NBA

White came alive in the second half of this game and had 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting after halftime, which resulted in a full stat line for him. White was phenomenal against Miami, but he struggled for most of the Cleveland series and in Game 1 against the Pacers. However, if this second half performance can spark something for him, they shouldn’t have any issues advancing to the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum also joined White in scoring exactly 23 points, and they’ll look to keep the offense up in Game 3 in Indiana on Saturday.

Siakam did everything he could to keep Indiana around in this game, but it didn’t end up being enough. Siakam has played really well recently and has now scored at least 20 points in five straight games, which includes the first two games of this series. That wasn’t enough to get a win in Boston, but with Tyrese Haliburton dealing with a left hamstring injury, Siakam may be forced to take on even more responsibility moving forward. This was his highest scoring performance of this postseason, and he’ll need to do even more moving forward.

Turner had a rough first half, and he entered the break with zero points, four turnovers and three fouls after playing just 12 minutes. He was better in the second half, and he didn’t add anymore turnovers or fouls. However, he only played 12 more minutes after that before Rick Carlisle pulled the plug. Turner was huge in Game 1, and even though it didn’t result in a win, it became even more clear that he is vital to their success. They’ll need him on the floor a lot more than he was in this game if they want to avoid a 3-0 hole on Saturday.

Outside of Pascal Siakam, Nembhard was really the only other Pacer that was able to get anything going offensively in this game. He had a decent performance, but what’s more important at this point is what he may have to do in their next game. Tyrese Haliburton exited early from this game due to left leg soreness, which is obviously a huge blow to their team. If Haliburton is forced to remain sidelined for Game 3 on Saturday, Nembhard and T.J. McConnell will split the duties at point guard.

Holiday did most of his work in the first half of this game, but after being relatively quiet through the first two rounds, he turned in his second straight excellent performance. After having his highest scoring game of the playoffs in Game 1, Holiday followed that up with his first double-double of this postseason. That helped them take a 2-0 lead in this series, which leaves them two wins away from the NBA Finals. This is the player that Boston traded for this summer that they hoped would put them over the edge. If he continues to play to this level, it just might work out.

Brown obviously felt like he deserved to be on an All-NBA team, and he made sure to let the league know that he felt disrespected. He got off to a hot start and scored 24 points before halftime and went on to have his highest scoring game of this postseason. He made the All-NBA second team last season, and he did receive 50 third place votes this year, which made him the last name off the ballot. His performance was huge in helping them win Game 2, which was something they didn’t do in the first two rounds of this postseason. He’ll look to keep it going in Game 3 on Saturday as the series shifts to Indiana.

The team announced that Haliburton with the team down about 20 points with eight minutes left in the fourth, and they have most of their starters on the bench. The main concern now is whether or not he’ll be available to play in Game 3 on Saturday. If he isn’t able to, it’s unclear who would start in his place, though T.J. McConnell and Ben Sheppard will certainly take on extra minutes. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the injury was to his left hamstring, and he missed time earlier this season due to an injury in the same hammy, which is certainly concerning.

Kornet exited before halftime with this wrist issue and may be sidelined for at least the remainder of the game. Oshae Brissett has already filled out some minutes in his place, and he has played well. He won’t contribute much statistically, but he appears to be the replacement for Kornet.

Luka is still dealing with multiple injuries, but that isn’t expected to keep him out of the lineup. He came alive in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and he’ll look to have another big performance in Game 2 with an opportunity to steal both games on the road.

Conley is once again listed as questionable on the injury report, but after playing 31 minutes in Game 1, he should be good to go again on Friday. If not, Nickeil Alexander-Walker should slide into the starting unit in his place.