Boston Celtics: Oladipo Hits Last Second Three-Pointer to Break 4-Game Winning Streak; 3 Takeaways

Defending Oladipo

Within the first few minutes of the first quarter, it was clear that Oladipo was (rightfully) going to be the major focus of the Boston defense. Each time he touched the ball, five sets of eyes tracked his movement and when he drove to the hoop, multiple defenders slid over to try to stop his path.

Before Oladipo hit the clutch shots down the stretch, Boston did a good job of keeping him quiet throughout the game. Oladipo finished with 24 points, but shot just 6-of-18 from the field and 4-for-13 from distance. He also turned the ball over five times.

The Celtics let a bunch of guys have their try at Oladipo, throwing different looks at the Pacers star to try to keep him off balance. Marcus Smart probably did the best job of anybody, though he did lose Oladipo for a three that gave Indiana a one-point lead with three minutes to play.

With the game tied at 95, Smart fought over the top of a screen while guarding Oladipo, then got a hand on his pass, deflecting it to a teammate for a key forced turnover. On the next Celtics possession, Irving hit a three to go ahead, 98-85.

However, Oladipo scored 10 points in the final three minutes of the game, including the game-winner with Irving on him, and Horford closing out. He also sunk all eight of his free throws on the night.