Celtics take 2-0 lead over Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton exits early; Oilers win Game 1 in double overtime

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🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

THE BOSTON CELTICS

This was the sport Celtics followers had been nervous about, and for good purpose. Boston — an exquisite, highly effective basketball machine — had misplaced three straight Recreation 2s, seemingly at all times discovering a approach to solid some doubt on its excellence.

Not this time. After trailing early, the Celtics ripped off a 20-0 run to take the lead from the Pacers, in the end cruising to a 126-110 Game 2 win two days after a miraculous Game 1 victory.

Jaylen Brown tied a playoff career-high with 40 factors, and it is clear Indiana would not have a superb choice to sluggish him down. Then once more, when Brown is on the peak of his powers, nobody does. He attacked relentlessly (11 free throws), completed robust on the rim and nailed 4 3-pointers. Add in 23 every from Jayson Tatum and Derrick White and 14 factors (on 6-for-7 capturing) and 10 assists by Jrue Vacation, and also you see the easiest of a workforce that dominated all common season.

Additionally encouraging for the Celtics? They closed out the game on fire offensively, Jack Maloney notes.

• Maloney: “They shot 26 of 40 from the sector, together with 9 of 19 from downtown, and turned it over simply thrice. Whereas the Celtics could be susceptible to lackadaisical stretches the place they stand round and get sloppy with the ball, we noticed none of that after the break. A two-minute stretch within the fourth quarter, after that they had already constructed a 17-point lead, was their longest scoring drought of the half.”

👍 Honorable mentions

🤕 And never such a superb morning for …

THE INDIANA PACERS

Two nights after throwing away a golden opportunity, the Pacers received crushed. Now, issues get even more durable: Tyrese Haliburton left Game 2 with left hamstring soreness and didn’t return. Rick Carlisle mentioned Haliburton’s hamstring had been bothering him at halftime, however he needed to provide it a go. That clearly backfired.

Hamstrings are difficult, and Haliburton is aware of that each one too effectively. He missed 10 video games through the common season with a left hamstring pressure, and he nonetheless hasn’t persistently gotten again to his pre-injury type.

The Pacers have outscored opponents by 59 factors this postseason with Haliburton on the ground, however they’ve been outscored by 35 with him on the bench.

Sure, the Pacers went down 2-0 to the Knicks final sequence. However the Knicks had been operating out of our bodies then and misplaced much more because the sequence progressed. The Celtics, then again, are solely prone to get stronger ought to Kristaps Porzingis return.

It was at all times going to be an enormous ask for Indiana to upset Boston. One workforce was sixth within the East. The opposite was first in the whole NBA. The Pacers wanted a number of issues to go their means. It is not over, however after shedding Recreation 1 in heartbreaking style and shedding Recreation 2
and probably their finest participant, the Pacers are seeing issues decidedly not go their means.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏒 Connor McDavid lifts Oilers in double additional time

Minutes after lacking a game-winning likelihood, Connor McDavid wasn’t about to let historical past repeat itself. The Oilers‘ celebrity redirected an Evan Bouchard move previous Jake Oettinger simply 32 seconds into the second additional time to provide Edmonton a 3-2 Game 1 win over the Stars. 

McDavid endured a tough first additional time. Early, he dedicated a double-minor penalty, which the guests survived. Late within the interval, he appeared to have an open internet however was denied by a heroic effort from Oettinger and Chris Tanev.

In becoming type, McDavid not solely redeemed himself however snapped a five-game goalless streak. Austin Nivison has more.

• Nivison: “Issues regarded awfully shaky for Edmonton early within the first additional time interval. McDavid received referred to as for a double-minor for high-sticking Matt Duchene, and the Stars had been buzzing. Nevertheless, the Oilers’ red-hot penalty kill and goaltender Stuart Skinner had been capable of climate that storm and keep alive.”

Edmonton roared to a two-goal lead early within the second interval behind targets from Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, however Tyler Seguin halved the deficit shortly thereafter and tied the sport late within the third. It proved to be all for naught for Dallas, although. The Stars will look to even issues tomorrow.

🏀 Cavaliers’ teaching candidates after firing J.B. Bickerstaff

Apparently, incomes the franchise’s first playoff sequence win since LeBron James is not adequate: The Cavaliers fired J.B. Bickerstaff on Thursday. He had a 170-159 file and two playoff journeys in four-plus seasons in Cleveland.

As we detailed in yesterday afternoon’s e-newsletter, there was some behind-the-scenes drama which will have contributed to Bickerstaff’s departure — frustration with the offense and follow construction, points with the entrance workplace, and so on. — however this can be a essential and probably league-shaping hiring course of for Cleveland.

• Donovan Mitchell is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. If he would not signal one, he’ll be a free agent subsequent offseason, and Cleveland might discover buying and selling him earlier than he will get there.
• There might be motion elsewhere, too: Mitchell and fellow offensive-minded guard Darius Garland occupy two backcourt spots, whereas an Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen entrance line is likewise a bit too comparable. Cleveland desperately wants an added scoring punch after ending 14th out of 16 groups in playoff offensive score.
• The Mitchell-Garland-Allen-Mobley foursome performed in simply 28 regular-season video games collectively.

So whoever is available in needs to be somebody Mitchell believes in and somebody who has an answer for some redundancy among the many workforce’s finest gamers. Sam Quinn has a list of potential candidates, together with …

• Quinn: “James Borrego is likely one of the early front-runners for the job … Although his file did not mirror it, he was very well-regarded throughout his stint as head coach of the Hornets. … He’s a inventive basketball thinker snug taking part in unorthodox lineups, which can be a necessity given Cleveland’s roster issues, but he is an skilled head coach who will not want time to acclimate to the job.”

💰 Winners, losers, takeaways from Home v. NCAA settlement

It is formally a brand new period in faculty athletics. The NCAA Board of Governors and each Energy 5 convention agreed to settlement terms within the landmark Home v. NCAA lawsuit. As we wrote in yesterday’s newsletter, it had been all however a certainty, however the SEC and the soon-to-be-defunct Pac-12 joined in to finish issues Thursday.

Listed here are some main factors:

• The revenue-sharing system will start as quickly as the autumn of 2025. Energy 4 faculties might pay athletes $20 million-plus yearly.
• Former athletes will likely be compensated for prior restrictions on NIL earnings. The NCAA pays practically $280 million yearly.
• Scholarship limits might be lifted whereas roster sizes get lowered.
• Group of 5 faculties and non-revenue sports activities might wrestle to remain afloat, because the power-conference faculties are anticipated to hunt much more benefits (and could have pure benefits given their athletics income).

Shehan Jeyarajah has key takeaways, however the largest is the rich — after getting poorer — get richer.

• Jeyarajah: “The Huge Ten, SEC win once more — In keeping with paperwork obtained by Yahoo Sports activities, power-conference faculties are anticipated to fork up as a lot as $30 million per yr over the subsequent 10 years to cowl revenue-sharing distribution, again damages and expanded scholarship prices. If you happen to surprise why Texas and Oklahoma went to the SEC, whereas USC and UCLA defected to the Huge Ten, the potential price of litigation performed a big function. An enormous new Huge Ten tv contract might basically absolutely cowl the price of the brand new actuality for the Trojans and Bruins.”

David Cobb has full winners and losers, and let’s not overlook: The gamers are the most important winners.

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

🏒 Recreation 2: Panthers at Rangers, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Recreation 2: Mavericks at Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m. on TNT

Saturday

🏀 Liberty at Lynx, 1 p.m. on CBS
⚾ Cubs at Cardinals or Dodgers at Reds, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
🏒 Recreation 2: Oilers at Stars, 8 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Solar at Sky, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Community
🏀 Recreation 3: Celtics at Pacers, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Fever at Aces, 9 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Marlins at Diamondbacks, 10:10 p.m. on FS1

Sunday

🏒 Recreation 3: Rangers at Panthers, 3 p.m. on ABC
⚾ Cubs at Cardinals, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Recreation 3: Timberwolves at Mavericks, 8 p.m. on TNT