Tyrese Haliburton earned his first triple-double of the season and made a game-tying four-point play with 1:33 remaining as the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Boston Celtics from the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 122-112 quarterfinal victory Monday night.
Haliburton finished with 26 points, including 16 in the second half, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and seven Pacers scored in double figures as Indiana remained unbeaten in the tournament after going 4-0 in group play.
The Pacers will meet either Milwaukee or New York in the semifinals on Thursday in Las Vegas.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 32 points and 12 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown added 30 points and nine rebounds. All-Star Kristaps Porzingis missed his fourth consecutive game due to a strained left calf, as Boston’s three-game winning streak came to an end thanks to a late 9-0 surge sparked by Haliburton’s basket.
Indiana turned the game around in the third quarter, rallying from a 56-48 halftime deficit to level the game at 71 before taking an 85-74 advantage.
With 6:07 remaining, Brown’s 3-pointer tied the game at 94, and there were six more ties until Haliburton earned a foul on his 27-foot rainbow shot.
This was a new experience for the Pacers. From the towel-waving audience yelling “De-fense!” to the large media presence, single-elimination stakes, and joyful atmosphere, this was the closest many of Indiana’s youthful team had ever come to playoff basketball. Even Haliburton and 3-point shooter Buddy Hield have yet to appear in a postseason game.
It was also different on the court.
On November 1, Boston defeated Indiana 155-104, the second-most points scored by the Celtics in franchise history.