The Celtics found themselves down early, but they dominated the second quarter on their way to a blowout 140-122 win over the Pacers on Friday. The C’s won their fourth straight game as they continue to look like one of the best teams in the East.
Sam Hauser was nearly perfect on his 3-pointers, making him Friday’s “Name to Know” Player of the Game. The Name to Know Player of the Game is sponsored by John’s Sewer and Drain Cleaning, the Name to Know when your drains don’t flow.
Hauser caught fire in his 17 minutes, going 7-for-8 from the field, all 3-pointers. He finished with a season-high 23 points and four rebounds (three offensive). The Celtics finished a stellar 20-for-39 (51.3%) on 3-pointers overall Friday with Hauser being a big part of that performance.
Hauser has heated up in recent weeks, entering Friday’s game shooting 39.2% from 3 in the month of December. His latest performance will add a few more percentage points to that number. Hauser started slow and had a tough November, but he’s starting to look like the sharpshooter he’s been throughout his career.
It was all Pacers in the first quarter, building up a 15-point lead and hitting their first six 3-point attempts on the night. But the Celtics doubled them up in the second quarter, outscoring them 47-22 and breaking the game open. The C’s lead peaked at 28 points Friday as it was an impressive performance.
The Celtics got scoring across the board as they nearly scored a season-high in points. Payton Pritchard had 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Jaylen Brown had his latest 30-point night, which included four assists and four steals. Derrick White added 21 points, five rebounds and six assists.