Three Stars, Three Duds From Celtics’ High-Scoring Win Over Pacers

BOSTON — It figured to be a high-scoring affair with two of the NBA’s top offenses in the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers clashing at TD Garden on Tuesday night.

But the Celtics’ attack had more firepower than the Pacers and used it to earn a 129-124 win to improve to an NBA-best 37-11.

The Celtics shot the lights out from all over the court — they shot 47.2% from beyond the arc — and turned in a balanced scoring attack with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scoring at least 24 points. Boston put up 81 points in the first half, which was their most in a first half since 1982, according to NBC Sports Celtics statistician Dick Lipe.

But Boston’s 81-66 halftime lead evaporated as the Pacers went on their own offensive explosion by scoring 77 points over the second and third quarters.

The Celtics regrouped just enough in the final frame, though, needing a couple of key defensive stops to put away a pesky Pacers team that bounced Boston from the In-Season Tournament earlier this season.

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Here are three studs and three duds from Tuesday’s offensive showcase:

STUDS
Jayson Tatum
Tatum yet again carried the scoring load. He notched a game-high 30 points on 12-for-19 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists. He was the catalyst for Boston’s 45-point second quarter with 19 points in the frame. Tatum had two blocks, none bigger than a rejection of a Myles Turner layup attempt with 29.1 seconds left with the Celtics only leading by three.

Derrick White
White found his shooting stroke in the fourth quarter against the Pelicans and that carried over against the Pacers. White dropped 15 points in the first quarter and finished with 24 points and five assists. He had a monumental block just seconds before Tatum’s swat when he sent aside a corner 3-pointer from Aaron Nesmith.

Aaron Nesmith
Nesmith, who the Celtics selected 14th overall in 2020, looked like a failed draft pick after two seasons with Boston. But the 6-foot-5, 215-pound wing has turned into a very solid contributor for the Pacers and showed that to his former team. Nesmith provided his usual non-stop energy but also poured in a team-high 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists.

DUDS
Oshae Brissett
When the Celtics signed Brissett back in June, he figured to be a factor off the bench. But even with the Celtics needing a boost from their bench with Al Horford and Luke Kornet sidelined, Brissett was pretty much non-existent. He didn’t tally any points and grabbed one rebound in just six minutes — all of which came in the first half — as he failed to seize on an opportunity.

Payton Pritchard
The Celtics may have a backup point guard issue brewing. Pritchard hasn’t provided an offensive jolt as of late like many expected. He did grab four rebounds and dish out three assists, but only hit 1-of-4 shots to finish with three points in 16 minutes. Pritchard has scored five points or less in four out of the last seven games.

Late-game execution
The Celtics seemed to have things wrapped up with a nine-point lead with less than two minutes left, but then stopped playing for some reason. The Celtics had a couple of boneheaded turnovers, including an eight-second violation, that allowed the Pacers to get back within one possession and have a chance to tie things up.