The Boston Celtics secured a thrilling win in Game 4 to clinch their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Indiana Pacers. With the game tied at 102-102, it was Derrick White who nailed a corner three to put the Celtics ahead with almost 44 seconds left to play. There was enough time left on the clock for the Pacers to pull the game back, but it was not going to happen and the game ended 105-102 in Celtics’ favour.
Jaylen Brown led the scoring with a 26-point performance. He was instrumental down the stretch as he made some clutch plays to lead the way for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum also had an impactful night as he added 26 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists in Game 4. The backcourt of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday once again proved to be massive for the Celtics as they combined for 33 points against the Pacers. White particularly had a stellar defensive performance as he made 5 steals and blocked 3 shots on the night.
Despite their best efforts to win the game, the Pacers came up short down the stretch in the fourth quarter. They were playing incredibly well, but the Celtics were determined to wrap the series up and move into the NBA Finals. Andrew Nembhard once again stepped up for the Pacers with a 24-point performance. He made some crucial plays in the clutch to keep things close for Indiana. However, the lack of support from the others led to a disappointing defeat to the Celtics at home for the Pacers.
Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown named as the Eastern Conference Finals MVP
Jaylen Brown finally got some recognition for his performances in the Eastern Conference Finals as he was awarded with the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. This trophy is given to the best player in the ECF and it was clear that Brown was the deserved recipient of the award. He averaged 29.8 PPG on 51.7% shooting, but more importantly, he made some of the most important plays during the series against the Pacers.
Last season, Brown struggled to perform in the Eastern Conference Finals for the Boston Celtics. He had the worst stretch of his career and this led to the Celtics losing out to the Miami Heat. However, the franchise decided to give Brown the biggest contract in NBA history and he repaid their faith with a big performance in the Conference Finals this season.
The Celtics will now have some time to rest before they start their NBA Finals campaign against either the Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Timberwolves. Jayson Tatum and Brown have led the Celtics to several deep playoff runs, but it looks like this is the year that they get over the hump and win the prestigious Larry O’Brien trophy that has eluded their career.
