Battle of the Benches
Through the early part of the season, both the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers benches have been among the most productive in the NBA, and they played key roles in the game Saturday night.
In the first half, Marcus Morris scored 14 points and his outside shooting helped the Celtics jump out to an early lead, though the Pacers leveled the score at the break. Morris finished with 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting, but it was Indiana’s Tyreke Evans and Damontas Sabonis that turned the game in the Pacers favor in the fourth quarter.
Evans had 17 points in just 21 minutes and his pick-and-roll play with Sabonis keyed Indiana in the fourth quarter. Whether it was Aron Baynes or Al Horford, Boston had no answer for Sabonis. The reserve center had 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists and gave the Celtics defense fits all night long.
With the way Evans and Sabonis are playing in the early going, the Pacers are so much more dynamic when they go to the bench and could be the reason Indiana is a tough out come playoff time.
On the other side, Smart shot 1-for-7 from the field, but dished out nine assists and, naturally, finished a team-high plus-12 for the game. Terry Rozier and Aron Baynes each drilled two three-pointers, while Rozier added 6 rebounds and 3 assists.