The Boston Celtics completed one of their most dramatic comebacks of the season on Monday night, rallying from 20 points down to defeat the Indiana Pacers 103–95 at TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter, providing the offensive surge that flipped the game after Boston trailed for most of the night.
The Celtics entered the final period down 82–74, then opened the quarter on an 11–2 run to take their first lead since the opening half. Brown’s reverse layup capped that stretch and shifted momentum decisively toward the home side.
Indiana briefly answered when Andrew Nembhard converted a three-point play to tie the game at 91 with 3:49 remaining. Boston responded with timely execution, highlighted by Brown’s off-balance three-pointer in front of the bench that made it 96–91 with 2:25 left.
Derrick White added 19 points for Boston, while Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons each scored 11. The Celtics improved to 18–11 and extended their winning streak to three games despite struggling from deep for long stretches.
Boston’s rally came after a disjointed first half in which the Pacers controlled the tempo and spacing. Indiana shot 60 percent from three-point range before halftime and carried a 61–43 lead into the break.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 25 points, while Nembhard added 20. The Pacers’ offense stalled after halftime, however, as they missed 19 of 20 three-point attempts in the second half.
That shooting regression proved decisive against a Boston team that entered the night ranked second in the league in made three-pointers per game. The Celtics were just 5-of-18 from beyond the arc in the first half but generated consistent pressure inside late.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters midway through the third quarter with the Pacers ahead 69–49, a move that preceded a gradual shift in energy. Brown and White reentered late in the period as the Celtics trimmed the deficit to eight entering the fourth.
The loss was Indiana’s fifth straight and dropped the Pacers to 6–23. It also delayed Rick Carlisle’s pursuit of his 1,000th career NBA coaching victory, leaving him at 999.
Boston finished the night shooting 43 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle 49–36, helping offset Indiana’s early perimeter success.
The Pacers will host Milwaukee on Tuesday, while the Celtics travel to Indiana for a rematch on Friday.
