BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown hit the game-tying triple to send his team to overtime en route to a 133-128 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In spite of his clutch play on Tuesday night, he doesn't believe he was the true reason why the C's are up 1-0 right now.
Brown finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals, but he credited Celtics guard Jrue Holiday as the real hero of Game 1.
“Jrue was fantastic,” Brown exclaimed. “Jrue was exceptional. Shout out to Jrue. Jrue came out and balled and he's the reason why we won this game. I think he was just poised and took advantage of his matchups. He just was so elite. And he's guarding [Tyrese] Haliburton, picking him up, chasing him around—that was special from Jrue Holiday. Being able to come out, knock down shots, and make some big plays at the rim.”
Holiday recorded 28 points, his most of the 2024 playoffs, to go along with eight assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. He also went a blistering 62.5% from the field, hitting 10 of his 16 shot attempts.
“He’s the kind of guy that’s going to impact the game in different ways every night,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Holiday during his postgame presser. “Tonight, it was his scoring, his playmaking, and his defense. A well-rounded game by him. And I thought his poise and his demeanor throughout the game was instrumental for us.”
How the Celtics' Jrue Holiday dominated Game 1 vs. Pacers
While Brown's clutch 3-pointer might dominate headlines, Holiday's defense in overtime deserves just as much of the limelight.
After trailing 123-121 with under two minutes to go, Celtics star Jayson Tatum got a huge and-1 to give Boston a one-point advantage. On the next possession, Holiday perfectly shadowed Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, generating a turnover in the process merely from his defensive presence:
This effort gave Boston the ball with 1:02 remaining. Tatum then took advantage of the opportunity by drilling a 3-pointer just 20 seconds later, putting the Celtics up 127-123 and essentially sealing the narrow win.
Even when Boston's back was against the wall down the stretch, Holiday never gave up.
“I think we always knew there’s always a chance,” Holiday revealed in his postgame remarks. “Crazy stuff happens all the time … Couple of turnovers, great shot, great look by JB. But on the other hand, if we made a couple of shots that were wide open, it could be a completely different game. We’re the type of team that’s gonna keep on fighting no matter how long and no matter what it takes.”
Prior to this offseason, the Celtics didn't roster any player with championship experience. Tatum, Brown, and a few other Celtics have come close to a title, yet they haven't been able to win it all thus far. Holiday, who became an NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, knows what it's like to get over the hump. This experience made him a stellar addition to an already talented Green Team.
“Close games I don’t think have ever bothered us,” Holiday said. “No matter if it’s a win or a loss, we knew that we’d always give ourselves a chance. Even today, down 3 with some seconds left, making a big shot, making big plays after that—we knew we had it in us.”
The 33-year-old has achieved a lot in his lengthy career and although he's approaching the end of his NBA journey, he's still reaching new heights. In fact, a few hours before Game 1 tipped off, Holiday was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team alongside fellow Celtics two-way guard Derrick White.
He proved why he received this exclusive honor while guarding the Pacers' top guys.
“He's the best defender in the NBA and he has been for a long time,” Haliburton said, via NBA TV. “I’ll learn from it and I’ll be better in Game 2.”
The Celtics will have some lessons to take from Game 1 as well. Even though they came out with the win, they were far from perfect. Boston squandered multiple double-digit leads, had 14 turnovers, and missed six free throws that nearly came back to haunt them.
“I think it's always great to come out with a win. But obviously, we got to tighten up in some areas, and we're gonna watch the film,” Brown said following the stunning comeback. “We gotta be better, we gotta match their intensity if we want to win this series.”
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals falls on Thursday night, with the Celtics hosting the Pacers again at TD Garden.
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