« Return to 2003 Playoff Central

Peak Performer

Chucky Atkins has been a bright spot for the C's, Tuesday he scored 21 points in 39 minutes.

Quote Of The Night

"We’ve got to win; it’s just that plain and simple.  I think going back to our place for games three and four; the toughness of this team is going to show up." - Chucky Atkins

Play Of The Game

With 19.6 seconds left in the third, and a 69-62 lead, Chris Mihm missed two foul shots, which were followed up with an Austin Croshere three with 1.7 seconds left in the quarter, cutting the Celtics lead to 69-65.

Stat Of The Game

Offensive Rebounds: Boston 5, Indiana 15

By: Brian Gleason
Posted: April 21, 2004
Boston 90-Portland 103

---

Through three quarters at Conseco Fieldhouse the young Celtics seemed to have learned that the intensity level gets picked up a notch in the playoffs, something they learned early and often in Game 1. But the C's did not seem ready for what was going to come from the Indiana Pacers in the final frame of Game 2.

With the Celtics up 4 (69-65) entering the fourth, and primed to steal a win making this First Round rematch a series, the Pacers came out at a level that the Celtics just couldn't match. The Pacers got nearly every loose ball, got second and third shots and completely raised the intensity level, as they opened the quarter on a 20-4 run, to take a 12-point lead with just 6:44 left.

"We were not a very mature basketball team and it showed in the fourth quarter," said Celtics Head Coach John Carroll. "It's a shame because we played well until that point."

---

Many of the Celtics left Conseco Fieldhouse with a very bad taste in their mouth. It's one thing to lose a big game in the fourth quarter on the road, but it's another to get embarrassed, and that's what many Celtics felt.

After Paul Pierce hit a jumper to cut the Pacers lead to 13 (100-87) with just 55.6 seconds left Pacers coach Rick Carlisle called a 20-second timeout. Something the Celtics felt was not needed.

Out of the timeout Pacers reserve guard Fred Jones, who had just thrown down a thunderous dunk prior to Pierce's jumper, knocked down a three, putting the Pacers up by 16 with just 35.9 seconds remaining. Ricky Davis, who was not happy at all, told the Boston Herald "Guys take it real personal. We'll get it back in Boston. Maybe that (giving hard fouls) is what we need to do, start making it tougher on them. Maybe we should just say no layups. You've got guys getting wide-open dunks, and you can't have that in the playoffs."

---

The Celtics are now in a difficult position, down 0-2, against the team with the best record in the NBA, but now the Celtics must simply get better and take it one game at a time.

Only three times in Celtics history have the C's lost the first two games of a seven game playoff series on the road. In those three series the Celtics came back to win the series just once, but it was a big one. Coming back from 0-2 to defeat the rival Los Angeles Lakers in the 1968 NBA Finals.