Monday 22 April 2019 06:43, UK
The Boston Celtics completed a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, using key baskets from Marcus Morris and Gordon Hayward to hold on for a 110-106 victory on Sunday.
The fourth-seeded Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks-Detroit Pistons series, which the Bucks lead 3-0.
Meanwhile, the loss ended Indiana's season in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. The Pacers, who also were swept by Cleveland in 2017, took the Cavaliers to a Game 7 in the opening round last year.
The fourth quarter featured four ties, the last of which occurred at 82-all when Jayson Tatum made the first of two free throws with 6:45 remaining after a flagrant foul on Cory Joseph. Tatum also made the second shot for a one-point lead, and the Celtics never trailed again.
The lead was just 84-83 before Morris connected on a three-pointer to create a four-point margin. Hayward followed with a three-point play, pushing the margin to 90-83 with just 4:24 to go and Indiana never got closer than four the rest of the way.
Seven Celtics scored in double figures, paced off the bench by Hayward who had 20 points. Morris and Tatum finished with 18 points apiece, while Al Horford and Kyrie Irving had 14 each, Jaylen Brown 13 and Terry Rozier 11 for the Celtics, who recorded their first series sweep since rolling past the New York Knicks in the first round in 2011.
The Celtics outshot the Pacers 46.2 percent to 40.9 and outscored Indiana 33-30 on three-pointers.
Bojan Bogdanovic was the game's top scorer with 22 points for Indiana, who topped 100 points for the first time in the series.
Tyreke Evans had 21 points, Darren Collison 19, Domantas Sabonis 14 and Myles Turner 13 for the Pacers, who entered the postseason as the fifth-seeded team in the East.
