Celtics Avoid Disaster in Game 1 Win Over Pacers | The Bill Simmons Podcast 

I hate the 4th quarter Tatum high-post with a passion. When I saw them try to mirror it with JB on the other wing, I almost turned the TV off.

The Cs have given away so many games over the years, nice to be on the otherside of it for once 😂

Love Bill's discussions! Just simple, point-of-fact analysis, without the "narrative pushing" or drama.

One thing that was so weird about the turnover leading to OT. They kept replaying looking for fingertips but... IT DIDN'T GO OUT OF BOUNDS UNTIL THE SECOND BOUNCE WHEN SIAKEM GRABBED IT Drove me crazy lol

The Celtics are too analytics based, they made it to the finals with elite defense. And I didn't know what it is but people hate giving Jaylen Brown credit😂

It's interesting the last few years both Turner and towns had almost zero trade value and now both are important cogs in the conference finals....I didn't understand why teams didn't want big athletic sweet shooting bigs that let you play 5 out basketball

Big Al playing 40 minutes is wild.

Such a chaotic series of events in the final minutes of regulation..

Tillman wasn't available for the game, his father passed away. Joe may have used him if he were there, who knows.

Indiana can't guard without fouling, pretty simple. The refs missed a call on first play of game on Jaylen dunk and then Mazulla had to challenge a goaltend 40 seconds in and took away a Celtics fast break

I don't think this will go well for the Pacers if Tatum continues to shoot more free throws than the entire Pacers team. I wonder how many times in NBA history a player has taken 23 shots, had 12 rebounds and 7 assists in 42 minutes and was 0/0 on free throws. Interesting stat for Siakam last night.

KOC looks like he’s gonna cry 🤣🤣🤣🤣

is anyone in the media gonna discuss how the bench blew multiple double digit leads every time Tatum sat? this has been the case for years, the team can't do anything without him out there. or are we just gonna focus on 6 mins Tatum was bad instead of the other majority of the time where he dominated the game

I just started watching Bill one day and ever since he’s become one of my favorite podcast voices on RU-vid

22 turn overs will kill u

Bill is on point. I felt fear in my gut with plenty of time left in the fourth. At no point after the first quarter, I felt confident about winning the game.

the vibes around the celtics are super weird. the pressure on them is real. you can tell everyone expects them in the finals including the players and they dont play super free. i think they'll beat indy but they need a phil jackson meditation session type thing lol

I noticed TATUM A lot of standing around not engaged at all at times. Not crashing offense glass.

Finally a good analysis of this game!

Awesome analysis

Celtics got a scare but in a good way for Boston. You know, every game the Celtics can buy Porzingis increases their odds at an NBA title.

Imagine if Porzingis took the shots that Horford was taking. I have to believe he makes 3-4 more of the threes and this game becomes a walk. On top of it, Porzingis would have stopped some of the scoring that Horford allowed in isolation

Why did all the postgame act as if Tatum didn’t show up!? Dude had 36 points and whenever he sat down the team fell apart. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills 🤷‍♂️ A quiet 36? Wtf?

Pacers arent scared.

Tatum last 5 games: 30-11-6, 2.2 steals, 46% FG, 30% 3P, 91% FT (9 attempts) He hasn’t been shooting it well but his shot is coming around and JT has been doing so many other things well. This guy is the most unfairly criticized star in the league for what he has already accomplished at 26 years of age. Ignorant fans and analysts think his teams have been loaded since his rookie year. Which ones? The ones in which either an aging and injured Kemba Walker was the third option or the ones in which offensive savant Marcus Smart was the third option? This is the first loaded team Tatum and Brown have taken into the postseason.

Aww look at KOC takin a page from Wos' book and learning to laugh at most things that Bill says

I was shocked Mazz called those timeouts at the end of regulation and OT. He’s normally so hesitant to call those late timeouts.

The Celtics took the heat’s and cav’s best shot and lost one game. The Celtics took the pacer’s best shot and won. Clean sweep coming.

loaded video saw KOC closed out of video

Pacers coughed up a hairball. Two Haliburton TOs, one unforced, then idiot shot. That's young team error.

Haliburton looked like a new born baby deer in the clutch. Seemed like the pressure had him losing the ball and falling over

Siakam literally hit the ball out of bounds after it was tipped off his hands. I don't know why people were so focused on the tipped ball, it was the most obvious call in the world after he literally hit it into the stands

Halliburton although a great player per ESPN graphics was 0-5 from the field with 2 Turn Overs when guarded by Jrue Holiday. Joe Mazzulla needs to make SERIOUS adjustments for game 2. ☘️☘️☘️☘️💚💚💚💚🍀🍀🍀🍀 #18

This would be a good series for Tillman

I heard the audio mix in arena from ESPN was bad and you just weren't hearing very much of the crowd.

Siakam-Haliburton pick and roll was very effective.

Can we get some better cameras ?

I just want it noted KOC says Boston is more aggressive at attacking the basket than the Pacers, that’s a reason why the free throw disparity was so great. Literally the sentence prior he talks about the 1% difference between the teams and their shots at the basket. Pacers choked unquestionably, but the refs kept Boston in the game throughout.

JT was +20 and no other player even close. If it was Ant / Luka , it would have been at least 7 minutes drooling

Celtics hadn’t played in a week, Halliburton hit multiple 40-foot buzzer beaters, C’s bench was off…and the Celtics still won. this was the Pacers’ best shot to make it a series - not saying it’s a sweep but I don’t think it’ll end up that close

I really hope Mazzulla is saving the small ball move for later if the series is going wrong. Kornet is not playable this series and Horford barely.

Do Bill and KFC really not know that Tillman wasn’t there due to the death of his father? Their point stands, but last night he wasn’t available.

I left this game thinking NO WAY Celtics beating whoever comes out the WEST.

Let's hope KP gets healthy soon and in rythm before the finals because boston's not winning against minnesota in the finals. They've looked fragile all year

The C’s have had a ton of rest as well because they took care of business for each round. I think they had rust and they were a bit disorganized.

We had Tillman for two weeks after trading for him and he barely played. Oshae is an energy guy. PLAY THEM!

Can’t think of the game but the rebound Brown got to win the game and he has the black face mask is his biggest shot

When did KOC shave

The Celtics showed that they have the heart of a champion

This game was a classic one team had 2 days rest versus the other having 6 days off. Indiana was still in Game 7 mode while Boston was playing themselves back into rhythm. This series is closer without KP but they can’t have Kornett out there

I think they’ll keep trying to draw Horford in the pick and rolls. This series will be close in score throughout I believe.

Hali dribbling into holiday with score tied just to get defended from taking a clean 3 is overlooked bone head play

Haliburton with some terrible turnovers at the end of regulation to let Boston back into the game. One just dribbling it up court and losing it with no pressure, and one with Holiday putting a little pressure but he just loses the handle again out of bounds. You can't just give the game away when you had it in the bag. Terrible way to learn.

Halliburton was so bad when it really counted

One of the biggest choke jobs in recent playoff history. Absolutely pathetic. Successfully inbound the ball, just once in the final 15 seconds, you win.

After JB hit that 3. The Celtics had the win once Neismith got his 6th foul. I haven’t heard anyone say it but is it any secret as to why Tatum was good in OT? Cause Neismith wasn’t there guarding him. JT needs to figure out how to score with Neismith in the game

Not saying we saw PJ being this important of a player for the Mavs. But yeah a lot people saw that getting PJ was huge

Thought was watching deja vu from Heat series from last year, as total coaching mismatch with Mazzulla again looking like deer in headlights. Also the fact that Horford is old and is just on fumes again. He killed Celtics last year too again like last year versus Heat. Great steal by Celtics and Pacers missed big opportunity.

yall gotta get better cameras fr lmao.

Yo!!! The Hali turnover didn't cost them any points! It was bad, yes, but the Celtics burnt 15 seconds and failed to score on their end. The inbound failure was the play... obviously

At the 24 minute of this YT, referring up JB feeling like he has to 'take over', is this JB's Marcus Smart moment? I was surprised D White had an untypical couple of turnovers. However I'm never surprised that J & J are loose with the ball and t throw the ball away. Makes me crazy, b/c those two are better than that. Right?! 🤔

This situation the Pacers are in reminds me A LOT of GSW vs. SAS back in the 12-13 playoffs. GSW should've won that game, easily, in regulation, and then lost in heartbreaking fashion in OT.. Everyone thought they'd get beat by like 20+ in gm2 but they actually won that game, lol (Klay went 8/9 from 3 for 34pts and 14rebs).. SAS won in 6, but it could've been MUCH different had GSW held on in game 1.. Maybe they make it to the WCF or further.. Maybe Jackson's at a point where he's too successful to get fired, so they keep it in-house.. Kerr never goes to GS.. Takes the Knicks job instead (was on the table for him, but Steph was too good to pass up, lol).. KD probably never ends up in GS either (the offense would NEVER get to the efficiency level of Kerr under Jackson. Jackson was too old school. Slow-paced, grind em down, 90's basketball. They were LAST in the league in assists per game and went to #1 in Kerr's first year, lol.. So, they'd never win 73 games and be a #1 seed in the West.. Just another team with a ball dominant player battling for 3-6 seedings, lol).. Big time Butterfly Effect 'what if', imo..

I just wanna see tatum post 😭

The NBA is getting more physical and many of the older era stars are having trouble adjusting to it. In other words, Tatum and Brown are part of that soft era.

Do we have to see KOC face? Makes me queasy

3 minutes of game 1 turned from oh shit.. Pacers may be able to win the series to.. not sure the one another game now

Pacers successfully snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. 🤦‍♂

That Pacers played that bad & still took celts to OT in the garden should terrify boston fans tbh 🤷

Okay watched till the end and there I heard it and have to call BULLSHIT on Bill Simmons. He basically said "we won the conference by 12, why dont we see what we've got with the other guys" But that's what we did! We experimented on lineups and plays. We gave minutes to Tillman. We gave minutes to Brisett. We were playing weird rotations, we were playing double bigs with Horford and Tillman. We even started Jaden Springer! We were doing this to the point that we had those 4 losses and suddenly the media is concerned about the Celtics lmao. My conclusion is this, Simmons and other media have convinced themselves of certain narratives and are just looking for instance where they are proven right and ignoring everything else. AKA CONFIRMATION BIAS. What do you say now huh Simmons?

Celtics are a great team, but they don’t seem to have that go-to person or play that grinds down opponents. Peak Jokic, Peak Lebron, etc. they just get buckets at the end of close games.

The Joe Mazz bashing is ridiculous. He drew up a great play to get the JB 3. And you think he should be "experimenting" with lineups in the playoffs?? Now you think he should be doing stuff that even Kerr and Spoelstra are loathe to do. Even if Boston does win a title, people will rip Joe Mazz and it's a shame.

Im just hopin the wolves come out of the west. Not sure if i can handle luka being a champ yet

What about the bostons zone really making pacers struggle

Bostons starting 5 averaged 42mins each how dare Thibs continue to ride guys into the ground like this

Havent we figured out by now that Mazulla is a robot? Stubborn is a compliment. That implies inflexible but with some kind of true belief or passion. Robots are inflexible because flexibility is beyond their capability. Vastly overrated. Yeah the players like him. Hes like the bench player that the regulars wanna encourage and support because we're good teammates. Why does Tatum take too many threes? At least partly because he has a coach who not only allows it but encourages it instead of giving strong clear direction not to make every single game a jump shooting contest no matter whos the opponent whos hot or not. The vets have the game figured out better than the coach. Probably the assistant coaches too. When your coach has a lower basketball IQ than your players and also is their little buddy instead of an authority figure youve got a problem. Team has overwhelming talent maybe enough to overcome this handica9 but Mazulla is a handicap not an asset.

Kevin O’Cancelled still trying to find a way to get the Nuggets to sweep the Celtics.

Pacers inexperience showed up in those last minutes. The moment was too big for them.

Take??? They were given game 1, by the biggest choke I’ve seen in my life🤮

KOC had Denver crushing the Celtics

Luke Kornet has to play more minutes

Putting these last 2 Pacers games into context; Game 7 against Knicks was the greatest shooting performance in the history of the NBA. Last night was the worst loss in 51 years of Pacers NBA franchise history. Worse than taking Hibbert out and losing to a LeBron layup. Worse than the Larry Johnson 4 point play. This ranks up there with the "Bird steals the ball passes to DJ". An all timer. Pacers lost the series last night. Its just a formality now.

Bill, I have been saying all season that the only way we lose barring injury is the coach. I don't trust him

Bill you do sound liek a crazy person, but we do understand you :/

I paid siakam to keep his hands down. Gave em 50 dollars.

Weird Tatum sequence?!? Missed 4 straight at the end of the fourth and missed his first shot of OT if he didn’t make that three at the top of the key. They would’ve been toast

Celts better hope they can finish this in 5... pacers depth will wear them down by game 7

Oh, so these reporters now recognize that making the right play is the way to go instead of trying to grab the moment? Lebron got criticized for making the right play. Now, Haliburton is getting criticized for trying to take the moment. What is it, guys.

Have a bet with my friend Cs win it all.. I'm Nervous lol..

Pacers bottled this harder than a drunk dad.

Absolute most boring matchup I can ever remember in a Conference Finals. I literally don't even want to watch it which is sad after such a long season and so much promise with the Bucks, Knicks, Philly, Miami, etc.

I was looking forward to hear BS react to Boston losing game 1 like has happened before but in the end Pacers choked away and Jrue Holiday was the unsung hero Coach Joe is not too be trusted if Celtics don’t hit their3’s they can’t win another way

I am afraid that celtics are in trouble. The difference in caoching quality might be too much for them. Pacers gave away this game, but it felt as if they know what they were doing and celtics don't.

"Slightly favored" whistles ARE a big deal if the game is decided by 1 or 2 possessions. Thats how refs manipulate games:on the margins, in order to be given a reasonable doubt.

Why ain't Bill covering the second coming of MJ? Waiting for him to have a good game?

"How can they use him better" man get the fuck outta here Bill lmao Tatum pissed on himself down the stretch. The Pacers just happened to piss on themselves too

If the celtics just tighten up the defense a little bit and stop the silly turnovers they had in game 1 they win this game by double digits.

Pacers no foul when up 3? Instead Brown hits a 3 to tie.

25 to 3 FT differential at one point. RIGGED but congrats

Celtics didnt play for almost a week pacers came out of a scrappy knicks series. For the celtics to win this and not play there best. Pacers lost there opportunity to take home court. Celtics will come out with there foot on the gas in game two. Prob lose one in indy come home and win it .

Haliburton gassed out late in the game