Boston Celtics recover from bad first half, beat Indiana Pacers 103-95 (PHOTOS)

It was a tale of two halves for the Boston Celtics in their 103-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden this past Monday (Dec. 22) night. The Pacers punched the Celtics squarely in the mouth in the game’s first half, shooting 60% from beyond the arc despite being the team that turns to that sort of offense less than any other ball club in the NBA.

But in the second half, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla electing to bench his starters after they came out with the same low energy they showed in the first two quarters paid major dividends as Anfernee Simons (11 points), Hugo Gonzalez (6 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) and Luka Garza (6 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, and 1 block) combined to chip away at the Pacers’ lead enough for the starters to return and put the game away.

Let’s take a look at some of the best plays from the game captured in images.

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) drives to the basket while Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) reacts towards the official during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) gets fouled by Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) controls the ball while Boston Celtics guard Baylor Scheierman (55) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) controls the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Johnny Furphy (12) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) dunks the ball during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) defends Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) passes the ball during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) controls the ball while Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dec 22, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives to the basket past Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images