The Masterpiece at TD Garden: Resilience in the Face of Collapse

The Masterpiece at TD Garden: Resilience in the Face of Collapse

1. The Early Disaster

The game started as a nightmare for the home crowd. Indiana, despite missing Tyrese Haliburton, came out like a team possessed. They hit eight consecutive three-pointers in the first quarter alone, eventually pushing their lead to as many as 20 points early in the third quarter. At the 10:22 mark of the third, with the Pacers leading 69–49, the vibe in TD Garden was funerary.

2. The “Mazzulla Gamble”

In a move that will be analyzed for the rest of the season, Joe Mazzulla benched his entire starting five just minutes into the second half. Dissatisfied with their energy, he turned to a unit featuring rookie Hugo Gonzalez, Payton Pritchard, and Anfernee Simons.

The “second unit” sparked a 19–5 run that completely flipped the momentum. By the time Jaylen Brown and Derrick White re-entered with a minute left in the third, the lead had been cut to six.

3. Jaylen Brown: The Closer

With the game hanging in the balance in the fourth quarter, Brown took over. Scoring 14 of his 31 points in the final frame, he hit the definitive “dagger”—an off-balance, contested three right in front of the Celtics’ bench to put Boston up 96–91 with 2:25 remaining.

• The Stat Line: 31 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Assists.

• The Shooting: 11-of-25 from the field, providing the steady hand while Indiana’s offense went into a deep freeze.

4. The Pacers’ Historic Drought

While Boston surged, Indiana suffered a shooting collapse for the ages. After hitting 12-of-20 from deep in the first half, the Pacers missed 19 of their 20 three-point attempts in the second half. They were held to a meager 13 points in the fourth quarter, unable to handle the defensive physicality brought by rookie Hugo Gonzalez (who grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds) and veteran Derrick White (19 points).

Impact on the Standings

With this win, the Celtics improve to 18–11, firmly entrenching themselves in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. It marks their third straight victory and further proves they can win high-stakes games even while shorthanded.

For the Pacers (6–23), the loss is their fifth straight and keeps head coach Rick Carlisle one win away from the 1,000-career-victory milestone.