Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers Hailed By NBA Fans for Holding Off Tatum, Celtics in OT Win

Posted by Admin October 31, 2024 NBA

Michael Hickey/NBAE via Getty Images

The Indiana Pacers saw their 24-point lead evaporate en route to the Boston Celtics forcing overtime, but they persevered for a 135-132 home win in this Eastern Conference Finals rematch.

Seven Pacers scored in double digits, led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 30-point, 11-rebound effort off the bench. Pascal Siakam added a 29-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Tyrese Haliburton posted 17 points and 12 assists.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum led Boston’s ferocious comeback, scoring 12 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth quarter. He scored five points in the final 34 seconds off a pair of free throws and a step-back three-pointer to tie the game at 124 and force OT.

It was an incredible effort from the Celtics, who trailed by 21 points with under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.

However, the Pacers pulled through in the end thanks to Siakam, who hit a fadeaway jumper to tie the game at 132 before hitting a three-pointer with 6.1 seconds left.

Jaylen Brown missed a three for the tie, and the ball went out-of-bounds to the Pacers. Haliburton then threw the ball off Derrick White’s back and ran out the clock to seal the win.

Indiana Pacers @Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton passed it off the defender’s back to seal the win in overtime 😈 pic.twitter.com/ZhswDx7dbj

Indiana had slogged through a 1-3 start heading into a tough matchup against the previously undefeated Boston Celtics, but this was a great and resilient bounce-back win. Fans hailed the Pacers for their outing.

Facci @_Facci

Indiana wins 135-132
A true BATTLE even if it shouldn’t have been.
Indiana survives
THIS is the type of win that can change a LOT!
Pacer fans, has your heart rate slowed down a bit?!
I was a nervous wreck!!!

Aka @aka_egwu

The Pacers defeated the defending champion Celtics in overtime by playing their best game of the season while also letting the Celtics nearly complete a huge comeback. It was an adventure.

Tyler Smith @TylerSmith_ISL

Frustrating to blow a 24 point lead, and how it went down.
But.. the Pacers just beat the Celtics. Boston’s first loss of the season.
You can relax with the big assertions after 5 games.

John Fanta @John_Fanta

This is a heck of a shot by Pascal Siakam to win it for the Pacers over the Celtics in an OT thriller. Boston never stops coming at you, would have been a tough loss for Indiana to take considering they were up 12 with less than 3 to play. Resilient win.pic.twitter.com/VZp7NW8ZAE

John Hollinger @johnhollinger

Props to Pascal Siakam. Best player on the floor tonight. Pacers needed that one.

𝓒★ @chxse_4

I never wanna see Mathurin play less than 20 minutes EVER AGAIN.

Adam Reinhart @AdamReinhart1

I love how Haliburton ended that by bouncing it off a Celtic’s back.
Pacers needed that one bad.

Tony Donohue @tonydindy

Ugly Pacers win.
Heads-up play at the end for Haliburton
Mathurin-Siakam huge efforts.

The 2-3 Pacers will now face the New Orleans Pelicans on the road Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Boston fell to 4-1 and heads to Charlotte to face the Hornets on back-to-back nights beginning Friday.