Boston Celtics, unable to find rhythm without Crowder, fall to Indiana Pacers on the road.
The NBA regular season is winding down, and the Boston Celtics find themselves in a position head coach Brad Stevens may not have been ready to handle. Emerging star Jae Crowder suffered a high ankle sprain in Friday’s loss to the Rockets, and the team will be without his services for at least two weeks. In addition, the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks are creeping closer in the standings with less than a month left in the season.
Tuesday night, the Boston Celtics traveled to Banker’s Life Fieldhouse to take on the 7th place Pacers in a must win game. The Celtics next two contests are against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors, and with only four games separating 3rd and 7th place, wins against inferior teams are necessary for Boston.
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After losing two of the first three match ups against Indiana, Boston looked to even up the season series with a strong road effort despite being without one of their leaders.
The Celtics started the game well, building an early seven point lead due to five early Pacers’ turnovers. Paul George, however, led his team back to tie the game at the end of the first quarter.
The Celtics really began to show their struggles without Crowder in the second quarter, as they allowed the opposing Pacers to build a seven point lead halfway through the period. Baskets were traded for the next few minutes and the Celtics trailed 43-39 at the half.
There were some bright spots in the first half. Newly acquired Coty Clarke saw his first action and nailed a three pointer, his first in the NBA. Also, the Celtics shared the ball well, with 14 assists on their first 16 made field goals, while Jonas Jerebko led all scorers with 11 points.
Without another pure offensive player available, Celtics star Isaiah Thomas saw the need to take over the game in the second half. Early in the third quarter, Thomas showed his ability to quarterback the offense and score on his own, both of which were instrumental in the Celtics regaining the lead.
Thomas’ 16 third quarter points kept the Celtics in reach, as they began the final stanza down by a single point. Thomas and East All-Star teammate Paul George both scored 18 points through the first three quarters.
After a high scoring third quarter, both the Pacers and Celtics offensive efficiency took a nose dive in the fourth. The Celtics’ attack did not see the ball movement and pinpoint passing it had, and the Pacers simple ability to hit tougher shots allowed them to slightly extend the lead.
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The Celtics were able to take the lead a few times in the fourth quarter, but the lack of a true second scoring option was crippling down the stretch. The Pacers were able to key in on Isaiah Thomas, which made the Celtics offensive attack largely ineffective. Indiana was able to get some defensive stops in the final minutes, and a Paul George three pointer gave the Pacers a 10 point cushion that they would not relinquish.
Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points, but only three came in the fourth quarter of the 103-98 loss. Thomas also added eight assists, six rebounds, and two steals, while Jonas Jerebko scored 17 points off the bench.
The Pacers were led by Paul George, who scored a game high 25, while Jordan Hill, Ian Mahinmi, and Monta Ellis also scored in double digits.
Next: Crowder's Injury Opens Up Minutes for Young Players
The Celtics will try to avoid a three game losing streak on Wednesday when they host the dangerous Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00PM EST at TD Garden.