For the third straight game, the Indiana Pacers simply weren’t good enough for long enough stretches to allow them to pull out an elusive playoff victory against the Boston Celtics. Once again, a terrible third quarter played a big part in the loss, but at least tonight there were a multitude of shortcomings to point to and commence an eternal yelp of sorrow.
One of those issues cropped up from the opening tip when after a quick 3-0 start, the Pacers fell behind on a 9-0 Celtics run. Boston was able to push that lead into double figures with relative ease in large part due to a blistering shooting quarter.