NBA scores 2015: The Celtics snap the Pacers’ 7-game win streak

Boston won the day, but their battle with Indiana is part of an East playoff race that has suddenly become interesting.

by Tim Cato

Mar 15, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

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Entering Saturday, the most surprising winning streak in the NBA belonged to the Indiana Pacers. Since the return of George Hill in late January, the Pacers have turned around a lifeless season, and seven straight victories had recently propelled them to the No. 7 seed in the East.

But on Saturday, they ran into a team doing the same thing. The Celtics topped the Pacers 93-89 and now have won nine of their last 12 games. Trailing most of the fourth quarter, the Pacers kept hanging around. They'd hit a shot that felt like it could change the momentum and then Boston would answer right back with their own bucket. Finally, an Avery Bradley layup out of a timeout off a gorgeous Brad Stevens play call with 28 seconds left was a backbreaker from which the Pacers couldn't muster a reply.

The two teams were adversaries on Saturday, but since the All-Star break, they've been working in tandem to make the bottom of the East fun again. For most of the season, the final two spots have belonged to the Nets and the Heat -- two veteran-laden and relatively unexciting teams.

Instead, the emergence of the Pacers and Celtics have provided two stories worth watching. Indiana’s 13-6 since Hill’s return, using a 10-man rotation and a scorer-by-committee approach to dominate the East. The possibility of a Paul George return this season adds yet another wrinkle.

Boston ended up being "buyers" at the trade deadline, picking up Isaiah Thomas from Phoenix for next to nothing. They know they're still building a foundation, but Thomas was too good an opportunity to resist. With assets in place, they've decided to go for the playoffs this year and, so far, that plan is working exceedingly well. They're currently just a half game behind Charlotte for the No. 8 seed in the East.

The common denominator is two fantastic coaches. The Pacers' slow start has made Frank Vogel a little forgettable, but the way he's bought the Pacers back despite missing his best player is a reminder of how good he is. Meanwhile, Brad Stevens is one of the best basketball minds in the NBA and is only getting better.

The Eastern Conference isn’t as good as the West, but it deserves better than to be the butt of your jokes. It has elite talent at the top and, now, an exciting playoff race with teams worth watching.

3 other things we learned

Stephen Curry hates the Knicks, even on his birthday. He turned 27 on Saturday and also hit five first-half three-pointers while the Warriors just absolutely railroaded a beleaguered New York team. This is nothing new for Steph when he faces the Knicks. This might have well been the junior varsity scrimmaging the seniors in practice. Curry finished with 25 points and 11 assists while Klay Thompson added 27 points for good measure. Curry made so many plays in this game that I had a hard time choosing which Vine to include, but I decided on this one. Happy birthday, Steph.

Same old Wizards. Wait, they won? Washington's struggles have been well publicized. With a 64-point first half, the Kings took an 18-point lead into halftime and the Wizards looked like they were headed down an all-too-familiar route. Instead, Washington answered with a 67-point second half and ended up winning, 113-97, led by John Wall's 31. I think the lesson here is that basketball is a strange sport and we should stop trying to understand it.

Nets snap a five-game skid against Philadelphia. If you've lost five games in a row, the Sixers are a pretty good team to face. Brooklyn has struggled drastically since the All-Star break but used a strong third quarter to propel them back into the win column in a 94-87 win. Thaddeus Young led the way with 21 points, while Joe Johnson scored an efficient 15.