A look on the stat sheet would counsel Jaylen Brown, along with his game-high 31 factors and 9 rebounds, was the driving drive behind the Celtics’ newest victory.
However credit score for the 103-95 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night time belonged to Boston’s bench.
Down 20 early within the third quarter, head coach Joe Mazzulla despatched in reserves Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Garza, Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman, and that unit modified the sport. The Celtics outscored the injury-depleted Pacers by 28 factors over the ultimate 19:22 to keep away from a house upset and enhance to 18-11.
Of these Boston backups, Gonzalez made the best affect. The rookie performed all however 21 seconds of the second half and was a plus-21, ending with six factors, 11 rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Garza grabbed 9 rebounds, together with 5 offensive boards, and completed as a plus-13 in his 24 minutes. Each gamers additionally performed key roles in Saturday’s road win over the Toronto Raptors.
Brown was the nearer, scoring 14 of his factors within the fourth quarter to assist Boston draw back.
The Celtics now will head out on a season-long five-game highway journey, starting with a rematch at 6-23 Indiana on Friday. They are going to be off on Christmas Day for the primary time since 2015, ending a streak of 9 consecutive years with a vacation showcase recreation.
Monday’s win — the two hundredth of Joe Mazzulla’s head-coaching tenure — kicked off a stretch of seven straight video games towards sub-.500 groups for Boston that doesn’t finish till Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets go to Causeway Road on Jan. 7. Indiana is
The Pacers have been the NBA’s worst capturing workforce this season — useless final in field-goal share and 3-point field-goal share — however they got here out firing on this one. Indiana hit 10 of its first 14 pictures and began 8-of-9 from three to take a 30-18 lead.
Halfway by means of the second quarter, the Pacers had tried 16 3-pointers, made 11 and led 52-37. Boston had no reply for Pascal Siakam, Indiana’s top-billed star whereas Tyrese Haliburton recovers from Achilles surgical procedure, and struggled to comprise Ethan Thompson, a 26-year-old two-way participant with 9 video games of NBA expertise.
Thompson scored 11 factors within the first half, one shy of his profession excessive, whereas Siakam poured in 23 on 8-of-12 capturing, together with 4-of-5 from deep. Siakam additionally hit two midrange jumpers over Gonzalez, who spent a lot of the second quarter monitoring the 6-foot-8 veteran.
On the different finish, Boston’s scorers had been scuffling. Brown was the one Celtics participant to succeed in double figures earlier than halftime, and he did so on 4-of-12 capturing. As a workforce, the Celtics shot 39.1% and 27.8% from deep within the first half and trailed 61-43 on the break.
After Indiana’s lead hit 20 factors early within the third quarter, Mazzulla made an announcement substitution. He pulled Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta and changed them with Simons, Scheierman, Hauser and Garza. The one Celtic not subbed out was Gonzalez, who began the second half over Josh Minott (Boston’s preliminary substitute for the ailing Jordan Walsh, who missed the sport with an sickness).
That near-full line change had the specified impact. Boston’s bench unit revitalized the stagnant C’s, staging a 19-5 run that minimize the Pacers’ cushion to 6.
Gonzalez blocked a shot, stole a cross and drew two fouls, together with one on an inbounds cross. Garza, who hadn’t seen significant minutes in weeks earlier than returning to the rotation Saturday night time in Toronto, gained additional possessions with extra sturdy work on the offensive glass. Scheierman hit a 3-pointer and drew a cost.
Mixed, that group held Siakam to a few third-quarter factors and the Pacers to at least one 3-pointer within the interval on 12 makes an attempt. Brown scored 4 fast factors after reentering late within the quarter, and Boston went into the fourth inside putting distance, trailing 82-74. A twisting Brown layup by means of visitors minimize it to 82-80 with 8:58 remaining.
After White (19 factors) drilled a 3 — his first for the reason that first quarter — Brown swatted a Siakam drive and completed on the rim to place the Celtics forward 85-84. White added a uncommon dunk on the following Boston possession.
Gonzalez and Garza each had been on the ground for the whole Celtics rally. The latter acquired a standing ovation when Mazzulla subbed him out for Queta after a shift that lasted greater than 16 minutes of recreation time.
An and-one jumper by Andrew Nembhard tied that recreation at 91-91. However Queta responded with two free throws — off an offensive rebound created by a Gonzalez deflection — and Brown buried a nook three to place Boston up seven.
That proved to be the dagger. The Celtics pulled away within the ultimate minutes to safe their third straight win.
Solely then did Gonzalez take a look at, heading to the bench with 32.2 seconds to play. The 19-year-old additionally performed the ultimate 17-plus minutes of wins over Miami and Toronto final Friday and Saturday. During the last three video games, the Celtics have outscored opponents by 80 factors throughout his minutes.
