Celtics eradicated from NBA in-season event after loss to the Pacers

Celtics

The Celtics will now play both the Bucks or Knicks on Friday evening at TD Backyard.

The Celtics’ highway to Las Vegas ended on Monday evening in Indianapolis, with Boston falling to the Pacers, 122-112, within the knockout spherical of the NBA’s inaugural in-season event.

The Celtics have now been eradicated from the event, with Boston now set to host a regular-season recreation in opposition to both the Knicks or Bucks on Friday evening. Their opponent might be decided by whoever wins the knockout match between New York and Milwaukee on Tuesday.

With the win, the Pacers advance to the semifinals of the in-season event, the place they may tackle the winner of Knicks/Bucks on Thursday at T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas.

Boston punched its ticket to the quarterfinals of the event after profitable East Group C by the use of a lopsided win over the Bulls on Nov. 28.

The Celtics wanted loads to go their manner final week, with their path to the knockout spherical solely paved resulting from level differential and a Nets’ win by lower than 19 factors in opposition to the Raptors that very same evening.

However the Celtics’ luck ran out in opposition to the Pacers in a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Regardless of holding a 55-48 lead at halftime, the Celtics couldn’t decelerate Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers within the second half — with Indy scoring 72 factors over the ultimate two quarters of play to safe the comeback win.

Jayson Tatum completed with 32 factors, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, whereas Jaylen Brown added 30 factors and 9 rebounds. Haliburton led the way in which for the Pacers with a triple-double efficiency of 26 factors, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.