NBA 2018/19: 3 Talking points from Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers

Final Score: Boston Celtics 117 - Indiana Pacers 97

The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in front of 17,371 fans. Celtics improved their overall record to 48-32 and moved up to the fourth position while the Pacers sit on the fifth position of the Eastern Conference standings.

The Celtics are building momentum going into the playoffs and have won five of their past six games. Indiana was on a two-game winning streak before the game.

Here are the talking points from the Celtics win over the Pacers.

#3. Jayson Tatum, Irving, and Hayward perform well for Boston

The Boston team played a balanced attacking game, the Pacers defense could not contain them. Jayson Tatum gave an incredible performance and was the star of the night. He scored the most points(22), made 7 rebounds, 3 steals and gave 2 assists.

After trailing in the first quarter, the Celtics defense tightened up and gave up just 47 points in the first half. They improved their away record to 20-20.

Kyrie Irving scored 17 points, helped his teammates by giving 6 assists and showed his playmaking skills. In the post-game interview, he replied, "We got the win, that's all that matters. We did what it took to get a convincing win like we did tonight by playing hard, doing the right things, staying aggressive on the defensive end, matching the physicality and really setting the tone of the game."

Boston had a mixed season, but are looking strong as the postseason is arriving. The 17 times NBA Champions won three games in a row and have home court advantage against the Pacers in the First round of the playoffs. A well-balanced offense and defense could be the key for the Celtics title hopes.

#2. Limited scoring options and poor defense cost Pacers

The Pacers never got a chance against the Boston Celtics. Indiana had very limited scoring options. The most points scored were only 15 by Myles Turner(who also made 7 rebounds). Domantas Sabonis and Tyreke Evans were decent, scoring 12 points each but could not help the team win against the high scoring Celtics lineup.

At the end of the first quarter, Pacers were leading by three points(27-24). As the game progressed, the Celtics took a huge lead in the second and third quarter and never trailed again.

Pacers forward Thaddeus Young said after the game, "We kind of let them do what they wanted to do when we were on the defensive side of the basketball and just kind of let them run their offense and get into a flow".

Indiana hasn't been the same since they lost their All-Star guard Victor Oladipo for the season with a torn quad tendon in January. The team needs to work on the offensive end if they want to challenge for the Title.

#1. Celtics take No. 4 spot as Hayward shoots 9-of-9

Gordon Hayward made all the nine shots he took, as he added 21 points to the scoreboard. In the process, he became the first player to score all his shots and score above 20 points. Before him, Kevin McHale achieved this feat with the Celtics in 1986. Hayward's shooting helped the team comeback and take the lead early in the second half.

Boston Head Coach Brad Stevens praised Hayward after the game, he said, "Hayward is playing really well, he's attacking with great physicality. That's what he does. He's still not forcing anything that's not there. It's good that he's playing this way."

With the victory, the Celtics have won three games against the Pacers this season and broke a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Boston will host Orlando Magic whereas the Pacers will face the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday