The Pacers had a three-point lead and the ball with 10 seconds to go and lost. Head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game that it's his fault the team lost.
“This loss is totally on me. With 10 seconds in regulation, we should’ve just taken the timeout, advanced the ball, found a way to get it in, made a free throw or two, and ended the game.”
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 22, 2024
Coach Rick Carlisle following the Game 1 loss pic.twitter.com/2h69Yn2WFg
Carlisle regretted not taking a timeout with the Pacers leading in regulation. Instead, the Pacers lost the ball out of bounds on the inbounds play, giving the Celtics a chance to tie, which they did, and then win in overtime, which they did. Boston won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals 133-128.
Indiana's coach may also regret not fouling before Boston's final attempt at a game-winner. The Pacers had the chance to send a Celtic to the free-throw line for two shots instead of allowing for the chance of a tying three-ball. While Jaylen Brown deserves all the credit in the world for sinking such a difficult shot, some would argue that the Pacers never should have given him the chance.
JAYLEN BROWN TIES THE GAME AT 117!
— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2024
5 SECONDS REMAINING IN GAME 1 ON ESPN #NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/QS6b3v8Kjy
On the Pacers' final possession of regulation, they seemed to barely run a play, though they did successfully pass the ball in. The ball went to Tyrese Haliburton, who was asked to beat Derrick White and Jayson Tatum, seemingly with no backup plan.
GAME 1 IS HEADED TO OVERTIME! #NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/XN5Q2hLG22
— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2024
The Pacers will have lots of regrets after missing a chance to steal Game 1 and home-court advantage from the Celtics. Their coach might have the most of all.
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