Game 2 belonged to Kyrie Irving.
The Celtics overcame a tough Pacers performance and, aided by a late Pacers meltdown, hung on to a 99-91 victory and a 2-0 series lead in the opening round Eastern Conference playoffs matchup.
Irving led the way for Boston, finishing with 37 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in 39 minutes. It was a star performance for a star player, the type of game the Celtics need from their franchise point guard if they are going to make a deep run into the NBA playoffs.
It was also, in a way, expected. Irving is a 6-time All Star and is the Celtics’ primary ball-handler and scorer. Irving did what he was supposed to do.
What made the difference last night was Jayson Tatum.
All year long the Celtics have waited for Tatum to get back to the level he flashed last year in the playoff run, when it looked like Tatum was doing an impression of his idol, Kobe Bryant.
With the re-introduction of Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving back from injury, and tons of Celtics players wanting minutes, Tatum often looked unsure of when he was supposed to step up and take over a game.
Last year in the playoffs, albeit out of necessity, he had become the man. Now Irving was back as top banana, and Hayward was there, not to mention Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier, and Al Horford, and Marcus Morris, and Semi Ojeleye … you get the idea.
This year, too often, things didn’t feel natural for Tatum and the Celtics. Sometimes he would try to be aggressive and would gum up the offense, trying to force shots when he finally got his number called. Other times he would miss the cue and be deferential when the Celtics needed him to take over.
Last night, at least, it felt like it came together exactly how it was supposed to: Irving dominated for much of the game, the role players did their jobs, and then when it came down to crunch time, Tatum got the ball … and delivered.
It speaks to Irving’s leadership, possibly, or maybe Brad Stevens’ coaching, but the Celtics trusted Tatum down the stretch. Irving had torched the Pacers for much of the night, but with the seconds winding down in the fourth quarter and the Pacers with a 91-89 lead, the Celtics knew Indiana would be focused on shutting down Irving.
So they went to the other guy on the team who can always create his own shot: Tatum.
Tatum scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, getting two big buckets early while Irving rested, then closing out the game and delivering the Celtics a win.
Tatum finished the game off with a 3-pointer to take the lead, an assist to Hayward for a layup, then – after a disastrous Pacers pass that went out of bounds – an and-one dunk that put the game out of reach.
This is how it’s supposed to work for the Celtics. For a team with so much talent, and so many guys eager to make their mark, they at times have looked without an identity. You need a pecking order. Role guys can take over from time to time, but at the end of the day, you need to know who you’re going to.
Tatum has shown he can get buckets when needed in the postseason, and while the Celtics do have Hayward and Horford, it’s Tatum who will need to be the one who steps up as a scorer in crunch time. Irving is the star of this team, but Tatum will decide how far the Celtics go.
