Following a 4-2 six-game road trip that ended with a statement win against the Kings, the Celtics continued their strong stretch with a 120-95 win against the Pacers on Friday.
The Celtics shot 42.9% from behind the arc, compared to the Pacers' embarrassing 15.4% — which illustrates how the Celtics were unstoppable on both ends.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Twenty-one of those points came in the first half. The performance marks Tatum's 40th 30-point game of the season, which passes Larry Bird for the most 30-point games in a season in Celtics franchise history.
Jaylen Brown was second in scoring for the Celtics with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
"I think they are both finding a great balance of being dominant players and being team players," Joe Mazzulla said about his stars.
Third in scoring for the Celtics was Derrick White, who continues to be reliable, finishing the night with 22 points, nine assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Despite only playing 15 minutes, Rob Williams continues to show the NBA how he is one of the best defenders in the game. He finished with three steals, three blocks, eight rebounds, four points and one assist.
"Rob is the key," Brown said of Boston's big man. "We just gotta keep Rob healthy."
As for the Pacers, Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton both had 20 points and six rebounds. Haliburton, however, had nine assists compared, while Turner didn't have one. Other than Turner and Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard was the highest-scoring starter with only six points. Aaron Nesmith and Benedict Mathurin combined for a total of five points.
As for the Pacers' bench, they provided some offense, but it clearly wasn't enough to overcome Boston. Isaiah Jackson had 12 points and six rebounds. T.J. McConnell had 10 points with four rebounds with one assist.
Remaining healthy is the key for the Celtics — more specifically, Williams, as Jaylen Brown said. Much like the win in Sacramento, Friday's performance was a reminder that when everyone is at the top of their game, the Celtics are nearly impossible to beat.
