FIRST TAKE | Celtics are Championship team – Shannon Sharpe on Boston ONE win from NBA Finals (3-0)

FIRST TAKE | Celtics are Championship team – Shannon Sharpe on Boston ONE win from NBA Finals (3-0)

beaten on the road in the playoffs Pacers hadn’t lost at home this postseason but they had a hole in their lineup all NBA point guard Tyrese halberton out with a hamstring injury so Indiana had to try to find a way to keep from falling into a three- game hole without him as you probably know no NBA team has ever come back from down three games to win a playoff series tries to drive against holiday but holiday picks his pocket and he’s fouled by seaka with 1.7 to go what a play from holiday take a listen of holiday earlier on sports are talking about that steal honestly I just made a play I just made a play um I I feel like he’s a right-hand driver so I jumped on that side met a play and got a Ste holiday would make both free throws put the Celtics up three 14 for Holiday Four on Monday being down 10 on the road in a playoff game should not be anything other than like normaly uh and so we just had to normalize it we had to normalize the situation we were in and uh Al’s Poise and and Leadership uh and I think every they show that as well I mean we believe we we believe that we still could win this game it’s damn sure not time to to to to give up um or even you know have that thought creep into your mind we that never we never thought that and any time out that we had any guy that was on their Court um you know we knew that we could play better and if we did play better we would give oursel a chance uh and that was just the mindset throughout the game again Tatum 36 points 10 rebounds eight assists leading his team in all three categories this a six game Tatum led the Celtics in points rebounds and assists this postseason that’s tied with Larry Bird in 1984 for the most such games in a postseason in Celtics history Pacers nearly won game one in Boston and they blew a big lead in game three and now they’ll have to try to Buck history so proud of our guys and how they competed from start to fif finish um and uh you know this our thing all year has been just compete level and bring everything you can and and all that and uh and they did um there were a lot of things out there that I disagreed with that you know I think any Indiana fan would disagree with but we’re going to be undeterred we’re going to be back here Monday night looking to extend the series and uh we’re going to come at even harder you know we have to we have to we don’t have a choice to this point we’ve had an incredible season and and like no one nobody want to see it end so we’re going to fight to the end and um you know I think the guys for us is just let’s get one game oh we knew this thing was going to be a very daunting task yeah without Tyrese halberton who is the uh all NBA player the allstar and the Pacers led the game until the very end but the Celtics and Drew holiday gets a three-point play on one end to give him a one-point lead strips the ball from Nim hard on the other end uh uh uh and get hits two free throws and so they end up winning the game 114 to 111 uh the Boston Celtics Trail much of the uh the entirety of the game the last time they LED until they took the lead for good they LED 3231 I don’t really know what else the Pacers can do oo because they they can’t play any better Pascal seum had 22 points uh Miles Turner had 22 points and 10 rebounds uh uh Nim hard he had 32 points yeah uh TJ McConnell came off the bench he gave he gave you 23 points so they had four guys with 20 plus points they shot 50% from the floor but Boston wins the three-point line again Boston wins the free throw line again and that’s the difference in the ball game and plus the Pacers had some untimely turnovers you’ve got when you’re playing a team that that’s better than you yeah there’s no way around it your their five is better than your five you can dig back into the game when you bring your bench in because we know the type of bench that the Pacers possess right but the starting five from the for the Celtics are better than the starting five for the uh Indiana Pacers and you can’t turn the ball over oo uh uh Miles Turner had five turnovers uh if you look at the points off off of turnover let me go to the team stats right quick I’ll give you that I’m let you chime in and see uh tell me what you thought uh points off turnover Boston had 20 and they so you’re gonna give them 20 points off your turnovers yeah you’re gonna lose the three-point line uh you lost they got they’re plus 33 from the three uh three-point line they’re plus uh they shot what 12 more free throws they made six more free throws so that’s 39 points that they’re better than you well when you throw in and and you got 13 off their turnover so seven so that’s 40 That’s 46 points yeah that you gave up Pacers so I I think it’s GNA be a sweep oo I think this series is over Monday and Boston is gonna have a a rest uh for an extended period of time for an opportunity to get uh Kristoff ringas back healthy what you take from the game tonight oo I mean listen first off the Pacers love run up and down up and down up and down up and down up and down the court yes they only had five threes tonight normally you know I for I forgot you might know the quote a little better than me you cut the head off a snake the rest of the body dies yes so I’m thinking well they showed other other than that tonight no no halberton the night but again everybody else stepped up and played Superior ball they like like you said they LED most of the game and the turnovers is what killed them the turnover man goddamn Nim hard man was phenom phal Miles Turner was phenomenal seak was phenomenal the turnovers hurt yep the turnovers hurt but it was a good game I was hoping I was hoping they could they could have held on and won tonight’s game but obiously I think the Celtics were a little bit a little bit just a little bit too much and I mean their starting five is is better the better than the pce are starting five and with the absence of T Tyler halberton Hal Tyrese Tyrese halberton it makes it that much more difficult but they played with some hard tonight man and show they they could almost get it done but it’s just not enough I’m sure Pacer fans believe they should be up 2-1 they were in a very similar situation in game one had the game one and they smashed de feat from the jaws of Victory right in the night’s game they’re up they’re up eight points late in the fourth fourth yeah they’re up as many as 18 they’re up by at they’re up by eight in the fourth quarter and the turnovers and the mistakes and the defensive assignments leaving guys un un uh uh you leave Al Horford for a wide openen three you see he has the three ball yes he has the three ball going you can’t continously make those St mistakes right it’s the mistakes at the most inopportune times because you can’t say all mistakes are not created equal right when you if I turn the ball over in the first quarter or if I throw a pick in the first quarter I could that’s not the same as a pick to end the game that’s not the same as a pick late in the ball game that’s not the same even though it’s it’s still an interception and it goes on your it goes on you uhh against you yeah but they’re not the same turnovers Mis defensive assignments they don’t weigh the same they weigh more according to where we are in the course of the ball game right and that’s uh when I look at it and watch this game very very closely that was the difference in the ball game Jason Tatum had it going tonight hey uh he had 36 12 of 23 five of 10 he didn’t shoot the free throws very well I know he’s very disappointed about that but he had an outstanding game he was 361 and eight with a steal and two blocks he he must have watched the show he must he must have watched the show because we just talked about Jason Tatum not showing up and Jaylen Brown being the better player throughout not just this series but the playoffs in general and all of a sudden Jason Tatum say hold my beer yeah and came out and showed the hell out tonight yeah JB didn’t play Bad have he GNA have to play like that consistently especially once you get to this next once you get to this this damn finals yes uh Jaylen Brown had 24 points he was 10 of 18 one of five uh Derek white was three of 11 two of eight five of six from the free throw line holiday was four of 10 he didn’t shoot the three ball well he was perfect from the fou line played outstanding defense where he absolutely needed to Al Horford was the difference in the ball game because time after time he made timely three after Timely after timely three he’s seven of 12 from the three he had 23 points excuse me and Jason Tatum has 36 10 and eight almost a triple double but the difference in the ball game and you look at the Pacers bench you got 23 from McConnell you got a you got a Duce from uh so you got 23 25 27 you got 31 points from your bench you outscored them from the bench points 31 to four and that’s how Pacers beat you they they’re able to bring guys off the bench I love McConnell’s game yeah Bo he’s he’s tough he can make big time shots he going to play outstanding defense yes he’s under sized what he lacks and and and what your physical traits he more than makes up with heart and desire and determination but I thought the Pacers had this game I thought they could make this a series uh I don’t think there’s anybody out there with the exception of Boston fans that don’t think the Pacers should be up 21 right now Boston fans like nah n blah you know but I believe they should be up 21 uh and I the think the thing is oo when you look at it people are saying Rick Carly should have called a timeout when they got that rebound right he should have called a timeout but I understand why he didn’t because he didn’t want Boston to set up their defense right A lot of times when you call a timeout you’re gonna allow a team to set a defense to you you let them regroup everybody’s he Health to Skelter they’re you know all over the place but give holiday credit he’s a strong guy and once he feels you make contact with his la body he’s going to reach in with the Poke yeah and he got it out he made an outstanding play and so uh give him credit for that I don’t have a problem with Carla not calling a timeout maybe Nim hard needed to slow it down but I understand he’s like well they’re Health to Skelter that you dispersed see that that clock that clock that clock running you know how many times is n hard been in that situation where the clock is going down normally the ball in that situation would be in someone else’s hand yeah you hope you hope it would in halton’s hand yeah but think about it Nim hard knows that the clock he’s under the gun from the clock guess who else knows that holiday holiday he knows he’s got to do something suddenly also so now he gets to play like oh you got to make a move here and once you go behind your back well I know you want to go in that direction that’s the reason you put the ball behind your back you no longer want to go in the Direction with your left hand you put it behind your back to try to get to your shooting hand well he knows that he reaches in he gets the poke out and he made an outstanding play uh I like I said I don’t know if the Pacers can play any better than what they played tonight I don’t see it oo I don’t see it you got four guys with at least 20 plus points you shoot almost 51% from the floor the only thing is the three ball is killing you you’re five or 22 they’re 20 uh 23% from the three the uh Celtics are 35% but they’re 16 of 46 so that’s a plus 33 from the three-point line and they’re plus six as far as makes from the free throw line yeah plus the 20 points that you get plus your minus seven you were down in the uh uh uh points off turnover I just don’t see how they play any better than what they played tonight Jo the the only thing they can do is get those four individuals that played very well tonight to keep to keep that same momentum going to the game and then and then be able to hit the threes and eliminate the turnovers and then they’ll

FIRST TAKE | Celtics are Championship team – Shannon Sharpe on Game 3 Boston ONE win from NBA Finals after Game 3 def. Pacers 114-111