On a night when the Pacers could not miss early and could not buy a bucket late, the Boston Celtics found their closer. Jaylen Brown poured in 31 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to drag Boston from 20 down to a 103-95 win over Indiana. It was Boston’s third straight victory and Indiana’s fifth straight loss, a dramatic flip that turned boos into gasps inside a tense finish.

How Boston flipped a 20-point hole into a statement win

Indiana’s first half was a heater. The Pacers splashed 12 of 20 threes (60%) and built a 61-43 halftime cushion behind quick pace and clean spacing. Boston, usually one of the league’s best from deep (15.7 made threes per game entering the night), went just 5-for-18 from beyond the arc before the break and looked flat.

But the game changed with a gutsy move. Early in the second half, with the deficit swelling to 69-49, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters. The message landed. When Brown and Derrick White returned late in the third, the tempo and tone shifted. Boston trimmed the gap to 82-74 entering the fourth, then ripped an 11-2 burst to seize their first lead since the opening minutes, punctuated by a smooth Brown reverse layup.

“Is Jaylen Brown the closer Boston has been waiting for?”

Jaylen Brown’s fourth-quarter takeover and the shot of the night

Brown took command in winning time. He scored 14 in the fourth, balancing drives with pull-ups and timely cuts. The signature moment came with 2:25 remaining, when he rose for an off-balance three that splashed for a 96-91 lead. A TV call captured the feeling: “Brown fading away. Oh yeah, WHAT A SHOT. ANOTHER 30 ball for Jaylen.”

Indiana punched back. Andrew Nembhard knifed in for an and-1 to tie the game at 91 with 3:49 to go. Yet Boston held firm, defending without fouling and trusting Brown to settle half-court possessions. From there, the Celtics closed on a 12-4 push, guided by stops and Brown’s shot-making.

White was Boston’s other steady hand with 19 points, including a driving slam that turned momentum. Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons chipped in 11 apiece, vital minutes on a night when every possession mattered.

“That’s a grown-up win: down 20, stick to defense, trust your star.”

Defense and discipline: the Celtics’ late-game edge

Boston didn’t win this with fireworks. They won it by getting stops. The Pacers, who had lived on the arc in the first half, went ice cold. They missed 19 of 20 threes after halftime. In the fourth quarter, one courtside note summed it up: “Pacers have made just two shots in the fourth.” When Indiana could not space the floor, Boston’s shell defense tightened and swallowed drives.

Those stops fed just enough transition and early offense to tilt the math. Boston finished 38-for-89 from the field and 11-for-37 from deep, a modest line that looked a lot better next to 16-for-19 at the line and a 38-35 rebounding edge. Yes, the Celtics turned it over 16 times, but they tightened up late and forced the Pacers into tougher, longer shots.

Pacers’ perimeter collapse undercuts big nights from Siakam and Nembhard

Indiana had the blueprint: quick ball movement, early threes, and paint touches that set up kick-outs. It worked for two quarters. But the second half told a different story. Without the three-ball falling, the Pacers stalled. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 25 points, and Nembhard had 20 with that game-tying three-point play. In winning time, though, Indiana’s offense froze on the perimeter.

For a team that has struggled from deep — the worst three-point shooting outfit in the NBA by percentage — the cold snap was a familiar frustration. Saturday’s 19-point home loss to New Orleans was about defense. This one was about shot quality and shot-making. The Pacers must find another pressure release late, whether it’s a post touch, a drive-and-kick wrinkle, or a secondary action to free Siakam or Nembhard when the first look dies.

“Pacers can’t live at the arc if the arc won’t love them back.”

Numbers that tell the story

• Quarter-by-quarter swing: IND 35-26 (Q1), IND 26-17 (Q2), BOS 31-21 (Q3). Indiana still led 82-74 heading to the fourth, but Boston won the final frame with stops and free throws.
• Boston team line: 38/89 FG, 11/37 3PT, 16/19 FT, 38 rebounds, 16 turnovers.
• Indiana’s three-point tale: 12/20 in the first half; 1/20 in the second half.
• Top scorers: Jaylen Brown 31 (14 in the fourth), Derrick White 19, Payton Pritchard 11, Anfernee Simons 11; Pascal Siakam 25, Andrew Nembhard 20.

Context and what’s next

This comeback also doubled as a loud wellness check for Boston’s star wing. Brown missed the previous game against Toronto with an illness — a night when Pritchard stepped up with 33. Back in the lineup, Brown was the finisher Boston needed, while White kept the offense organized. Mazzulla’s midgame gamble to sit his top group at 69-49 will draw debate, but the response he got is hard to argue with.

For the Celtics, the win reinforces a simple identity: defend hard, rebound, and trust their top guys to close. They won despite a below-average night from three. That matters in April and May.

For the Pacers, five straight losses sting, especially after leading by double digits on the road. The task is clear: stabilize late-game offense when the three dries up, and add more reliable looks for Siakam and Nembhard in crunch time.

In a league built on runs, Boston found the last one — and the right one. On a cold winter night, Jaylen Brown brought the heat.