LeBron James rips into the Pacers over controversial decision in Game 1 defeat to the Celtics

LeBron James criticized the Indiana Pacers on social media Tuesday night after the team lost a late lead against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

James expressed on X that the Pacers should have fouled when they were up by three, preventing Jaylen Brown from making the game-tying three-pointer with less than six seconds remaining. 

Indiana maintained the lead on the road for almost the entire last five minutes of regulation. After a turnover under the Boston basket gave the Celtics possession, the play they needed was clear.

The Pacers had a timeout left, which they could have used to observe Boston’s offensive setup. Boston was already in the bonus, meaning any Indiana foul would result in two free throws for the Celtics.

Boston’s Jaylen Brown hit the game-tying three-pointer against the Pacers at TD Garden.

A likely change of possession would have given the Pacers the ball back with the lead, despite limited time coming off the clock. James has previously supported the strategy of fouling when up by three points.

James also shared a clip from his interview with JJ Redick on their ‘Mind the Game’ podcast earlier this month, right after the New York Knicks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The foul-up-three strategy could have prevented Tyrese Maxey’s game-tying shot and ended that series one game earlier.

“I personally, I would’ve fouled — I would have,” James told Redick. “I would have fouled before Tyrese even touched half-court.”

“It has to be on the downward dribble; if you’re going to foul, you have to foul on the downward dribble,” James continued. “Sometimes, a lot of guys are afraid to do it. A lot of coaches are afraid to tell their team to foul when up three because either, number one, they haven’t practiced it, or number two, with our rules, it gets tricky, and you might send a guy to the free-throw line. But I am fouling, I am fouling, I am fouling. Guys are too great,” James added.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle accepted full responsibility for the team’s loss after the game.

“I love the way our guys fought in this game; this loss is totally on me,” Carlisle said. “With 10 seconds in regulation, we should have just taken the timeout, advanced the ball, and found a way to get it in, make a free throw or two, and end the game. But it didn’t happen.”