The Boston Celtics’ Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers was important for multiple reasons.
Not only did Boston secure a 2-0 series lead by defeating Indiana 99-91 on Wednesday night at TD Garden. The Celtics also established a “pecking order” in their offense, according to Jalen Rose.
Rose, a former NBA player, heaped praise on the Celtics during Thursday’s episode of “Get Up!” on ESPN, singling out Terry Rozier’s effort in Game 2 and pointing to Jayson Tatum’s performance in the series thus far.
Everyone knows Kyrie Irving is Boston’s best player and go-to guy down the stretch, but the Celtics’ offense seems to be taking shape with Tatum emerging as a valuable No. 2 scoring option.
The series now shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Friday night. The Celtics, who entered the series as the favorites, currently are in the driver’s seat after a Game 2 victory in which Irving shined, Rozier stepped up in Marcus Smart’s absence, Tatum flashed his potential and Boston overall looked very much like a team capable of making noise in the playoffs despite a tumultuous regular season.