3 studs, 3 duds from Celtics brutal 135-132 OT loss to Pacers

The Boston Celtics walked into Gainbridge Fieldhouse hoping to improve to 5-0 on the season, but the Indiana Pacers had other plans. A chaotic defensive style and transition-focused offensive game plan helped them pick up a 135-132 win over the Celtics in a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals.

Horrible offense plagued the Celtics in the first half, and it hurt their defense, too. Indiana was able to utilize a fast-paced style, running in transition every time Boston smoked an easy shot. And the Celtics didn’t respond well to that constant pressure. But a change of pace and a change of lineup helped turn the game on its head in the fourth quarter.

Here are three studs and three duds from the Celtics’ 135-132 loss to the Pacers on Wednesday night.

Stud - Derrick White

A very quiet first half was followed by a thunderous second half for Derrick White. Right when the Celtics looked dead in the water, White was there to give them a massive boost.

In the fourth quarter, White caught fire from three and made some big-time plays down low, too. A string of White buckets and dimes were enough to propel the Celtics forward. He gave them a ton of momentum down the stretch.

Even when the Celtics have gone through rough patches this season, White has been a beacon of consistency. When his shots aren’t falling, he’s making huge defensive plays. When he’s a step behind on defense, he’s hitting massive shots.

Jayson Tatum hit the shot that sent this game to overtime. Jaylen Brown made some big-time plays to help Boston mount their comeback. But White was the reason the Celtics were in this game.

He was absolutely stupendous at the end of this contest.

Dud - Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (Q1, Q2, Q3, OT)

For the second straight game, Tatum had a very rough start. Indiana did a great job of taking away Boston’s threes, meaning Tatum wasn’t able to find a rhythm. And it was very clear to see.

Tatum’s shot was off, his transition defense was pitiful, and time and time again, he failed to get to the line on drives to the rim. The Celtics star finished the night with an okay statline, but it was an ugly night. And his three-point shot has been way off in each of the last two games.

In the second half, Tatum found a little bit of pop, but he was still a long way off from his normal self. Boston really needed a big Tatum night in this one, but he wasn’t there.

For most of the game, Brown wasn’t much better. He was missing easy layups around the rim, and his three-point shot was completely lost.

Outside of a hot start and a few nice transition plays to start the second quarter, Brown was very off. And when the top two stars aren’t playing well, it’s not a great sign.

Stud - Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (Q4)

It wasn’t perfect. Far from it, in fact. But when the fourth quarter came around, the Celtics wouldn’t have gone anywhere without their two stars.

A bumpy first three quarters (and overtime) were met with big-time plays in the fourth.

For Brown, that looked like clutch buckets to help put the Celtics in position to mount their comeback. For Tatum, it looked like one of the biggest shots of the game, as he sent the game to overtime with less than 10 seconds on the clock in regulation.

Some missed free throws and missed buckets still scarred their late showings, but Tatum and Brown both picked their spots and delivered when it mattered late in this game. (But then they looked rough again in overtime.)

Dud - Transition defense

The Celtics’ awful offense did more than prevent them from scoring points—it helped the Pacers’ offense get rolling.

Every time the Celtics missed a three or a layup (and there were a lot of those), Indiana sprinted to the other side of the floor in transition. And Boston’s transition defense was an absolute mess.

The Pacers thrived off of easy buckets in the paint. And as one of the fastest-paced offenses in the NBA, that’s a space they like to live in. Boston was always a step too slow, constantly lagging behind Indiana’s transition offense.

Turnovers and missed bunnies were absolute backbreakers for Boston on Wednesday night.

Stud - Neemias Queta

There weren’t too many positives to take away in this game, but when Neemias Queta checked in for the first time in the fourth quarter, he gave the Celtics a nice little spark.

Queta didn’t play enough to make a massive impact on the box score, but his impact was evident. From solid rim protection to some nice actions in the pick-and-roll, Queta gave Boston a nice change of pace.

Kornet did a great job, but Xavier Tillman struggled in this one. Tillman played most of his minutes at the four spot, but Queta’s athleticism and length looked good.

Without Queta, the Celtics would have continued to get blown out in regulation. But he came in and helped flip the script. And once overtime came around, it was more of the same. Offensive rebounds and great defensive contests helped keep the Celtics afloat.

After his stint on Wednesday, Joe Mazzulla needs to go back to Queta in upcoming games. He earned a longer look.

Dud - Xavier Tillman

As mentioned, Tillman didn’t look great in this game. Every time he stepped on the floor, he seemed a step slow, and he couldn’t keep hold of the basketball.

Tillman shot 0-of-3 from the floor, and one of the shots he took was a rough one. He had an open three, chose not to take it, and drove to the rim for an ugly floater attempt. Tillman’s defense left something to be desired, too.

If Tillman’s going to be on the floor, he needs to shoot the ball with confidence. He didn’t do that against Indiana.

BONUS STUD: Luke Kornet

Boston’s offense was a mess all night long. They generated decent looks, but nothing was falling. That’s where Luke Kornet came into the picture.

Kornet single-handedly kept the Celtics’ offense alive in the first and second quarters, gobbling up six offensive rebounds—the most of any player in the NBA in a first half this season so far. Though he was unable to finish many of his second-chance shots, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Kornet got to the line six times, nailing all of them.

Without Kornet, the Celtics would have been in an even worse spot than they already were.