Game ID: 22301202
Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers
Monday, December 4, 2023 at 7:30 PM ET
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
IND 22 26 37 34 119BOS 24 31 23 34 112
BOS @ IND ScoutingBOS @ IND Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
IND availability going into 11/24 · 1 day's restOUT Nembhard missed 3 since 11/19, returns tonight: 20 min (75% of 26)
BACK McConnell back 11/12 after 2, 16 min since (84% of 19)
BACK Sheppard back 11/19 after 4, 10 min since (67% of 16)
BACK Nwora back 11/19 after 4, 19 min since (184% of 10)
NEW Toppin 21 to 29 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 11/27 · 2 days' restOUT Nesmith missed 2 since 11/22, returns tonight: 25 min (89% of 29)
BACK Nembhard back 11/24 after 3, 20 min since (75% of 26)
BACK Sheppard back 11/19 after 4, 7 min since (46% of 16)
BACK Nwora back 11/19 after 4, 19 min since (184% of 10)
NEW Toppin 21 to 29 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 11/30 · 2 days' restOUT Nwora missed 2 since 11/24, out tonight
BACK Nesmith back 11/27 after 2, 25 min since (89% of 29)
BACK Nembhard back 11/24 after 3, 21 min since (78% of 26)
BACK Sheppard back 11/19 after 4, 6 min since (36% of 16)
NEW Toppin 21 to 26 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 12/02 · 1 day's restOUT Nwora missed 3 since 11/24, out tonight
BACK Nesmith back 11/27 after 2, 24 min since (84% of 29)
BACK Nembhard back 11/24 after 3, 21 min since (80% of 26)
NEW Toppin 21 to 29 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 12/04 · 1 day's restOUT Smith missed 2 since 11/30, out tonight
OUT Nwora missed 4 since 11/24, out tonight
BACK Nesmith back 11/27 after 2, 26 min since (89% of 29)
BACK Nembhard back 11/24 after 3, 22 min since (82% of 26)
NEW Toppin 21 to 30 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 12/07 · 2 days' restOUT Smith missed 3 since 11/30, out tonight
OUT Nwora missed 5 since 11/24, out tonight
BACK Nesmith back 11/27 after 2, 27 min since (94% of 29)
BACK Nembhard back 11/24 after 3, 18 min since (70% of 26)
NEW Bru. Brown 30 to 35 min over the last 5
NEW Toppin 21 to 27 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 12/11 · 3 days' restOUT Smith missed 4 since 11/30, out tonight
OUT Sheppard missed 2 since 12/04, out tonight
OUT Nwora missed 6 since 11/24, out tonight
BACK Nesmith back 11/27 after 2, 27 min since (94% of 29)
NEW Haliburton 33 to 38 min over the last 4
NEW Toppin 21 to 27 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 12/13 · 1 day's restOUT Smith missed 5 since 11/30, out tonight
OUT Sheppard missed 3 since 12/04, returns tonight: 6 min (38% of 16)
OUT Nwora missed 7 since 11/24, returns tonight: 6 min (58% of 10)
IND availability going into 12/15 · 1 day's restOUT Nembhard missed 2 since 12/11, out tonight
OUT Smith missed 6 since 11/30, out tonight
BACK Sheppard back 12/13 after 3, 6 min since (38% of 16)
BACK Nwora back 12/13 after 7, 6 min since (58% of 10)
BOS availability going into 11/24 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 2 since 11/20, out tonight
BACK Kornet back 11/20 after 2, 18 min since (126% of 15)
BACK Brissett back 11/20 after 4, 17 min since (166% of 10)
NEW Hauser 21 to 27 min over the last 5
BOS availability going into 11/26 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 3 since 11/20, returns tonight: 15 min (136% of 11)
BACK Kornet back 11/20 after 2, 22 min since (147% of 15)
BACK Brissett back 11/20 after 4, 11 min since (108% of 10)
BOS availability going into 11/28 · 1 day's restOUT Holiday missed 2 since 11/24, returns tonight: 33 min (98% of 34)
BACK Kornet back 11/20 after 2, 18 min since (119% of 15)
BACK Queta back 11/19 after 12, 10 min since (92% of 11)
BACK Brissett back 11/20 after 4, 11 min since (108% of 10)
NEW Hauser 21 to 27 min over the last 5
BOS availability going into 12/01 · 2 days' restOUT Porziņģis missed 2 since 11/26, out tonight
OUT Brissett missed 2 since 11/26, out tonight
BACK Holiday back 11/28 after 2, 33 min since (98% of 34)
BACK Kornet back 11/20 after 2, 18 min since (122% of 15)
BACK Queta back 11/26 after 3, 15 min since (136% of 11)
NEW Hauser 21 to 27 min over the last 5
BOS availability going into 12/04 · 2 days' restOUT Porziņģis missed 3 since 11/26, out tonight
OUT Brissett missed 3 since 11/26, out tonight
BACK Holiday back 11/28 after 2, 34 min since (101% of 34)
BACK Queta back 11/26 after 3, 13 min since (113% of 11)
BOS availability going into 12/08 · 3 days' restOUT Porziņģis missed 4 since 11/26, returns tonight: 29 min (101% of 29)
OUT Brissett missed 4 since 11/26, returns tonight: 0 min (3% of 10)
BACK Holiday back 11/28 after 2, 35 min since (104% of 34)
BACK Queta back 11/26 after 3, 13 min since (113% of 11)
BOS availability going into 12/12 · 3 days' restOUT Queta missed 2 since 12/04, out tonight
BACK Holiday back 11/28 after 2, 35 min since (104% of 34)
BACK Porziņģis back 12/08 after 4, 29 min since (101% of 29)
BACK Brissett back 12/08 after 4, 0 min since (3% of 10)
BOS availability going into 12/14 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 3 since 12/04, out tonight
BACK Holiday back 11/28 after 2, 35 min since (103% of 34)
BACK Porziņģis back 12/08 after 4, 30 min since (105% of 29)
BACK Brissett back 12/08 after 4, 0 min since (3% of 10)
BOS availability going into 12/15 · back-to-backOUT Queta missed 4 since 12/04, returns tonight: 18 min (163% of 11)
OUT Brissett missed 2 since 12/12, returns tonight: 16 min (149% of 10)
BACK Porziņģis back 12/08 after 4, 31 min since (105% of 29)
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Indiana comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 131 a night and allowing 126, shooting 53 percent and 37 from three, 23 free throws a game; Haliburton at 34 and Toppin at 17 a game. It has lost the glass by 5 a night. Without Smith (2 straight). One day's rest. Boston comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 115 a night and allowing 110, shooting 48 percent and 37 from three, 24 free throws a game; Tatum at 25 and Brown at 23 a game. That is 3 straight wins. Without Porziņģis (3 straight). 2 days' rest.
So: Indiana wins, and the game turns on the defense, Boston allowing 110 a night to Indiana's 126 and the glass, where Boston has been plus-3 a night and Indiana minus-5. Call it Indiana 121, Boston 120, Boston keeping it close.
11/24 vs DET 136-113 — IND notes
IND won 136-113. IND shot 48% (49 of 102) to DET's 48%, 16 of 38 from three. IND turned it over 8 times to DET's 14. Haliburton led with 26 (9 of 23, 5 of 13 from three); Turner added 23, Hield 18. The hinge was Q4, 39-17: a lead of 1 became 23. IND trailed 61-63 at the half and won the second half 75-50. Mathurin was the night's best plus/minus at +27.
11/27 vs POR 110-114 — IND notes
IND lost 110-114. IND shot 48% (42 of 88) to POR's 47%, 8 of 33 from three, and got to the line 24 times to POR's 31. Haliburton led with 33 (11 of 17, 3 of 6 from three, 8 of 9 at the line); Brown added 11, Turner 11. Q3 was theirs, 23-18, the deficit cut from 5 to 0, but the other 3 periods went 96-87 against them. Mathurin's -9 in 22 minutes was the worst on the floor.
11/30 @ MIA 132-142 — IND notes
IND lost 132-142. IND took 12 more shots (98 to 86), fed by 10 offensive rebounds, but shot 51% to MIA's 56%, 11 of 43 from three, and got to the line 32 times to MIA's 45. IND turned it over 9 times to MIA's 14. The glass went 34-48 against them. Haliburton led with 44 (15 of 28, 6 of 16 from three, 8 of 12 at the line); Toppin added 25, Brown 15. Q1 was theirs, 38-33, but the other 3 periods went 109-94 against them. They led by as many as 13. Mathurin's -14 in 24 minutes was the worst on the floor.
12/02 @ MIA 144-129 — IND notes
IND won 144-129. IND shot 66% (56 of 85) to MIA's 54%, 16 of 32 from three. Brown led with 30 (11 of 16, 4 of 6 from three); Nesmith added 22, Toppin 20. The hinge was Q3, 41-33: from level to 8 ahead, and the lead reached 17. Brown was the night's best plus/minus at +20.
12/04 vs BOS 122-112 — IND notes
IND won 119-112. IND shot 46% (43 of 94) to BOS's 47%, 19 of 40 from three, and went to the line 21 times to BOS's 12 — 17 points from the stripe to their 8. IND turned it over 6 times to BOS's 17. The glass went 41-56 against them. Haliburton led with 26 (10 of 18, 5 of 11 from three); Hield added 21, Turner 17. The hinge was Q3, 37-23: IND came in trailing by 7 and left it ahead by 7. IND trailed 48-55 at the half and won the second half 71-57. Hield was the night's best plus/minus at +29.
12/07 @ MIL — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Milwaukee comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 126 a night and allowing 118, shooting 51 percent and 41 from three, 21 free throws a game; Antetokounmpo at 32 and Lillard at 27 a game. Without Crowder (12 straight), Connaughton (3 straight). One day's rest. Indiana comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 128 a night and allowing 122, shooting 51 percent and 38 from three, 24 free throws a game; Haliburton at 32 and Toppin at 16 a game. It has lost the glass by 5 a night. Without Smith (3 straight). 2 days' rest.
So: Milwaukee wins, and the game turns on the glass, where Milwaukee has been plus-4 a night and Indiana minus-5 and the turnovers, Milwaukee giving it away 15 times a game to Indiana's 10. Call it Milwaukee 125, Indiana 122, Indiana keeping it close.
12/11 @ DET — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Detroit comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 103 a night and allowing 120, shooting 45 percent and 33 from three, 17 free throws a game; Cunningham at 21 and Bogdanović at 18 a game. That is 5 straight losses. 2 days' rest. Indiana comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 127 a night and allowing 123, shooting 52 percent and 34 from three, 24 free throws a game; Haliburton at 32 and Turner at 17 a game. That is 3 straight wins. Without Smith (4 straight), Sheppard (2 straight). 3 days' rest.
So: Indiana wins, on the road, and the game turns on the turnovers, Detroit giving it away 16 times a game to Indiana's 11 and the line, where Indiana takes 24 free throws a game to Detroit's 17. Call it Indiana 122, Detroit 116.
12/13 @ MIL — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Milwaukee comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 129 a night and allowing 124, shooting 52 percent and 42 from three, 22 free throws a game; Antetokounmpo at 32 and Lillard at 22 a game. Without Crowder (14 straight), Connaughton (5 straight). One day's rest. Indiana comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 131 a night and allowing 125, shooting 53 percent and 37 from three, 23 free throws a game; Haliburton at 28 and Turner at 19 a game. That is 4 straight wins. Without Smith (5 straight), Sheppard (3 straight). One day's rest.
So: Milwaukee wins, and the game turns on the arc, Milwaukee at 42 percent from three to Indiana's 37 and the turnovers, Milwaukee giving it away 14 times a game to Indiana's 10. Call it Milwaukee 127, Indiana 124, Indiana keeping it close.
12/15 @ WAS — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Washington comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 135, shooting 49 percent and 36 from three, 23 free throws a game; Kuzma at 22 and Poole at 13 a game. That is 5 straight losses. It has lost the glass by 9 a night. Without Shamet (4 straight). One day's rest. Indiana comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 130 a night and allowing 125, shooting 52 percent and 38 from three, 23 free throws a game; Haliburton at 22 and Turner at 21 a game. Without Nembhard (2 straight), Smith (6 straight). One day's rest.
So: Indiana wins, on the road, and the game turns on the glass, where Indiana has been plus-2 a night and Washington minus-9 and the defense, Indiana allowing 125 a night to Washington's 135. Call it Indiana 129, Washington 121.
11/24 @ ORL 96-113 — BOS notes
BOS lost 96-113. BOS shot 41% (31 of 76) to ORL's 51%, 7 of 29 from three, and went to the line 37 times to ORL's 22 — 27 points from the stripe to their 16. The glass went 31-48 against them. Tatum led with 26 (7 of 16, 0 of 3 from three, 12 of 13 at the line); Brown added 18, White 16. Q1 was theirs, 30-19, but the other 3 periods went 94-66 against them. They led by as many as 12. Horford's -26 in 33 minutes was the worst on the floor.
11/26 vs ATL 113-103 — BOS notes
BOS won 113-103. BOS shot 44% (42 of 95) to ATL's 41%, 13 of 47 from three. The glass went 58-43 for them. Tatum led with 34 (11 of 25, 5 of 13 from three, 7 of 10 at the line); Brown added 21, White 15. The hinge was Q2, 36-27: a lead of 7 became 16, and the lead reached 20. White was the night's best plus/minus at +29.
11/28 vs CHI 124-97 — BOS notes
BOS won 124-97. BOS shot 52% (47 of 90) to CHI's 43%, 21 of 49 from three, and got to the line 12 times to CHI's 18. BOS turned it over 16 times to CHI's 8, and CHI turned those into 11 steals. The glass went 52-37 for them. Brown led with 30 (12 of 23, 3 of 8 from three); Tatum added 21, Horford 16. The hinge was Q1, 31-20: from level to 11 ahead, and the lead reached 35. Brown was the night's best plus/minus at +22.
12/01 vs PHI 125-119 — BOS notes
BOS won 125-119. BOS shot 51% (39 of 77) to PHI's 46%, 16 of 33 from three, and went to the line 36 times to PHI's 23 — 31 points from the stripe to their 17. White led with 21 (5 of 11, 3 of 4 from three, 8 of 8 at the line); Tatum added 21, Brown 20. The hinge was Q1, 44-36: from level to 8 ahead. BOS trailed 69-72 at the half and won the second half 56-47. White was the night's best plus/minus at +20.
12/04 @ IND 112-122 — BOS notes
BOS lost 112-119. BOS shot 47% (46 of 97) to IND's 46%, 12 of 41 from three, and got to the line just 12 times against 19 fouls committed. BOS turned it over 17 times to IND's 6, and IND turned those into 8 steals. The glass went 56-41 for them. Tatum led with 32 (13 of 26, 2 of 8 from three, 4 of 7 at the line); Brown added 30, White 18. Q2 was theirs, 31-26, but the other 3 periods went 93-81 against them. Holiday's -15 in 38 minutes was the worst on the floor.
12/08 vs NYK — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Boston comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 110, shooting 47 percent and 35 from three, 23 free throws a game; Tatum at 27 and Brown at 24 a game. It has won the glass by 6 a night. Without Porziņģis (4 straight). 3 days' rest. New York comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 117 a night and allowing 114, shooting 48 percent and 40 from three, 26 free throws a game; Randle at 29 and Brunson at 27 a game. 2 days' rest.
So: Boston wins, and the game turns on the glass, where Boston has been plus-6 a night and New York minus-1 and the arc, New York at 40 percent from three to Boston's 35. Call it Boston 114, New York 111, New York keeping it close.
12/12 vs CLE — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Boston comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 121 a night and allowing 112, shooting 49 percent and 37 from three, 20 free throws a game; Tatum at 27 and Brown at 24 a game. It has won the glass by 8 a night. 3 days' rest. Cleveland comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 104, shooting 45 percent and 31 from three, 22 free throws a game; Mitchell at 25 and Garland at 23 a game. Without Eva. Mobley (2 straight), LeVert (4 straight). Second night of a back-to-back.
So: Boston wins, and the game turns on the arc, Boston at 37 percent from three to Cleveland's 31 and the defense, Cleveland allowing 104 a night to Boston's 112. Call it Boston 115, Cleveland 108.
12/14 vs CLE — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Boston comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 123 a night and allowing 114, shooting 50 percent and 40 from three, 21 free throws a game; Tatum at 25 and Brown at 24 a game. It has won the glass by 7 a night. One day's rest. Cleveland comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 110 a night and allowing 107, shooting 46 percent and 35 from three, 21 free throws a game; Mitchell at 27 and Garland at 26 a game. Without Eva. Mobley (3 straight). One day's rest.
So: Boston wins, and the game turns on the arc, Boston at 40 percent from three to Cleveland's 35 and the defense, Cleveland allowing 107 a night to Boston's 114. Call it Boston 116, Cleveland 109.
12/15 vs ORL — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Boston comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 121 a night and allowing 116, shooting 49 percent and 39 from three, 23 free throws a game; Tatum at 26 and Brown at 23 a game. That is 3 straight wins. It has won the glass by 5 a night. Second night of a back-to-back. Orlando comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 112, shooting 48 percent and 30 from three, 28 free throws a game; Banchero at 27 and F. Wagner at 22 a game. It has lost the glass by 5 a night. Without Carter Jr. (18 straight), Fultz (15 straight). 3 days' rest.
So: Boston wins, and the game turns on the glass, where Boston has been plus-5 a night and Orlando minus-5 and the arc, Boston at 39 percent from three to Orlando's 30. Call it Boston 115, Orlando 113, Orlando keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
INDAN A. Nembhard
AN A. Nesmith
BB B. Brown
BH B. Hield
BM B. Mathurin
MT M. Turner
OT O. Toppin
TH T. Haliburton
TM T. McConnell
BOSAH A. Horford
DB D. Banton
DW D. White
JB J. Brown
JH J. Holiday
JT J. Tatum
LK L. Kornet
PP P. Pritchard
SH S. Hauser
IND/BOS the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Haliburton's triple-double and late 4-point play help Pacers oust Celtics from NBA tourney
INDIANAPOLIS -- — All that Tyrese Haliburton wanted before the season was to get his first taste of playoff basketball.
Monday night's NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinal seemed like the perfect dry run.
So the 23-year-old All-Star guard registered the first triple-double of his career, completed a tiebreaking four-point play with 1:33 left and heard the large, raucous crowd chanting "M-V-P! M-V-P!” near the end of Indiana's 122-112 victory, which ousted league-leading Boston from the tourney.
“It means the world to me to represent Indiana and this organization,” Haliburton said after acknowledging he struggled to breathe during the first half. “I don't even know if it was as much about what was at stake, as what they did to us the last time. I think that (51-point loss) left a bad taste in our mouths."
This was one felt far sweeter even if he needed a halftime assist from an inhaler.
Haliburton scored 16 of his 26 points in the second half and finished with 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and seven Pacers reached double figures as Indiana remained unbeaten in the tourney. The Pacers were 4-0 in group play.
Indiana is the first team to reach the inaugural tourney's semifinal round Thursday in Las Vegas and will face the winner of Tuesday's game between New York and Milwaukee.
Boston, meanwhile, heads home despite getting another strong performance from its dynamic duo.
Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown finished with 30 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics. But it wasn't enough to extend a three-game winning streak, with All-Star Kristaps Porzingis missing his fourth straight game because of a strained left calf.
Still, the Celtics fought back from an 11-point third-quarter deficit and managed to force seven fourth-quarter ties — before Haliburton's 27-footer drew a foul on Brown and ignited Indiana's decisive 9-0 run.
“He played well. The whole team played well,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said, referring to Haliburton and the Pacers. “(Brown) did the best he could (defensively)."
For the young Pacers, many of whom including Haliburton have never been to the playoffs, this was a different experience. From the towel-waving crowd's chants of “De-fense!" to the heavy media presence, single-elimination fate and festive atmosphere, this felt like a postseason game.
“I haven't heard it like this here in like three or four years, probably since (Victor) Oladipo was here," Turner said. “The energy was just incredible. I think this city really started rallying around this team.”
There was a difference between the lines, too.
In this season’s first matchup on Nov. 1, Boston blew out Indiana 155-104 — posting the second-highest points total in franchise history.
This time, Indiana turned the game in the third quarter, charging back from a 55-48 halftime deficit to tie the score at 71 before pulling out to an 85-74 lead.
Boston finally tied the score at 94 on Brown's 3-pointer with 6:07 left. But after the teams traded baskets for 4 1/2 minutes, Haliburton made the crowd roar again with his big basket.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Host the loser of the New York-Milwaukee quarterfinal Friday.
Pacers: Play in Thursday's tournament semifinals at Las Vegas against the New York-Milwaukee winner Tuesday.