NBA playoffs: Irving ignites Celtics’ comeback, while Bucks roll to win
BOSTON— A poor third quarter did the Indiana Pacers in during Game 1 of their first-round series with the Boston Celtics.
In Game 2, Boston seized on a fourth-quarter collapse by Indiana.
Kyrie Irving scored 37 points and Boston rallied late in the fourth to beat the Indiana 99-91 Wednesday night and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Coming out of a timeout and with a chance for Indiana to tie, the Pacers’ Wesley Matthews threw an inbounds pass into the bench on the other side of the court with 12.1 seconds left. On the ensuing play, the Celtics’ Al Horford passed to Jayson Tatum, who was fouled on a twohanded dunk. He completed the three-point play to make it 97-91 with 8.8 seconds left.
The Pacers turned it over again and the Celtics were able to close out the game at the free throw line.
Tatum scored 26 points, including his thunderous dunk down the stretch to help punctuate a 10-0 run by Boston over the final five minutes.
Irving said being able to have this kind of performance at TD Garden after sitting out the playoffs last season wasn’t lost on him.
“It’s just been a long journey,” Irving said. “From having those two knee surgeries and watching the team last year and finally getting chance to lace them up for the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs — it’s nothing like it.
After scoring only eight points in the third quarter of Game 1, the Pacers scored only 12 points in the fourth of Game 2.
“It’s always been one quarter that kills us in the second half,” Thaddeus Young said. “We’re getting good looks and shots are not falling. ... We gotta put together a 48-minute game and we haven’t been able to that.”
Bojan Bogdanovic led Indiana with 23 points. Young added 15 points. Myles Turner finished with six blocks. Game 3 is Friday in Indiana. Horford was a game-time decision with an illness but was able to remain in the Celtics’ starting lineup. He was noticeably a step slower at the outset. He didn’t score his first points until the fourth, finishing with four points, 10 rebounds and four assists for the game.
“It wasn’t just about putting points on the board, it was just about doing the little things,” Irving said. “It was a gritty win.”
Bucks 120, Pistons 99: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 26 points in Milwaukee’s big third quarter and the Bucks took a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.
Eric Bledsoe led the Bucks with 27 points, and Khris Middleton had 24. Milwaukee is trying win a series for the first time since 2001.
Luke Kennard had 19 points for Detroit. Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond each added 18. Detroit star Blake Griffin sat out again with a left knee injury, but received a technical for the second straight game for arguing from the bench.
Game 3 is Saturday night in Detroit.