The Indiana Pacers had a close game against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, it wasn't enough to win the game and they fell far short of winning the series.
Boston swept Indiana to close out the series with a 105-102 victory in Game 4 on Monday, propelling the Celtics to their 23rd consecutive Finals appearance.rd Time and they're trying to win 18Number Championship. Boston appeared in the 2022 Finals, losing to Golden State, and hasn't won a title since 2008.
Game 4 played out similarly to Games 1 and 3 of the series, with the Pacers leading for long portions of the game and holding the lead late in the fourth quarter.
Indiana led 98-90 with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics' scoring and defense (ranked first in offense and second in defense during the regular season) came to a close late, as missed shots and turnovers doomed the Pacers.
Boston outshot Indiana 15-4 to finish the game, and Jaylen Brown blocked a shot and then assisted on a Derrick White 3-pointer to give the Celtics a 105-102 lead, Boston's only lead going into the final quarter.
Brown scored a team-high 29 points to go with 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 1 block, while Jayson Tatum had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Brown averaged 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 51.7% from the field and 37% from 3-point range, and was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Other factors were working against the Pacers: All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed the final two games of the series with a tight left hamstring, and with Benedict Mathurin also expected to be unavailable (he had season-ending shoulder surgery in March), the Pacers' roster depth became an issue against Boston.
The Celtics were without Kristaps Porzingis (calf injury) but had too much talent. Four of the Celtics' five players scored in double figures, and Derrick White had another strong two-way performance with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks. July Holiday added 17 points and nine rebounds.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle promised he has a plan to make it difficult for the Celtics to finish off the Eastern Conference finals with a sweep.
Carlisle, and the Pacers, made good on that promise, but it wasn't enough to extend the series.
Andrew Nembard had 24 points and 10 assists on Monday after scoring a playoff career-high 32 points in Game 3. Indiana's Pascal Siakam had 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Boston will face the winner of the series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, which begin in Boston on June 6.
