BOSTON -- The Celtics came out flat to start the third quarter against the Pacers on Monday night and it did not take long for Joe Mazzulla to take drastic action. The Celtics head coach pulled his entire starting five with 9:22 remaining in the third quarter, leaving in rookie Hugo Gonzalez who had already replaced Josh Minott in the starting five to start the second half.
The move came after a timeout by Mazzulla following a Benedict Mathurin uncontested putback that put the Pacers up by 20 points. The sequence capped off a lifeless performance by Boston’s starters for much of the night against one of the worst teams in the NBA.
The 6-22 Pacers opened the game making eight of their first nine 3-point attempts against a largely uninspired Celtics defense. Boston’s starters were struggling with their shot but were also getting outworked by the Pacers as they posted just four offensive rebounds and four free throw attempts in the first half.
With Boston’s starters watching from the bench in the third quarter, the Celtics reserves went on a 19-5 run to lead the hosts back into the game. Anfernee Simons (nine points) led the way during the turnaround as Boston’s defensive intensity picked up with the second unit. Indiana shot just 30 percent in the period. Mazzulla turned back to some of his starters with 1:15 left in the third quarter, bringing back Derrick White and Jaylen Brown into the contest.
That duo along with Payton Pritchard were able to maintain the Celtics’ bench spark upon returning to the game, rallying for the lead with 7:19 remaining in the fourth quarter after a Brown layup. The Celtics All-Star ended up carrying Boston’s comeback past the finish line, finishing with 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter to lead Boston to a 103-95 victory.
Gonzalez ended up playing the entire second half in a comeback win and finished a plus-23 in a career-high 37 minutes. Luka Garza was also pivotal in the rally, with six points and nine rebounds (five offensive) off the bench to help Boston secure their third straight win.
The Celtics will now get three days to rest up before attempting to continue their winning streak on Friday against the Pacers in a rematch.