The Celtics entered the fourth quarter down 11. They ended up winning by five, thanks mainly to the fourth-quarter heroics of Jayson Tatum.
Boston’s newly extended star awoke from a relative slumber late on Tuesday night, as Tatum scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth to shepherd the Celtics to a 116-111 road win over the Pacers.
Indiana, meanwhile, didn’t score until 3:01 into the fourth quarter as the Celtics climbed back into the game. Both Victor Oladipo and Domanatas Sabonis were held scoreless until a Sabonis layup with just 2:58 left in the game.
The Celtics’ bench outscored the Pacers’ reserves 34-21. Rookie Payton Pritchard scored in double-digits for the second straight game with 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting. Pritchard added five rebounds and five assists in a well-rounded 27 minutes for the rookie out of Oregon.
Up Next: The Celtics have a quick turnaround, as they’ll have to head back to Boston for the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Follow the Boston Celtics and the NBA at 985TheSportsHub.com.