“Jaylen Brown’s 40-Point Explosion Leads Celtics to Dominant Win Over Pacers; Haliburton’s Injury Adds to Indiana’s Woes”

Jaylen Brown’s 40-Point Explosion Leads Celtics to Dominant Win Over Pacers; Haliburton’s Injury Adds to Indiana’s Woes

Los Angeles (AFP) – The Boston Celtics surged to a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference finals, overpowering the Indiana Pacers 126-110, thanks to a stellar 40-point performance from Jaylen Brown. The Celtics, breaking their game-two jinx, are now in control of the best-of-seven series as they head to Indianapolis for game three on Saturday.

The Pacers, who have shown remarkable resilience at home, are now facing significant challenges, most notably the uncertain health of their All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton, who has been a key player for Indiana, limped out late in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury and did not return.

Brown’s 40 points tied his career playoff high and were instrumental in the Celtics’ victory. He scored 10 points in a decisive 20-0 run in the second quarter that allowed Boston to take the lead for good. “It’s the playoffs, man,” Brown said. “Whatever it takes to get a ‘W’ — on defense, on offense — that’s what I’m going to do.”

The game started as a tightly contested battle, with 10 lead changes in the first quarter alone. The Pacers emerged with a slim 27-25 advantage. However, Boston’s Jrue Holiday ignited the Celtics’ offense with a three-pointer in the final minute of the first quarter, sparking a scoring spree that saw Boston pull ahead 42-27 midway through the second period.

Indiana fought back, led by Pascal Siakam