Pacers limp home after losing Haliburton and Game 2 against Celtics
Pacers limp home after losing Haliburton and Game 2 against Celtics
The Pacers are down 0-2 to the Celtics with Tyrese Haliburton questionable to play in Game 3 at the Fieldhouse.
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse desperately searching for a win in the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night after losing Game 2 and Tyrese Haliburton to a hamstring injury in the third quarter at TD Garden on Thursday night.
Pascal Siakam did what he could to carry the load for the Pacers with 28 points and Andrew Nembhard put forth a valiant effort, trying to midrange the C’s to death, but after scrapping back within two points four minutes into the third quarter, the Pacers couldn’t keep pace the rest of the way.
Much like Game 1, the Pacers started Game 2 not playing perfectly but playing well enough to trade blows with the Celtics and end the first quarter with a two point lead.
Then things rapidly went weird as the Celtics bridged the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter with a 22-2 run, including a 17-0 start to the second quarter. And we thought the 12-0 start in Game 1 was bad. No timeout during the run, but lots of missed shots for the Pacers on offense and little resistance at the other end.
The Pacers appeared to be imploding on the spot, but once again, they rallied late in the first half and, despite 10 turnovers at the break and no impact from a foul-saddled Myles Turner, the Pacers were down just six points at the break. Still, the fierce level of effort of compete the Pacers learned and eventually executed during their series with the Knicks and carried with them to Game 1, wasn’t the same.
The Pacers were never blown out, although the Celtics were in control throughout the second half. The strenuous pace of the last four games the Pacers have played in the past seven days finally showed up. First, with Tyrese Haliburton re-straining his left hamstring which was somewhere past a major buzzkill. Siakam scored his 28 points in 31 minutes but did not play the final nine minutes of the game as Rick Carlisle gradually extended his bench despite the lead never ballooning past 20 points.
While every parlay bettor in the world was furious with Carlisle, he indicated after the game that he could see his squad was toast so he wanted to give some guys a chance to go in and give some energy with an opportunity to play. That group honestly held up as well as any despite the optics, but it added to the overall weird feel of Game 2 in which the Pacers seemed to be getting killed but would never go away.
Carlisle also pointed to the bottom of the stat sheet numbers to highlight the Pacers issues. The Pacers were outscored in points in the paint by 20 (54 to 34). The C’s won second-chance points, 18 to 13 and fast break points, 10 to 7.
The Pacers couldn’t make that big run in the second half they needed but did clean up some of the turnover and rebounding issues that hurt them in the first half. Still, they ended the game with 16 turnovers which is not all on sloppiness, but the solid defense the Pacers are going against.
The Celtics also had a man on a mission in Game 2 with Jaylen Brown appearing to make a statement about being snubbed from the All-NBA list by scoring 40 points and getting to where he wanted to all night in the lane. The C’s size and ability to bully ball their way into the lane is an area severely frustrating the Pacers through two games.
On Friday afternoon, the Pacers released their 5 p.m. ET injury report with Haliburton listed as questionable. That was a bit of good news, but no doubt Haliburton’s availability will be a game-time decision at best.
The Pacers are not built to give in, so regardless of what Haliburton’s status is on Saturday at tip time, they will lean on a new rotation to try to hang in at home. Siakam will have to play big minutes and Myles Turner will have to show up and avoid foul trouble to allow the Pacers bigs to attack the C’s front court.
TJ McConnell will have to ramp up his minutes whether he starts or not. It might be better to start Ben Sheppard to give the Pacers a better defensive matchup to start the game and keep TJ and Obi doing their thing off the bench, which also has to be much better than in Game 2. There are not great answers when Haliburton is not in the equation, but these are the opportunities that can create major memories. But the task will be daunting in the Eastern Conference Finals.
ECF Game 3 Details
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Saturday, May 25, 2024, 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +7
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Celtics: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford
Injuries
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) - questionable, Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) - out
Celtics: Luke Kornet (wrist) - doubtful, Kristaps Porzingis (calf strain) - out