The ending was a disaster.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined, the Boston Celtics battled with the Indiana Pacers on Monday night in hopes of earning a second-straight victory. Instead, a game that electrified Gainbridge Fieldhouse concluded in controversy.
A foul on Jaylen Brown was overturned, and Kristaps Porzingis was called for a foul on Bennedict Mathurin that led to free throws, eventually icing the game for Indiana.
Boston’s shaky third quarter and brutal showing from the free-throw line caused the loss, not the final seconds of referee-induced madness. And past that, Brown’s decision to drive into three defenders and take a contested jumper can be questioned, too.