4 takeaways as Celtics blow out Pacers, finish odd NBA scheduling quirk

BOSTON — The Celtics blew out the Pacers 119-104 on Wednesday at TD Garden, never letting the result come into doubt. The C’s improved to 27-16 on the season while the Pacers dropped to 10-35.

The Celtics went up by 23 points, threatening to blow out the Pacers in the first half. It was boosted by a perfect 16-for-16 showing at the free throw line by halftime. The C’s got to the paint consistently and generated fouls to put pressure on the Pacers.

But to Indiana’s credit, it stormed back in the third quarter. The Pacers went on an 11-0 run to at least make the Celtics work for the victory. The C’s pulled away by the final buzzer, but the Pacers didn’t go down easy despite a tough shooting night.

Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Neemias Queta added 17 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Pascal Siakam had 32 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for the Pacers.

The Celtics face the Nets at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Brooklyn for their next game. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Indiana:

Pacers struggle from the field: The Pacers had their moments, including a 32-point third quarter, but it was a struggle scoring for much of the night. Indiana shot just 39.8% from the field, including a 12-for-44 (27.3%) showing on 3-pointers. Queta was a big part of that with his shot-blocking. The Pacers came into Wednesday’s game as one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league, and they showed it as part of a tough night.

Keeping up the hot streak: Sam Hauser continues to show why he’s one of the best shooters on the planet. Hauser finished 5-for-7 on 3-pointers for 17 points, hitting a couple 3s just minutes into the game. His slump from earlier this season is firmly in the rearview mirror. Notably, Hauser has solidified the fifth starter role well with his play. The season started with Josh Minott in that role, then Jordan Walsh got an extended stretch as that fifth starter. Recent weeks have seen Hauser come in and make a consistent impact for the Celtics.

Tough shooting night, but: Payton Pritchard had a forgettable night from the field, going just 4-for-12 and 1-for-5 on his 3-pointers. But he still finished with 10 points, eight assists and five rebounds, plus just two turnovers. A main Celtics strength is their lack of turnovers, and Pritchard leads the charge in that area. He has one of the best assists-to-turnover ratios in the league, setting up his teammates while rarely making mistakes with the ball. There’s a reason why he finished a plus-26 on the night even though the shot-making wasn’t there Wednesday.

Finally done: If fans feel like the Celtics have played the Pacers a ton recently, they’re correct. The East rivals have played four times in the last 30 days. It’s a quirk of the NBA scheduling, though there hasn’t been too much bad blood between the teams. The Pacers are also in a tanking season, hoping they can nab a top pick to pair with Tyrese Haliburton once he’s back on the court. The C’s finished with a 3-1 series record against the Pacers this season, avenging their loss from last week. Yes, that was the famous game because C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said “illegal screen” six times in his postgame news conference.

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