INDIANAPOLIS – When you don’t have many nationally televised games, you have to take matters into your own hands.
And so the Indiana Pacers did, advancing again in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.
The Blue and Gold continued their undefeated run through the tourney, beating the Boston Celtics 122-112 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Monday night in front of a national TV audience on TNT.
Tyrese Haliburton, still recovering from an upper respiratory illness, put on a show, finishing with a triple-double: 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.
The team that entered the game with the league’s best record heads home, with the Pacers (11-8) bound for the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas for the Semifinals. The loss dropped the Celtics to 15-5 on the season. They remain at the top of the Eastern Conference.
No matter how things shake out in the end, the NBA’s very first In-Season Tournament has been notable for the Pacers.
They played in the tourney’s first game, securing the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. They scored the first basket of the event, a Myles Turner dunk off an assist from Haliburton.
Indiana was the first team to advance to the Knockout Round. It also played in the first Quarterfinal game and became the first squad to advance to the tournament’s Semifinals. The Pacers would love to continue these “firsts” all the way to the NBA Cup.
While the rest of the In-Season Tournament games have been played on teams’ home courts, the Semifinals move to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Pacers will next play in the East Semifinal on Thursday at 5 p.m. The opponent has yet to be determined, as they’ll take on the winner of Tuesday night’s Quarterfinal between the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks and No. 4 New York Knicks. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
In the Western Conference, the No. 3 New Orleans Pelicans topped the No. 2 Sacramento Kings 127-117. They’ll play the winner of Tuesday’s game between the No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers and No. 4 Phoenix Suns.
The West Semifinal is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Thursday. The game will air on TNT.