Jaylen Brown's 3 Rescues Celtics In Game 1 Thriller Over Pacers

BOSTON -- The Celtics were all but buried.

The Indiana Pacers, massive underdogs in these Eastern Conference finals, coming off a dramatic victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to advance to this series 48 hours earlier, had the ball and were up three with 10 seconds remaining. They only needed to inbound the ball and hit a free throw to seal the victory.

But then Indiana threw the ball away, giving the Celtics life. And after a spectacular inbounds pass from Jrue Holiday -- one of many spectacular moments from him en route to a 28-point, 7-rebound, 8-assist, 3-steal performance -- to Jaylen Brown in the corner allowed Brown to rise and fire from 3, he hit the game-tying jumper with 5.7 seconds remaining.

The shot ultimately sent Boston on its way to a heart-stopping 133-128 overtime victory to open this best-of-7 affair.

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Boston was able to survive a game that saw Jayson Tatum go 2-for-10 from the field in the fourth quarter and overtime before hitting what wound up being the game-clinching buckets on back-to-back possessions -- an and-1 over T.J. McConnell and a 3-pointer from the top of the key -- to put the game away. Tatum ended up with 36 points and was a plus-20 on the night.

After Boston opened the game with a 12-0 run, Indiana clawed back from an early deficit, taking its first lead to open the second half with five straight points from superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton. But a 26-8 run in response gave Boston a 13-point lead in the third quarter -- its largest of the contest.

The goal now for the Celtics is to find a way to do what they couldn't in the first two rounds of these playoffs: claim a victory in Game 2, and put a stranglehold on this series.

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LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history

Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we've lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete's winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.

Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.

Gallery Credit: Peter Richman