Jaylen Brown's outside shot was fouled by Buddy Heard, and the replay confirmed the blow penalty, but Jaylen Brown only hit 1 of his 3 free throws. Haliburton then made a foul and hit two free throws to tie the score. For the next 100 seconds, the Celtics and Pacers "gave in" to each other and the game was dragged into overtime.
The Celtics had a stronger overtime performance, eventually winning their first game after the All-Star weekend.
Prior to All-Star weekend, the Celtics held the league's best record and were one of the biggest favorites to contend for the championship this season. The rival Pacers have a mediocre record this season, and although there are some bright spots in the rebuild, they have not improved to the point where they can compete with the strong teams, but this game against the Celtics is very imposing.
Almost completed a reversal.
The Celtics had a healthy roster after the All-Star Weekend, with all but Gallinari staying healthy, and once again revealed their ideal starting lineup - Robert Williams, Al Horford, Jason Tatum, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, and previously good Derek White was squeezed out of the starting lineup.
This also shows the thickness of the Celtics' roster, with Derek White and Brogdon both on the bench.
The Celtics' depth of roster was on display from the start of the game, leading rivals Pacers by 10 points in the first half — something you know even better if you know that Jayson Tatum scored just six points on 1-of-8 shooting in the first half. But by the second half, the Pacers played bold and tenacious, unfortunately failing to reverse in the final moments to seal the victory.
Why were the Pacers able to buck the trend in the second half?
In fact, the Pacers played very efficiently on the offensive end throughout the game, especially the outside shooting was hot, shooting 22 of 49 from three-point range - this is still a certain decline in the team's three-point shooting rate in overtime. The Pacers played so tenaciously, and important was the explosion of center Miles Turner, who shot 8-of-10 from three-point range and had 40 points and 10 rebounds.
Miles Turner is one of the more controversial players, he has always been considered an interior lineman suitable for today's trends, but he has never been able to fully realize his talent. He has been in the midst of trade rumors for a long time, such as the Lakers and Clippers have had scandals with him, and expressed his "affection" to the Lakers earlier this season.
Unfortunately, the Lakers haven't done much in this regard.
Myles Turner has improved his form this season, averaging 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks so far this season, and shooting 40 percent from three-point range. While Myles Turner is still not the league's top interior lineman, he has proven himself to be a puzzle piece for a championship team, just like Brooke Lopez next to Alphabet.
His performance also impressed team management, and the team gave him a $17.1 million salary increase in the middle of the season - a contract renegotiation for the 2022-23 season, and the Pacers paid him an additional $17.1 million this season, the largest renegotiation in NBA history.
Miles Turner is in the prime of his career, and he has more opportunities to enrich his career. The next question remains, will Myles Turner continue to grow with the Pacers, or will he become a championship puzzle piece for another team?
(Text/Yan Wuming)