A lot can change due to just one whistle in the dying moments of an NBA Playoffs clash. This has been proven plenty of times during this year's postseason where teams' momentum got cut off and others took advantage. Officiating is not always the best but that is why the NBA's last two-minute report (NBA L2M) comes out the day after each battle. One was released after Game 1 between the Jayson Tatum-led Boston Celtics and Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers. It looks like it won't please both fanbases.
Celtics-Pacers' L2M report
An overtime thriller is usually where stars are born and some controversial calls are made in the NBA Playoffs. This game between the Celtics and Pacers was no exception. There were three key clarifications that could have swung the momentum in either team's favor, via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
The first came at the 1:46 mark in the fourth quarter. The Pacers were on defense and Myles Turner was roaming the paint to protect the rim from weakside cuts and easy layups. But, the big man stayed a little too long underneath the basket. He should have been called for a defensive three-second violation. Fortunately for Tyrese Haliburton's squad, the call was not made but it sure frustrated Celtics fans after noticing it.
Another supposed violation was made at the 1:01 mark in the final period of regulation. The NBA L2M report posits that Tyrese Haliburton had traveled but it was not called in the game. A lot of armchair analysts were counting his steps. Some of them even immediately called it in the middle of the NBA Playoffs clash. These Celtics fans were proven correct and might just be happy that it did not cost them the game.
A controversial clarification in the NBA L2M report involved Jaylen Brown and Pascal Siakam. The Celtics star forward looked to have grabbed the Pacers star's uniform in the middle of the play. Pacers fans were livid when they saw the play unfold. Unfortunately, the no call on the pursuit of the ball with 10 seconds left. Tyrese Haliburton then got a shot off but Jayson Tatum was able to effectively cover it to send the game into overtime.
Heroics in the NBA Playoffs
A common criticism in this postseason run for the Celtics is that they are not battle-tested. The Pacers gave them a run for the money and practically forced them to execute in the clutch. Thankfully, Jaylen Brown and Tatum stepped up in the last moments of regulation and overtime. Brown hit the game-tying shot and even got the iconic double bang from Mike Breen.
Tatum, on the other hand, took over when regulation ended. He started his barrage off with a steal against Aaron Nesmith. Two free throws would then find their way to the bottom of the net, thanks to his willingness to get fouled. He made a layup, a free throw, a stepback three-pointer, and sank two free throws to effectively end the game.
It's in these moments when the Celtics get to prove that they are a team to be reckoned with. Hopefully, the Pacers will keep up and make the NBA Playoffs series interesting.
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