BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 40 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 126-110 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Thursday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Brown was 14 of 27 from the floor and made 8 of 11 free throws. Boston had a 13-point lead after three quarters and the Pacers were never closer than 11 points in the fourth.
The victory gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which will shift to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Saturday. The Pacers have a 6-0 home record in the playoffs this season.
Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton left the game in the third quarter with left leg soreness. He collected 10 points and eight assists in 28 minutes.
Pascal Siakam made 13 of 17 field-goal attempts and led the Pacers with 28 points. Andrew Nembhard added 16 points for Indiana.
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each scored 23 points for the Celtics. Al Horford had six points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Brown led all first-half scorers with 24 points. Boston trailed 27-25 after one quarter but held a 57-51 halftime lead.
Boston surged in front thanks to a 20-0 run. The Celtics scored the final three points in the first quarter and the first 17 points in the second quarter to take a 42-27 lead. Indiana didn’t score in the second quarter until Aaron Nesmith made two free throws with 6:45 remaining in the quarter.
Indiana was within two points, 68-66, after Siakam’s 3-pointer with 7:55 remaining in the third, but Boston had a 93-80 advantage entering the final 12 minutes.
The Celtics’ Luke Kornet left the game in the first quarter with a sprained left wrist and did not return to the court.
Boston center Kristaps Porzingis missed his eighth straight game with a calf strain.
–Field Level Media