On Saturday evening, the Boston Celtics narrowly defeated the Indiana Pacers with a score of 114-111 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite playing without their All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and leading by as many as 18 points, the Pacers couldn’t maintain their advantage as the Celtics outscored them 33-21 in the fourth quarter.
Following the game, NBA legend and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley discussed the Celtics’ performance on the NBA on TNT. Barkley highlighted the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed the last nine games and hasn’t played since the first round of the playoffs. Porzingis, in his first year with the Celtics, had an impressive regular season, averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range.
Although the Celtics have managed well without Porzingis so far, Barkley noted that his absence could become a significant issue if they reach the NBA Finals. Game 4 of the series is scheduled for Monday evening in Indiana. The winner of this series will advance to the NBA Finals to face either the Dallas Mavericks or the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This appearance marks the Celtics’ third consecutive trip to the Conference Finals and their sixth in the past eight seasons. Over his nine-season career, Porzingis has also played for the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks.
