was not selected in any of the three All NBA Teams, sent a message to those who did not vote for him: “I don’t care about the narratives about me, I just try to go out on the court and contribute on both sides . There aren’t many in the NBA better than me at that, but I still see some people being praised and rewarded who don’t have even half the talent that I have. But, at this point in my life, it is something that has become motivation,” said the guard.
Brown took over from Tatum at the controls of the Massachusetts team. The forward, who was chosen in the best team of the season, did not play his best game, especially in the first half. Even though he scored 23 points, he was erratic from three-point range, as he only scored one of seven. Even so, in Boston the secondary players appeared again, especially Derrick White, with 23 points and 50% shooting from three, and Jrue Holiday, who achieved a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists.
In the Pacers, the bad news came twice. In addition to the defeat, they could lose Haliburton for the remainder of the series. The Indiana point guard retired at the end of the third quarter with discomfort in his left thigh, an area that has already given him problems during the season.
The injury to the Pacers playmaker left Pascal Siakam too alone, who led the way throughout the game, but his 28 points were insufficient for Rick Carlisle’s team, which leaves TD Garden empty-handed. The Celtics, who lost both Game 2s in the first two series, travel to Indiana with a considerable lead. In addition, Joe Mazzulla’s team has not yet lost on the road in the playoffs, so they have their second Finals in the last three years within reach.