The Indiana Pacers escaped with a nail-biting 135-132 win over the Boston Celtics on October 31, despite letting a 24-point lead slip away. The victory handed Boston their first loss of the season, dropping them to 4-1, while the Pacers improved to 2-3.
Pascal Siakam, was at the center of the attack, powering his squad with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Benedict Mathurin was his partner in crime dropping 30, 11, and 4. Tyrese Haliburton ran their offense to perfection with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Jayson Tatum erupted with 37 points complete with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Brown filled the stat sheet and dropped 25 points but shot a tough 1 of 11 from three. White had a very efficient 23 points, including a perfect 5 of 5 from downtown. But the Celtics still couldn’t pull out the win.
Siakam Was Steady All Night
The Pacers, after getting swept by the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, came in hungry for a payback. Siakam set the tone early, pouring in 17 points in the first half, then storming into the third quarter with 6 quick points to keep Indiana’s momentum alive. Benedict Mathurin then caught fire scoring 14 points as Indiana surged ahead (90-68). Haliburton intensified Boston’s troubles while Toppin built their largest lead at 96-72. However, the Celtics and Tatum managed to narrow the margin heading into the fourth.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Brown awakened from his slump, scoring 9 points in a vital 16-6 run. White also made key plays down the stretch and trimmed down the gap to (122-117). Boston then cranked up the defensive pressure and Tatum drained a massive three-pointer to push the game into overtime.
Both teams traded haymakers in a fierce overtime duel. But it was Siakam who stepped up when it counted the most. First, he nailed a jump shot to even the game at 132 both, then drilled a clutch triple to clinch the win.
Up Next
The Celtics will try to bounce back in Charlotte while the Pacers visit the Pelicans both on Saturday.
