POST GAME - INDY - AWAY

Crowder's absence felt in C's 103-98 loss to Pacers

CSNE

A.SHERROD BLAKLEY

There was a time not that long ago when the Boston Celtics were the last team anyone wanted to see in their building.

They were a scrappy bunch that consistently found ways to win on the road.

But the days of being road warriors seem to be behind them now, as the Celtics’ struggles away from the TD Garden continue with Tuesday’s 103-98 loss at Indiana.

Boston now have a losing road record (16-17) with losses in five of their last six road games.

It was clear that the Celtics (39-28) were needing a big stop defensively or one or two clutch baskets to swing the game’s momentum in their favor in the fourth quarter, the kind of plays they are accustomed to getting from Jae Crowder.

The 6-foot-6 Crowder missed his first game of the season due to a high ankle sprain suffered on Friday against Houston. The injury is expected to sideline Crowder for at least two weeks.

In the meantime, the Celtics will try and find a way to make up for his absence which was evident on both ends of the floor against Indiana.

As the game wore on, Boston simply couldn’t deliver the kind of momentum-changing play needed as the Pacers (36-31) pushed their lead into double digits following a 3-pointer by Paul George which gave Indiana a 91-81 lead.

Boston got a tip-in from Marcus Smart moments later, only for George to (somehow) get an uncontested dunk that put Indiana back on top by double digits.

Brad Stevens had seen enough and called a time-out with 1:42 to play, knowing full well Boston would need a near-miracle to get back into the game with so little time to play.

But as we have seen Boston do time and time again, they made what seemed a sure-fire loss into a relatively intriguing, closer-than-expected finish.

A pair of missed free throws by Indiana with less than 30 seconds to play gave Boston possession of the ball down 99-93 when head coach Brad Stevens called a time-out with 28.3 seconds to play.

Coming out of the time-out, Indiana did a nice job of taking away shot opportunities for Boston’s better 3-point shooters which led to a 3-point attempt by Jared Sullinger that was well off the mark.

Boston’s Avery Bradley fouled George Hill with 18.8 seconds to play. Hill, who missed two free throws earlier, made both to secure the victory.

The game was relatively close most of the first half and throughout most of the third quarter.

But the Pacers began to put some distance between themselves and Boston early in the fourth, building their lead up to 75-70 following a turn-around shot in the paint by Jordan Hill.

That was just one of the many plays made by the Indiana big man who finished with 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting.

But the Celtics bounced back by scoring six of the game’s next seven points which put them ahead 77-76 with 8:05 to play.

A quartet of free throws by Indiana – the last two by Paul George – put Indiana ahead 80-77.

He led all scorers with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

From there, the Pacers gradually pulled away for their fourth win in their last five games.
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STUDS AND DUDS: COLD CELTICS LEFT WITH NO SHOT IN LOSS TO PACERS

WEEI

By Mike Petraglia

The Pacers did their best to give the short-handed Celtics a shot. But on this night in Indianapolis, the Celtics couldn’t convert.

Paul George scored 25 and Monta Ellis added 14 as the Pacers held on for a 103-98 win over the Celtics Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Celtics (39-28), who lost their second straight, were playing their first game of the season without Jae Crowder (high ankle sprain) and their 12th straight without Kelly Olynyk (shoulder). The Celtics lost consecutive games for the first time since losing at Dallas and at Toronto, Jan. 18 and 20.

The Celtics were led by Isaiah Thomas with 21 points while Jared Sullinger had another double-double, with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Coach Brad Stevens went with a three-guard look in his first game this season without the injured Crowder in the starting lineup. Marcus Smart got the call, along with Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas. Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger were the only big men in the game.

Thanks to an early steal from Smart, the Celtics showed energy with the small lineup, shooting out to a 20-13 lead. But the Pacers, behind Paul George, scored the final seven points of the quarter to forge a 20-20 tie after 12 minutes.

The Pacers used a 23-13 run to open a 43-33 lead before the Celtics closed it to four at the break on a 6-0 run before the break. The Celtics stayed in the game thanks to 10 Indiana turnovers.

With 8:18 left in the second quarter and the Celtics trailing 29-24, forward Coty Clarke made his NBA debut when he came into the game for Jonas Jerebko. Like Terry Rozier on Friday against Houston, he wasn’t shy, hitting his first shot. And like Rozier, it was a 3-pointer from the right wing.

The third quarter belonged to Isaiah Thomas as he dominated for the Celtics, scoring 16 points and converting all eight of his free throws. The Pacers took a 71-70 lead into the fourth quarter and eventually led, 75-70. But the Celtics reclaimed the lead, 77-76, on two Evan Turner free throws with 8:05 left. The Pacers scored the next six points to lead 82-77.

While the Celtics were awful again (8-for-32) from 3-point range, it was a three from Paul George with 2:13 left that all but sealed the game for the Pacers, giving Indiana a 91-81 lead. Thanks to missed free throws, the Celtics closed to within six in the final minute but could get no closer.

The Celtics head home to take on Kevin Durant and the Thunder Wednesday night at TD Garden before a trip to Toronto Friday night.

STUD OF THE NIGHT Isaiah Thomas

His third quarter not only featured 16 points but he got the line often, drilling all eight free throw attempts and setting an aggressive tone and getting to the basket for a team that shot made just 16 of 46 shots (34.8 percent) in the first half.

DUD OF THE NIGHT 3-point shooters

Marcus Smart was 1-for-8 and Thomas was 3-for-11 from distance. The Celtics finished 8-for-32 from 3-point range. Throw in last Friday’s 8-for-31 effort against Houston, the Celtics have made just 16 of their last 63 from beyond the arc.

WHINE OF THE NIGHT Bench production

While Jonas Jerebko did score 17, Evan Turner managed just six points and attempted only four shots in 27 minutes off the bench. With Crowder out at least two weeks, that production absolutely, positively has to improve and fast for the Celtics to compete at the end of games. Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan are licking their chops right about now.

STAT OF THE NIGHT Indiana had seven blocks on the night, including three from Lavoy Allen.
112288

Hard to win when you shoot 38%.
Hard to win when you shoot 25% from 3.
Hard to win when your best scorer and only all-star takes 19% of the team's fgas and only shoots 28%.

And we still only lost by 5.

Marcus Smart has got to stop taking 3s.  1-8 from 3.  I know Brad is encouraging them to take 3s but a couple of Smart's were rushed and off-balance.  He isn't a good 3pt shooter when he's set and ready.

Zeller 2-9.  Blowing bunnies all night.

Bradley with only 10 on 5-13 but his counterpart George Hill, who lit us up last time they beat us, was 10 points on 2-9.

Best player on the floor for us was Jonas.  The best all-round game from him I've seen in a while.  Extremely active on both ends.  Not just 3s, but moving with and without the ball towards the iron.  An absolutely fantastic game by The Swedish John Havlicek (credit to Cowens for the nickname).  Thomas will get the star billing for the team leading 21 points but Jonas was more impactful, by far.

Thomas had 16 points in the 3rd.  He had 2 in the first half and 3 in the 4th.  

Coty Clarke was off the bench for Brad before James Young.  Buh-bye James, buh-bye.  Clarke looked ok too.  Very poised for someone fresh off the Greyhound from Portland.

Not a good night for us.  We lost, Brooklyn won.  We are now dead-even with Miami and another 2-3 weeks without Jae.

Tough one tonight against OKC.  No Jae on Durant?  Ugh.  Jerebko needs another big night.  Even so, Durant is going to go off on us for 40.  Bradley will have his hands full with Westbrook.  Maybe Mickey gets some minutes against Ibaka?

Tough stretch here, very tough stretch.


bob


.

There are so many teams nipping on our heels I do expect to drop a rung or 2 in the standings.

We all know we weren't winning the big prize regardless and getting a look at some different players might be a blessing to a degree.

We just can't afford off nights from guys that are out there 20+ minutes.

beat

Watched the game with my son last night, all he kept saying was we need a new center. Tyler Zeller looks like a nice guy, a nice unmanly guy you can't win with and Sully is always giving away 5 inches every night, but is the best rebounder we have. Crowder was really missed defensively on Paul George, who played like the all star that he is. Jerebko is out of his shooting slump and figuring out other ways to score, now Smart is in that same slump. Turner also had tough game because George is a 2 way player whose defense might be better than his offense.

Looking at the box score, I wondered how Boston could lose by only five when they shot so poorly, and the answer seems to be offensive rebounds. The Celtics are third in the league in offensive rebounding, so it appears to be integral to their success. Quite a change from the Doc years.

The bad news is that OKC leads the league in offensive rebounding, so they'll have their hands full tonight.