Celtics Wrap: Boston’s Four-Game Win Streak Snapped In Loss Vs. Pacers

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Dec 11, 2019

It was a back-and-forth battle at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday, but the Indiana Pacers ultimately topped the Celtics 122-117, snapping Boston’s four-game win streak in the process.

Kemba Walker had a monstrous game, putting up a season-high 44 points. Jaylen Brown (18) and Jayson Tatum (16), Brad Wanamaker (12) and Daniel Theis (11) also scored in double figures, although Brown fouled out.

The Celtics fell to 17-6 with the loss while the Pacers moved to 16-9.

Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Gordon Hayward
C: Daniel Theis

FLIP FLOP
Neither team could stay ahead in the first.

Boston and Indiana traded leads early and often Wednesday. Both teams shot well, too with the Celtics shooting 52.6 percent from the field, while the Pacers shot an even 50 percent.

Walker notched 15 of the Celtics’ 32 first-quarter points on his own.

The Celtics began pulling away, opening up an eight-point lead in the final minutes of the quarter. But the Pacers pushed back, trimming Boston’s lead to two by the end of the first.

PACERS FIND EDGE
The C’s regained a six-point lead early in the second. But the Pacers erased their deficit before retaking the lead the midway through the quarter.

Boston battled back, though, trading leads with Indiana once again midway through the quarter.

The Pacers eventually opened things up, using a 14-2 run to go up 13. Domantas Sabonis earned himself his 20th (!) double-double of the season before the half even ended.

The Celtics closed the gap with more help from Walker, who notched 24 first-half points for Boston.

Boston was down just four at halftime.

BOSTON BOUNCES BACK
Boston clawed its way back early in the third, trading leads with Indiana once again midway through the quarter.

Walker continued to dazzle with another 15 points, bringing his total up to 39 through three frames.

With Walker’s help, Boston slowly built itself a healthy lead late in the third, closing out the quarter on a 12-3 run.

IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVER
Indiana made things interesting to start the fourth, trimming Boston’s 10-point lead to two early in the quarter.

Both Brown and Theis fouled out in the third, making victory much harder to reach.

Gordon Hayward headed to the locker room with 6:28 left on the clock after getting clawed in the face by Doug McDermott while making a play in the paint. The team later called it a blow to the nose, and Hayward did not return to the game.

The Pacers knotted things at 102-all less than two minutes later before the two squads traded leads yet again. Walker helped keep the Celtics within striking distance.

The Pacers went up three with 32.4 seconds left to play, but a nifty layup by Brad Wanamaker made it a one-point game.

The Celtics still needed three points to push overtime after allowing the Pacers to get two back, making it a one-point game once again with 10 seconds on the clock. Malcolm Brogdon sank two straight free throws to push the Pacers’ lead back to three, giving Boston just seven seconds to make a final play.

Walker attempted the game-winning three with just 2.7 seconds left, but missed. And that’s all she wrote for the C’s as Boston walked away with its sixth loss of the season.

PLAY OF THE GAME
A play so good, we’re giving you two angles.

UP NEXT
The Celtics jet back to Boston for Thursday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off from TD Garden is slated for 8 p.m. ET.

Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
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