Pacers coach explains why Indiana did not foul Jaylen Brown before clutch 3-pointer

With a three-point lead late in the game, one could argue that the smart play would be to foul a player before they can get a potential game-tying shot off.

But, when Jaylen Brown rose up for the tying basket with 46.1 seconds to go in Boston’s 133-128 win over Indiana in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana’s Pascal Siakam chose not to go for the foul.

Lakers star LeBron James tweeted that he would choose to foul when up three points every single time. J.J. Redick said that he agrees with James. Dick Vitale tweeted that Indiana had the game won and never should have allowed the shot.

Even Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said he instructed the team to foul. So, why didn’t it happen?

“He caught the ball and he was face up, so Pascal decided to lay off which I understand that’s probably the right decision,” Carlisle said. “You don’t want to give up a four-point play. A lot of things had to go wrong for us and right for them. They did, and so we’ve got to own it and get ready for Thursday.”

Carlisle opened his postgame press conference Tuesday night by saying that he is responsible for Indiana’s Game 1 loss. He said that the Pacers should have taken a time our with 10 seconds to go in regulation and advanced the ball.

He said he loved the way his team fought, but that those mistakes and others had caught up with them.

As with any strategy, there are risks when fouling up three points, namely sending a free-throw shooter to the line with three attempts to tie the game.

If Brown was fouled, he would have had to hit three free-throws to tie the game, instead of the one 3-pointer. Brown has struggled from the free-throw line this postseason, shooting 61.5 percent.

James said the key is to foul while the player is dribbling the ball.

“If you’re going to foul, you have to foul on the downward dribble,” James said during an episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast. “It’s hard and sometimes a lot of guys are afraid to do it too. A lot of coaches are afraid to tell their team to foul when up three because either one they haven’t worked on it, or two with our rules and things it gets tricky sometimes and you send a guy to the free-throw line because you tried to foul him in a case.”

“But, I am fouling, I am fouling, I am fouling. Guys are too great, man. Guys are too great.”

The Celtics didn’t give Indiana much of an opportunity to do foul Brown. Jrue Holiday inbounded the ball to Brown behind the 3-point line, and Brown rose up for the shot without taking a dribble.

Brown sank a pivotal 3-pointer and the Celtics hung on for the Game 1 win. The Pacers didn’t foul, and Boston’s stars delivered in the clutch.