Inside the 20-0 run that fueled the Celtics to a blowout win over the Pacers in Game 2

The Celtics shifted Indiana’s souped-up offense into neutral — reeling off a 20-0 run that spurred Boston to a 126-110 win and a 2-0 series lead.

Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown celebrate after a play during the second quarter in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

By Conor Ryan

May 24, 2024

4 minutes to read

The Indiana Pacers thrive off of chaos.

With Tyrese Haliburton serving as the primary conductor of a breakneck offense, no lead is safe when Rick Carlisle’s roster is turning the hardwood into a track meet.

In the regular season, the Pacers paced the NBA by averaging 123.3 points per game. They surpassed 140 points a record 11 times this season.

But for six minutes and 29 seconds of Thursday’s Game 2 matchup at TD Garden, Carlisle could only sit and stew as shot after shot after shot from his team clanged off the rim.

Across the end of the first quarter and into the second, the Celtics shifted Indiana’s souped-up offense into neutral — reeling off a 20-0 run that spurred Boston to a 126-110 win and a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

“The bottom of the stat sheet is ugly,” Carlisle said. “We lost the rebounds, those second-chance points were a big factor, and turnovers once again were a big problem.”

While Carlisle harped on his team’s lack of execution, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla believed Boston handed the Pacers a taste of their own medicine.

“When you play in the chaos, you have to embrace the chaos,” Mazzulla said. “And so there’s going to be possessions where it is chaotic and you just have to be ready to handle that. And I thought our guys did a good job of handling it with just multiple efforts.”

A spirited effort on the glass and a revamped lineup paved the way for Boston’s momentum-shifting surge.

It took all of 1 minute, 21 seconds in the second quarter for Carlisle to call timeout in an effort to stem the tide. At that point, the Celtics had already reeled off seven straight points, culminating in a sequence where Boston pulled down three offensive boards on the same possession.

The sight of four yellow jerseys stagnating in the paint as a soaring Jaylen Brown lofted the put-back bucket was enough for Carlisle to halt play in search of a regroup.

Celtics stick with it and snag 3 offensive rebounds before the bucket 💯 pic.twitter.com/K0cgwxccqI
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 24, 2024

It did little to reverse Indiana’s fortunes, especially once Oshae Brissett drew into Boston’s lineup following a wrist injury to Luke Kornet.

Despite falling out of the Celtics’ playoff rotation, Brissett served as a much-needed spark for an overhauled unit with Celtics star Jayson Tatum primarily on the bench.

Brissett first entered the game in place of Al Horford with 10:39 remaining in the second. By the time the 25-year-old forward was replaced by Tatum with 7:49 left in the quarter, the Celtics had outscored Indiana 10-0, and they led, 39-27.

Brissett reeled in two rebounds and recorded a steal over that limited stretch, while switching to Pacers guards on defense to limit their ability to storm into the open court. He finished Game 2 with a plus-18 rating over 12 minutes, and also had three rebounds, three steals, and two points.

Oshae Brissett scored his only points on this fourth-quarter dunk Thursday.BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF

“Just his presence, his energy, his athleticism,” Mazzulla said of Brissett’s impact. “I think he had a dunk, got a steal that started transition, a couple rebounds. He plays with such a high level of intensity and energy. It’s big for us.”

With the Celtics winning battles on the boards and their smaller lineup swarming Indiana and limiting their chances of getting out in transition, the Pacers were forced to plod along with more of a standard half-court offense — one that does little to play to their strengths.

“I thought transition defense was good — really good, kept them in the halfcourt. Thought our individual defense was good,” Mazzulla said. “I thought we were able to get in driving lanes and get out to shooters. They test our discipline, they test our communication. And I thought we handled it better in Game 2.”

The Pacers missed nine straight shots during Boston’s 20-0 run, and had four turnovers.

“We know they like to get into the paint. … But I think because we’re long and athletic, we can take some of those things away and really just try to speed them up as much as possible,” Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said.

20-0 CELTICS RUN ☘️

The Celtics are rolling in Game 2 of the East Finals on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/2sjC3shzat
— NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024

By the time the dust had finally settled and Aaron Nesmith stepped to the free throw line with 6:45 to go in the second quarter, what was once a 27-22 Pacers lead had flipped to a 42-27 Celtics advantage.

After the first quarter of Thursday’s matchup featured 10 total lead changes, Boston’s extended run gave it a cushion it did not relinquish.

According to the Celtics’ team statistics account on X, Boston’s 20-0 run tied for its second-longest scoring run while holding an opponent scoreless in a playoff game during the play-by-play era — surpassed only by a 21-0 surge against the Miami Heat on April 20, 2010.

“They move the ball. They move bodies, and they play fast,” Holiday said. “But we can also do that. We can go small, go big, we can play fast, we can slow down and execute. But I think having Oshae out there was just a different element where I mean — all five guys, just if we’re switching or if we’re staying with our man, we’re capable of doing so many different things.”