No dramatic finishes or extra five minutes needed.
This time, Jaylen Brown and the East no.1 Boston Celtics left no doubt on the floor.
Brown followed up his Game 1 heroics with a 40-point explosion, as the Celtics took care of business at home with a 126-110 Game 2 win. Boston now holds a commanding 2-0 lead over Indiana in their Eastern Conference Finals series.
Jaylen Brown drops 40 PTS as the Celtics beat the Pacers 126-110 to TAKE A 2-0 SERIES LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pM4GvyPYoZ
ā Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) May 24, 2024
The three-time All-Star was all business from the start, firing 24 points alone in the first half and had 33 by the end of the third frame.
Jaylen Brown (24 PTS) showcased his ELITE SCORING ability in the 1st half of Game 2 of the East Finals ??
ā NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024
BOS leads 57-51 entering the 3Q on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/fQaa07NxA3
JAYLEN BROWN AND-1 šŖ??
ā NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024
BOS seeks a 2-0 series lead in the 3Q of the East Finals on ESPN pic.twitter.com/r4prtGkZS2
Brown finished with five rebounds, shot 14-of-27 from the field, and had four triples in a game where the Celtics scored the first 17 points of the second quarter.
JAYLEN BROWN FOR 40 PTS ??
ā NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024
JB and the Celtics look to close out Game 2 of the East Finals on ESPN!#NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/nB6iE0eO6g
That was part of a 20-0 blitz, bridging the end of the opening frame and the early moments of the second canto, as Boston turned a 27-22 deficit into 42-27 lead.
20-0 CELTICS RUN ??
ā NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024
The Celtics are rolling in Game 2 of the East Finals on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/2sjC3shzat
After a Pascal Siakam triple cut the Celtics lead to two points at 68-66 in the third frame, the Cs went on to outscore the Pacers, 25-14, in the remaining eight minutes to build a 93-80 advantage heading to the fourth.
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White chipped in 23 points each while Jrue Holiday added a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Jayson Tatum... TOO SMOOTH š®?šØ
ā NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024
BOS seeks a 2-0 series lead in the 4Q of the East Finals on ESPN pic.twitter.com/0dkztfuCjX
After barely winning Game 1, Boston responded with a rampaging Game 2 outing, leading by as many as 20 points. They knocked down 15 triples and dominated inside the shaded lane, 54-34.
On the other hand, Siakam topscored the Pacer with 28 points, including 10 in the third period, as Andrew Nembhard added 16 and Obi Toppin had 11.
However, the big question for Indiana is the status of superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who left the game in the third and did not return due to a left leg soreness.
This is the play in the 3rd quarter where Tyrese Haliburton appeared to suffer a leg injury.
ā ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 24, 2024
He left the game and was ruled OUT for the remainder of Game 2 vs. the Celtics šš½pic.twitter.com/7jbacfe7Nl
He finished with 10 points, four rebounds, and eight assists in 28 minutes.
Game 3 of the series now shifts to Indiana, where the Pacers are undefeated this postseason at 6-0.
You can watch it Sunday, May 26, 8:30 a.m. LIVE on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, and the Pilipinas Live app.
