Jayson Tatum dropped 36 points, including 10 in overtime after Jaylen Brown's game-tying three-pointer with 6.1 seconds left in regulation, leading Boston to a 133-128 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Jrue Holiday contributed a season-high 28 points, while Brown finished with 26.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 25 points and 10 assists, and the team hit 13 3-pointers and scored 56 points in the paint, taking advantage of the Celtics' lineup absence of 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis.
CLUTCH Jaylen Brown shoots a game-tying three-pointer against Pascal Siakam during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics took down the Pacers in a thrilling overtime game, 133-128. BOSTON CELTICS PHOTO
However, Boston stepped up defensively, recording 11 steals—three each by Brown, Tatum and Holiday.
The Celtics made NBA playoff history by becoming the first team to have three players each score 25 points and grab three steals in a game.
Despite struggling from three-point range for most of the game, Boston finished 15 of 45 from beyond the arc.
Game 2 is set for Friday at the TD Garden in Boston. Anadolu