Pacers players react after Game 1 loss to Celtics

Morning sports update

Pacers players sound bad after bad loss: In the ultimate moments of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it seemed several times as if upstart Indiana had won the sport.

But like before in Boston basketball history, the Celtics pulled off a miraculous game-saving play (several, actually). After a 133-128 extra time loss, the Pacers players were left to ponder what might have been.

“We gave it away,” Pacers forward and former Celtic forward Aaron Nesmith approved, based on ESPN's Jamal Collier“We should have won the game.”

Even after Jaylen Brown's unlikely game-winning 3-pointer, Indiana still had a probability to win in regular time. But with Jayson Tatum glued to him, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton couldn't get the shot he wanted. In the tip, his shot went wide and the sport went into extra time.

“I felt like there was a better chance that I didn’t get.” Haliburton told reporters.

“This is playing 100 times in my head and it will be on repeat when I get out of here,” he added. “But I can't go into detail about it. I felt like that was probably the look I was supposed to shoot. I wish I had, but I didn't.”

“We showed our age a little bit tonight,” Pacers center Myles Turner said. “Being a young team and in a game with so much at stake, these uncharacteristic mistakes just came out.”

Indiana finished the night with 21 turnovers.

Still, Haliburton was encouraged by the team's performance waiting for the remaining of the series.

“We know we can play with these guys,” he said. “We know we belong.”

useful information: The Pacers last won the Eastern Conference in 2000. That season, Indiana star Reggie Miller led the team in total points but was second in points per game. Which player, who finished second behind Miller in total points, had a rather higher total points per game?

(Answer below).

Note: He was a member of the famous “Fab Five” on the University of Michigan.

Results and fixtures:

The Celtics pulled off a dramatic 133-128 win in Game 1 against the Pacers within the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. at TD Garden

Also from Tuesday: PWHL Boston lost Game 2 of the Walter Cup Finals against Minnesota 3-0. The best-of-five series is now tied 1-1, with motion happening Friday at 7 p.m. on the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota

And the Red Sox beat the Rays 5-2. The two teams will finish the three-game series tonight at 6:50 p.m. as Boston looks for the win.

More from Boston.com:

The Celtics were down and out before Jaylen Brown saved them: Here is a take a look at the statistical fluctuations within the probability of winning.

Regret? Not everyone kept the religion in the course of the first game on Tuesday. WCVB's Mary Saladna snapped a humorous picture of a bunch of fans leaving TD Garden early and ending up watching the game-ending drama from a bar window outside.

On at the present time: In 1988, the Celtics did simply enough to match Dominique Wilkins' 47-point night in a single 118-116 Game 7 victory over the Hawks within the Eastern Conference semifinals.

On the opposite hand, the Bruins couldn't stop Wayne Gretzky (4 assists) and the Oilers 6-3 Lost in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Celtics Hawks Game 7 1988

Daily highlight: Perfect performance from the Red Sox (each Rafael Devers and naturally Jarren Duran), which led to a rare home steal.



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