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The Indiana Pacers know where improvement is needed Thursday when they visit the Boston Celtics for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Pacers committed 22 turnovers in their 133-128 overtime loss in Game 1 on Tuesday, and those misses led to 32 Boston points. The costliest turnover came with 8.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter, with sixth-seeded Indiana leading 117-114. Pascal Siakam couldn’t handle Andrew Nembhard’s inbounds pass and then allowed Jaylen Brown to make a game-tying 3-pointer that forced overtime.
“We had a lot of turnovers that would be hard to explain, but this is the conference finals in the NBA playoffs and that’s what happens,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “As many turnovers as we had, our guys kept playing, kept fighting and found a way to get a three-point cushion and the ball. So at that point we just have to get it over with.”
Aaron Nesmith (five) and Myles Turner (four) were involved in nine of the 22 giveaways, but Tyrese Haliburton also turned the ball over three times — including twice in big moments. He dropped the ball off his foot when Indiana led by three with 27.7 seconds left in regulation, then fumbled the ball out of bounds with 1:02 left in overtime.
“I think it’s more about us,” Haliburton said. “They are a great defensive team. They’ve had great, great defenders – individual and team defenders – but they’re not a team that forces a ton of turnovers. They are a solid, solid team. I just felt like more of (the turnovers) were probably on us than them forcing them. We’ve got to clean it up, and other than (Game 1) and one last-run play, we really took care of the ball. Well, we’ll make it up in Game 2.”
Top-seeded Boston has won Game 1 in each of its three playoff series this year, but failed to win Game 2 at home against Miami in the first round and against Cleveland in the conference semifinals.
After Thursday’s race, the best-of-seven series will move to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4.
“Come with the mindset of not relaxing” Boston star Jayson Tatum said. “Different circumstances. In the first two rounds we won our Game 1 by a wide margin, so maybe human nature played into that. But (Tuesday) as a close game, going into overtime, we definitely felt like we should have won and we could have played better.”
All Celtics starters scored at least 15 points in Game 1. Tatum led the way with 36, but Boston also got 28 points in 48 minutes from 33-year-old Jrue Holiday, who also had eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals.
Halliburton (25 points) and Siakam (24) were Indiana’s leading scorers. Turner also took advantage of the absence of Kristaps Porzingis by pouring in 23 points.
Porzingis, Boston’s starting center, has missed the past seven games with a calf strain. ESPN reported he could return for Game 4 of the conference finals.
“He’s working hard every day to get back as fast as he can,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “He’s there for everything and it can’t be underestimated how hard he works, trying to get back on time.”