Celtics Escape Game 1 of East Finals with Overtime Thriller

Tatum Scores 36, Brown Hits Clutch 3 to Force OT

Pacers Give Celtics a Scare, But Boston Pulls Away in the End

The Boston Celtics escaped with a hard-fought 133-128 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics looked dead and buried in the final seconds of regulation, but a clutch 3-pointer from Jaylen Brown sent the game to overtime, where Jayson Tatum took over and scored 10 of Boston's 13 points.

Tatum finished the game with a team-high 36 points, while Brown added 29 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer with just 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation. The Celtics also got key contributions from Marcus Smart (18 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) and Robert Williams III (15 points, 12 rebounds).

The Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton, who had a game-high 38 points. Domantas Sabonis added 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Buddy Hield chipped in 20 points. The Pacers shot the ball well from the field, hitting 53.5 percent of their shots, but they were ultimately undone by their poor defense, as they allowed the Celtics to shoot 48.8 percent from the field.

The Celtics will now have a chance to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host Game 2 in Boston on Thursday night. The Pacers, meanwhile, will need to regroup and find a way to improve their defense if they want to even the series.