Tag: Indiana Pacers

Was the Boston Celtics’ in-season tournament loss to the Indiana Pacers Jayson Tatum’s fault?

Analysts are suggesting that the reason Boston is not headed to Las Vegas, Nevada to play in the IST’s semifinals is because of how the St. Louis native comported himself.

Was the Boston Celtics‘ in-season tournament (IST) loss to the Indiana Pacers Jayson Tatum‘s fault? From afar, the Celtics are rolling and Tatum is the NBA’s Player of the Month for November, currently on the fringes of the league’s 2024 Most Valuable Player conversation.

But in the Celtics’ recent loss to the Pacers in the IST, some prominent analysts are suggesting that the reason Boston is not headed to Las Vegas, Nevada to play in the IST’s semifinals is because of how the St. Louis native comported himself in the second half of that tilt that sent the Celtics packing for a Friday tilt against the New York Knicks instead.

The analyst would be Jason Timpf of the eponymous “Hoops Tonight with Jason Timpf” podcast from the folks at Volume.

Check it out in the clip embedded above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Here is the official bracket for the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas

Tyrese Haliburton! Damian Lillard! Giannis Antetokounmpo!

For the first time in league history, four teams will officially advance to the semifinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas.

The winning team will receive this beautiful trophy and each player will earn an additional $500,000. We’ve already had a chance to watch some amazing basketball and that should only continue as the next round of the tournament begins.

RELATED: The NBA In-Season Tournament might be Adam Silver’s best decision as commissioner

The quarterfinals were held on Dec. 4 and 5 and the winners advanced to the semifinals in Las Vegas on Dec. 7.

Much like the rest of the In-Season Tournament games to date, the semifinal games will count as regular season games. But the championship game, held on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas as well, does not count as a regular-season game.

This is what the brackets look like when the four teams take the court in Las Vegas on Thursday:

RELATED: NBA fans say Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers deserve more national TV games after thrilling Celtics win

How the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Boston Celtics in the in-season tournament

Was the Celtics’ loss a warning sign that they might not be able to win high-leverage games in the playoffs? Or just an artifact of an opponent getting hot on a night Boston was a little off their game?

The Boston Celtics were eliminated from the NBA’s in-season tournament quarterfinals after a challenging matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse. The Celtics strong start and fierce competition in the first half were offset by difficulties in execution, missed shots, and defensive missteps in the second.

The end result? A painful loss to the Pacers with a familiar feel for Celtics fans used to watching their favorite team struggle in the third quarter and in crunchtime. At times, it seemed as if Boston leaned into poor shot selection, instead of controlling the controllable factors to regain their composure.

Was the Celtics’ loss a warning sign that they might not be able to win high-leverage games in the playoffs? Or just an artifact of an opponent getting hot on a night Boston was a little off their game?

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast weighed in on all this on their recent postgame podcast. Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Jaylen Brown on what went wrong vs. the Indiana Pacers in their in-season tournament loss

The Celtics may not be headed to Las Vegas for a chance at the IST’s half-million in prize money, but they may well have learned a valuable lesson about themselves just the same.

The key to the Boston Celtics’ in-season tournament loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, according to Jaylen Brown? “We just had a bad night taking care of the ball,” said the Georgia native postgame per the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. “They put a lot of pressure on us … we just couldn’t get organized.”

“We had some turnovers, some bad shots that turned into transition points for them,” added Brown. “We got caught up in the rat race, and we should have just settled down a little bit, and we didn’t in that third quarter and that was the game.”

“It’s a combination of poise from our guys, getting to our spacing,” he explained. “Sometimes in those environments, like a playoff environment, you have to remain poised and stick to the game plan.”

“We took ill-advised shots,” said Brown. “We didn’t get to the right spots. That’s on our veteran guys to make sure we’re in the right position, and we’re poised. Make sure we keep control of the game.”

The Celtics may not be headed to Las Vegas for a chance at the IST’s half-million in prize money, but they may well have learned a valuable lesson about themselves just the same.

Whether they remember it this summer when it matters most is another question. But should they convert the wisdom gleaned in this loss to action, there will be plenty of value from the loss to be had, even if it’s not the sort one can deposit in the bank.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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How Nikola Jokic and Tyrese Haliburton each made rare NBA history 3 times in 6 days

Nikola Jokic and Tyrese Haliburton are out of this world.

In the current pantheon of NBA superstars, it’s hard to imagine anyone matching the incredible offensive efficiency of Nikola Jokic and Tyrese Haliburton. The Denver Nuggets center and Indiana Pacers point guard are machines who rarely make mistakes while creating offense for their teammates.

Judging by what they’ve both done over the last week or so, they’re probably going to be entrenched in the conversation for the most efficient offensive players ever.

On Monday, during the Pacers’ 122-112 win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA’s in-season tournament, Haliburton dropped a sublime 26-point, 10-rebound, 13-assist stat line while committing zero turnovers. He effectively had a perfect offensive game without costing his team. It’s wild to see what Haliburton is capable of in print:

Now, tons of players have dropped 25-plus points and double-digit assists before. That’s great, but it’s not necessarily rare. Superstars do it all the time. It’s the zero turnovers here that distinguish this fantastic line because it’s only been done eight times in NBA history. And … Jokic did it for the Nuggets twice in three days before Haliburton’s in-season tourney gem.

Oh my goodness:

How good and efficient are Jokic and Haliburton? They dropped an individual clean box score that almost never happens three times in a matter of days. I’d say we should be shocked, but that’s just par for the course for franchise players like them.

They’ll both probably do it again soon. Ho-hum.

Reacting to the Indiana Pacers booting the Boston Celtics from the in-season tournament

Despite a promising first half and a competitive, intense vibe coming from both sides, the Celtics faltered in key moments late in the game.

The Boston Celtics had a disappointing exit from the NBA’s new in-season tournament, with a 122-112 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the quarterfinals on Monday night. The defeat highlighted recurring issues for the Celtics, particularly their struggles in the game’s third quarter, which have plagued them throughout the season.

Despite a promising first half and a competitive, intense vibe coming from both sides, the Celtics faltered in key moments late in the game. It allowed the Pacers to seize control just when their momentum began to pick up, a sequence that saw Jaylen Brown foul Tyrese Halliburton on a 3-point play, followed by a dunk from former Celtic Aaron Nesmith to seal the deal.

NBC Sports Boston’s Eddie House, Chris Mannix, Brian Scalabrine, Drew Carter and Amina Smith linked up after the loss on “Postgame Live” to talk it over.

Check it out in the clip above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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NBA fans say Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers deserve more national TV games after thrilling Celtics win

Time to flex some games so we can all watch the Pacers more often.

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Boston Celtics to advance to the semifinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament.

Haliburton had the first triple-double of his career recording 26 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, zero turnovers and one steal. It’s worth noting that the rising star had not played a game on TNT before this victory, per ESPN.

After the dominant performance, the Pacers will move on to the semifinals of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. The next round of the tournament, which will be a combined broadcasting effort by ESPN and TNT, will give Haliburton and his teammates yet another chance to play on national TV.

Otherwise, the Pacers only have one other game scheduled on national TV this season: Jan. 30 against the Celtics on TNT.

But fans aren’t satisfied with just getting to see the Pacers, who now have the best offensive rating of all-time so far this season, in just those games. Many expressed a genuine interest in seeing the national TV schedule flexed as the season continues so they can watch Indiana more often.

RELATED: Tyrese Haliburton has become the NBA’s new Chris Paul with how well he’s taking care of the ball

Boston eliminated from in-season tournament as Haliburton and Pacers top Celtics 119-112

The Celtics are eliminated from the NBA’s in-season tournament as Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers sped past Boston Monday night.

The Boston Celtics have been eliminated from the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament after falling to the Indiana Pacers 119-112 in the quarterfinals Monday night. Tyrese Haliburton led the way for the dynamic Pacers, logging 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists, grabbing his first career triple-double and punching Indiana’s ticket to Las Vegas in the process. Boston heads back to the Hub empty-handed for now.

The last time the Celtics played the Pacers, they cruised to a 155-104 victory, but this time around Indiana’s lightning fast pace on both ends of the ball really challenged Boston. Not only did Indy’s speed stretch the Celtics on the defense end, but it seemed to force Boston into take rushed shots and making unforced errors. For the game, the visiting team logged 17 turnovers compared to just 6 for Indy. Combined with a lukewarm night shooting the ball from deep, and the Celtics just never found the right gear.

Boston is back in action Friday night. For now, here’s what you missed from a 119-112 Celtics defeat in Indianapolis.

PHOTOS: Boston at Indiana: Celtics can’t keep up with hungry, speedy Pacers, lose 122-112

Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 20th game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Indiana Pacers.

The Boston Celtics found themselves facing an Indiana Pacers squad in the NBA’s in-season tournament quarterfinals that came to play, and from the game’s opening tip, Indiana made the Celtics run. And run Boston did, seemingly on their heels even when holding a lead, turning over the ball 18 times to Indiana’s 6, while shooting just 29.3% from deep.

That the Celtics were even in it at the end is a minor miracle in itself, with the hungry Pacers roster coming to life as victory came into view late in the game. The final blow that likely put the tilt out of reach for the Celtics fittingly a dunk by former Boston forward Aaron Nesmith. Now, Indiana is headed to Las Vegas while Boston heads home to lick their wounds.

Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 20th game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Indiana Pacers.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Why is Aaron Nesmith thriving with the Indiana Pacers?

The Celtics draft pick struggled off the bench in Boston.

Forward Aaron Nesmith‘s performance with the Indiana Pacers so far this season has been a revelation after his trade from the Boston Celtics the offseason before last to bring Malcolm Brogdon to Boston. He has noticeably gained muscle since joining the Pacers, making him stronger and more imposing on the court.

Nesmith’s physical transformation, and his improved shooting efficiency have both helped the Vanderbilt alum carve out a key role in the Pacers’ lineup. Nesmith’s ability to play freely in Indiana without having to worry if the next mistake gets him benched, vs. his limited playing time and lack of rhythm in Boston are certainly factors behind his growth as a player, but what else could be at work here?

Bobby Manning, host of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast recently talked with guest Caitlin Cooper about Nesmith’s improved play.

Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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