Celtics 133, Pacers 128: Brown's 40 Points Lead Boston to 2-0 East Finals Lead

Celtics inch closer to NBA finals berth

Brown dominates with game-high 40 points

The Boston Celtics took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 133-128 in overtime. Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics with a game-high 40 points, while Jayson Tatum added 29 points and 12 rebounds.

The Pacers were led by Domantas Sabonis, who had 30 points and 20 rebounds. Myles Turner added 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Malcolm Brogdon had 22 points.

The Celtics led by as many as 14 points in the first half, but the Pacers fought back to tie the game at 62-62 at halftime. The Pacers took a 93-89 lead with 9:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics rallied to tie the game at 99-99 with 2:06 remaining.

In overtime, the Celtics took control of the game. Brown scored the first five points of overtime, and the Celtics never trailed again. The Celtics hit 13 of 17 free throws in overtime, while the Pacers hit just 2 of 5.

The Celtics will now have a chance to close out the series in Game 3 on Wednesday night in Indiana. The Pacers will need to win Game 3 to keep their season alive.