The Boston Celtics crushed the Indiana Pacers 126-110 on Thursday night, taking a big lead in the Eastern Conference Finals! Here’s the scoop on what happened:
Brown Goes Beast Mode!
Celtics star player Jaylen Brown went off for a whopping 40 points, his highest ever in a game! He couldn’t be stopped, making tough shots and driving to the basket like a machine. This scoring explosion was just what Boston needed, especially since their other star, Jayson Tatum, started slow.
Celtics Rain Threes!
Remember how the Celtics struggled with three-pointers in the first game? Well, forget that! They made way more threes this time (over 40%), with guys like Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard hitting clutch shots. This outside shooting opened things up for Brown and Tatum inside, making them even tougher to guard.
Young Star Struggles for Pacers
The Pacers’ rising point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, had a rough night. He scored some points (18), but he also made some bad mistakes at key moments, especially in overtime. The pressure of the big game seemed to get to him, and the Celtics took advantage.
Siakam Keeps Pacers in the Game
Even though they lost, the Pacers had a bright spot in power forward Pascal Siakam. He was their top scorer, putting up a cool 28 points. He wasn’t afraid to attack the basket and even drew fouls from the Celtics’ big guys. Without Siakam’s scoring, the Pacers might have lost by a lot more.
Defense Needs Work for Both Teams
The Celtics won, but their defense wasn’t perfect. The Pacers scored a ton of points (56) right under the basket, showing some weaknesses in Boston’s defense. On the other hand, the Pacers couldn’t stop Brown and Tatum at times. Both teams need to play better defense if they want to win this series.
Can the Pacers Fight Back at Home?
The series now moves to Indiana for Game 3. The Pacers will be looking to win on their home court. The crowd at their stadium will be wild, and the Pacers will need that energy to get back in the series. But the Celtics are a strong team, and they won’t give up easily.
A Series Full of Surprises!
This Eastern Conference Finals is shaping up to be awesome! The Celtics have more experience, but the Pacers have shown a lot of fight. Brown’s amazing scoring is a big story, and how Haliburton handles the pressure will be important for Indiana. Get ready for an exciting battle, basketball fans! This series is just getting started!