Celtics' Neemias Queta drives to the basket against the Pacers' Jay Huff in the first half.
Celtics' Neemias Queta drives to the basket against the Pacers' Jay Huff in the first half.AJ Mast/Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — The coherent theme in this home-and-home set with the Pacers was patience. Eventually a team that’s worst in the NBA in multiple statistical offensive categories will eventually cool off.
After the Pacers were doused with water after a brilliant offensive first half Monday, it required just a quarter for the decline to begin Friday. The Celtics withstood the early charge, got a bounceback game from Sam Hauser and then cruised to a 140-122 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Boston shot 56.6 percent from the field and nailed 20 3-pointers in outscoring the Pacers by 29 in the final three quarters, never allowing a second-half surge for their fourth consecutive win.
Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, the eighth consecutive game with at least that total, while Payton Pritchard added 27 and Hauser tallied 23, tying his season high with seven 3-pointers.
Derrick White scored 21 and Luka Garza continued his resurgence with 15 and 4 rebounds. It was a successful start to a five-game road trip, all against teams with losing records.
The Celtics’ primary responsibility in the third quarter was to prevent an Indiana run and any momentum and it was mission accomplished. Behind 3-point shooting from Sam Hauser and step-backs from Brown, the Celtics were able to build the lead to 111-87 late in the period.
Then there was an altercation between Jordan Walsh and Indiana’s TJ McConnell after the two got tangled up chasing a loose ball. First there were shoves and then McConnell pushed Walsh and began pursuing him. Players from both teams stepped in and Walsh walked away clapping.
Each player was assessed a technical foul and McConnell then responded with two difficult reverse layups to spark the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Still, the Celtics led by 20 heading into the final period.
Perhaps the strategy for the Celtics is to simply wait for the Pacers to dip to their expected shooting levels because it happened again Friday. In Monday’s matchup, the Pacers led by as many as 20 with 13 first-half 3-pointers before making just one in the second half. This time Indiana cooled off in the second quarter after rolling up 39 points in the first.
The Celtics began the second period with a 29-9 run with Sam Hauser, Derrick White, and Anfernee Simons beginning the period with 3-pointers. Baylor Scheierman added a triple and White made two free throws to reduce Indiana’s lead to 46-44 before Pritchard took over.
Maybe he took his matchup against fellow spark plug TJ McConnell personally but Pritchard was unstoppable for the final eight minutes of the second period. He scored 14 points in that span as the Celtics began to take control. White added another 3-pointer, Jaylen Brown a difficult fadeaway jumper, and Brown capped the 47-point barrage with a jumper with 3.1 seconds left for a 75-61 lead.
Boston made 16 of 25 shots and 6 of 12 3-pointers in the period. The Pacers, in the midst of a tanking season with Tyrese Haliburton and several others out with injuries, missed 13 of 19 shots and nine of 11 3-pointers in the period. The Celtics’ help defense stifled the Pacers into forced shots and those 3-pointers that were scorching the nets in the opening quarter clanged off the rim in the second.
The Pacers, last in the NBA in 3-point percentage, again proved they shoot well against the Celtics’ first-quarter defense. Indiana knocked down five triples in the first 4:09 and jumped out to a 24-11 lead. Led by Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers made their first six 3-pointers, made eight for the period and led the Celtics 39-28.
In the two first quarters of the past two matchups, the Pacers made 27 of 48 shots and 15 of 24 3-pointers, good for 74 total points. The Celtics countered with a pair of threes from Sam Hauser and 6 points from Neemias Queta to stay within striking distance.
Walsh returned to the starting lineup after missing Monday’s matchup with the Pacers but picked up two early fouls. That forced coach Joe Mazzulla to go to Hugo Gonzalez and Scheierman for early minutes and both produced.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.