Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals began the next round of the NBA Playoffs. It pitted the Boston Celtics against an upstart Indiana Pacers team on Tuesday.
In a hard-fought matchup, the Celtics came out on top by the score of 133-128 in overtime. Jayson Tatum did his thing down the stretch. Despite the loss, Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton were more than up to the task. Here is a look at 10 winners and losers from the opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Winner: Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have been relying a lot of on Turner to provide some scoring in the low-post. Thus far in the NBA Playoffs, he’s lived up to those expectations. Turner entered Game 1 on Tuesday averaging 17.5 points to go with 6.5 rebounds. He was more than up to the task to open the Eastern Conference Finals, scoring 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Turner added 10 rebounds and four assists in a stellar overall performance despite Indiana losing a close game.
Loser: Derrick White, Boston Celtics
Derrick White played a huge role in the Boston Celtics’ success to open the NBA Playoffs. Since then, he just has not been up to snuff. That was apparent in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday. White shot 5-of-13 from the field, adding 15 points to the mix. Boston was a solid plus-12 in White’s minutes. But he needs to score more and be more aggressive if the Celtics are going to avoid being upset.
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Winner: Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
Holiday put up the most points that he has this season, NBA Playoffs included. The star veteran dropped 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Holiday added seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals in a stellar all-around performance. If the Celtics get this iteration of Holiday moving forward, they are going to be nearly unbeatable. That’s 100% the truth.
Loser: Al Horford, Boston Celtics
The expectation is that Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis will return at some point in the Eastern Conference Finals. Until then, Boston needs Horford to continue making an impact. Despite the Game 1 win over Indiana, he did not do that. The All-Star connected on just 3-of-12 from three-point range. Missing on that amount of shots from long distance played a role in Indiana making this a game. Horford simply need to play and shoot at a higher level moving forward. Game 1 was not it.
Winner: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
A lot has been made of Tyrese Haliburton struggling on the road thus far in the NBA Playoffs. He answered those critics this past weekend in putting up a stellar performance against the New York Knicks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Haliburton was more than up to the task during Game 1 of the conference finals. The guard shot 8-of-18 from the field, scoring 25 points. He added 10 assists and three steals for good measure. If the Pacers continue to get this iteration of Haliburton moving forward, they’ll have a fighting chance against Boston.
Loser: Boston Celtics bench
The Celtics are going to need more from their bench if they’re to advance to the NBA Finals. Kristaps Porzingis’ return should help. But Joe Mazzulla runs an eight-man rotation. Game 1 Tuesday night did not paint the second unit in the best of lights. Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet finished a combined minus-25 in 45 minutes of action. Going up against a deep Indiana team, that’s just not going to cut it.
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Winner: Aaron Nesmith, Indiana Pacers
Inconsistent at times thus far in the NBA Playoffs, Nesmith was on his game big time Tuesday night. The former Boston Celtics first-round pick hit on 6-of-12 from the field. Despite missing on four of his five from three-point range, the wing proved that he can score in other ways. Indiana was also plus-one in his 40 minutes of action. That could prove to be vital moving forward.
Loser: Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers
Indiana had every opportunity to steal Game 1 in Boston. Unfortunately, Carlisle did not have his team ready to play in overtime. Whether it was lackluster ball management or a struggling scheme on offense, the Pacers failed when it counted the most in overtime. You have to give some blame to Carlisle for his game plan heading into that final stanza.
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Winner: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Tatum hit on 12-of-26 from the field. He scored 36 points with 12 rebounds and four assists. It was a stellar all-around performance for the wing. However, it was that game-clinching three in overtime that sent Boston to a Game 1 win. There is no reason to question this player any more. He’s among the best in the game and has proven it over and over again.
Loser: Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Turnovers in the fourth quarter and overtime doomed Indiana in a game that it had every chance to win. Siakam was a main culprit. Despite scoring 24 points on 12-of-23 shooting, his two turnovers during this span did Indiana in. That include a huge giveaway in the final stanza. Simply put, Siakam cost his team big time Tuesday night.
