The Celtics Rise from the Brink: A Comeback for the History Books

It will not be possible to accuse the Celtics again of not appearing in the hot moments, of not knowing how to win. Of not having the ability to survive when the ball burns the hardest. They reached halftime down 12, were 18 points behind Indiana in the third quarter and took the game (114-111) in the final seconds. A two plus one from Jrue Holiday, followed by a steal and two free throws ended the game and most likely the series: a 0-3 deficit has never been recovered in the history of the NBA., and it seems complicated that these Pacers are going to be the first team to do so. And even more so without Tyrese Haliburton.

Indiana was missing a star, but without its point guard, the team raised the level. The first half, especially the second quarter, was an offensive ode. They attacked the rim, 42 points in the paint (21/30) and breaking the game. Andrew Nembhard dressed as a hero, with 21 points, and Pascal Siakam found every crack in the green defense. He had 15 at halftime, like Myles Turner, with both dominating the inside game and the Celtics depending on the triple. Tatum and Jaylen combined for 34 points and Horford added his first four triples of the game to keep the team alive. Far away, outnumbered on both sides, but still alive. And he would end up being noticed, especially with an 8-0 run to close the quarter, after being 17 points down.

The third began with the same script, Siakam scoring at will and TJ McConnell becoming a nightmare for Boston’s defense. In the middle of the quarter, Indiana achieved the maximum of the entire game, 18 points (66-84) that, unless a major change in mentality, could be definitive. And only the Celtics defense prevented it. The Mazzulla team started a zone, with Jayson Tatum as a leader, and a run of 15-4 left the difference at just seven points, nine after a tap on the horn by Doug McDermott at the end of the quarter. Leaving Indiana to just four points in just six minutes of clock time was the first warning of what was coming in the fourth quarter. Because the Celtics were the best offense in the league, but also the second best defense.

They got within three before Indiana’s pair of guards again took control. McConnell and Nembhard opened the gap again. Six points in a row left the game at 109-101 with 2:38 remaining, and at that moment, Boston took control. A 13-2 run in the last 158 ​​seconds completely turned it around and put an end to the match and the series.. “It was a collective effort, not just one player,” said Jrue Holiday, definitely the protagonists. All the headlines appeared in that quarter. In attack, Jayson Tatum led it with a triple and three assists for his teammates, although it was Jrue Holiday who opened and closed it. The point guard was questionable until the last moment because he had a fever all morning.

Tatum scored 36 points (12/23 shooting) with 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal. He was accompanied by Jaylen Brown, more human this morning, with 24 points, or Al Horford’s 23, with seven triples in 12 attempts. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who did not have the best game in front of the basket (27 points, 7/21 combined), were key in defense. The five of them scored 110 of Boston’s 114 points, with just two from Payton Pritchard and Xavier Tillman. In the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, who could return on Monday for the fourth game, those five will be the basis of the Celtics’ project that is on the verge of returning to the NBA finals. Indiana will try to avoid it, but all the data is against them. Boston has won seven in a row away from home, and even if they manage to avoid the sweep, coming back from 0-3 is something never done.

151 times has happened, 151 times the team that started the tie winning has taken it. The NBA remains the only one of the major leagues where no team has managed to turn it around, with the MLB (39-1) and the NHL (201-4) having seen history. Boston can now write its own, returning to the finals after the 2022 defeat. And only one goal in mind: banner 18. The rest is part of the process.

2024-05-26 06:15:15
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