Garden Party: Well, that was stressful

The Celtics looked dead and buried in the final seconds of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, as the Pacers inbounded with a 3-point lead and 10 seconds to play.

Then Jaylen Brown arrived, single-handedly forcing overtime and saving the Celtics from a series-opening upset (and saving the rest of us from 48 hours of truly insufferable Boston sports radio).

That game was bonkers from start to finish. Nobody played a lick of defense, Indiana choked real bad, and Aaron Nesmith, for some reason, emerged as a potential heel against his old team. Oh, and Drake Maye was there sitting next to Guy Fieri.

In the words of Jayson Tatum postgame: “That **** was chaos.” Let’s get into it.

The Celtics beat the Pacers in overtime, 133-128, to take a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

With Indiana set to kill the game off with some free throws, Brown forced a turnover to give Boston life, caught the ensuing inbound in the corner with Pascal Siakam draped all over him, and somehow nailed the desperation triple to force overtime and save the Celtics.

Jayson Tatum (34 points) took over in OT, scoring 8 of Boston’s first 10 points in the frame to put the pesky Pacers away.

The irony is not lost on us that nobody played any interior defense in that game on the same day that the NBA announced this season’s All-Defense teams.

The Celtics, in their defense, are missing their best rim protector in Kristaps Porzingis. The Pacers, in their defense, think defense is for nerds, probably.

Here’s what else you need to know.

• 🏀 Aaron Nesmith, villain? The former Celtic, shipped to Indiana in the trade that brought Malcolm Brogdon to Boston (before he was subsequently shipped to Portland to acquire Jrue Holiday), got an extra round of boos from the Garden crowd during pregame introductions and looked like he was playing with a little extra juice against his former team. Maybe too much juice, since he ended up fouling out; but he was involved in a couple spiky moments and could be worth keeping an eye on.
• 🏀 The NBA announced its All-Defense teams, which included Derrick White and Holiday, the latter of whom showed why down the stretch in Game 1. Victor Wembanyama became the first rookie to earn first team All-Defense honors. If you have four minutes to kill, you should definitely watch this video of him blocking shots to himself.
• 🏀 The Timberwolves and Mavericks open the Western Conference finals in Minnesota on Wednesday. Tip-off in that one is set for 8:30 p.m. on TNT.
• 🏒 PWHL Boston went quiet in Game 2 of the Walter Cup Finals against Minnesota, with a 3-0 blanking tying the series as it shifts to Saint Paul.
• 🏒 The NHL playoffs took a brief pause on Tuesday, with the conference finals set to open Wednesday with the Rangers and Panthers in the East. The Stars and Oilers will battle for Western Conference supremacy starting on Thursday.

Up next: The Celtics are back at TD Garden for Game 2 on Thursday night. That’s another 8 p.m. tip on ESPN.

PWHL Boston will try to regain home-ice advantage in Game 3 on Friday night in Minnesota. You can catch that one at 7 p.m. on NESN, or streaming on the PWHL’s YouTube channel.

Amin: You’ve covered a ton of games at the Garden this spring. Where does that Jaylen Brown shot rank among the biggest moments in this building in the playoffs, Bruins or Celtics?

Conor: It’s a good problem to have for any fanbase when there are several deserving crowd reactions to choose from this spring. I’d still ever-so-slightly lean towards David Pastrnak’s Game 7 OT winner against Toronto, just because my Dunkin’ cold brew literally fell off our desk in the press box because the ninth floor was vibrating.

But man, it’s a dead heat between that Game 7 tally and Brown’s game-saving shot in the fourth quarter. The stakes were obviously greater for the Bruins when Pastrnak tucked that puck past Ilya Samsonov, but Brown’s corner 3 (with Pascal Siakam right in his face) saved us all from a miserable couple of days as we pondered once again if this team is ready for the big moment.

Brown’s clutch shot  — and Jayson Tatum going off in overtime — sure answered that.

It’s steamy outside. Perfect for a luau, right? Sure.

Pier 6 is hosting a Pig Roast Luau today, and for $30 you can get in the door and try specialty cocktails and special bites. You can take a water taxi over to 1 8th Street in Charlestown or walk the 10 minutes from the North End. Check out more here.

And if a free event is more your vibe, there’s a lot cropping up around this weekend’s Boston Calling (more to come on that soon!). Over at Charles River Speedway in Allston, more than 100 local artists and small businesses are popping up to sell their wares at the annual Night Bazaar. There will be live music and DJs, and you can get beverages from Notch Brewing and sip while you shop. Plus, there’s plenty of food on site: There’s a burger spot, a cocktail bar, pizza, and even a sake bar. And better yet: Free parking across the street from 525 Western Ave. Happy shopping! — Katie McInerney

Does your business have something exciting happening for the playoffs? Email us at gardenparty@globe.com 🎉

What’s that thing they say about the fat lady singing?I really thought, as a society, we’d learned about the perils of leaving almost any game early. But a few Celtics fans, ye of little faith, seemed to have a different outlook on that.

WCVB reporter Mary Saladna spotted a few not-so-faithful Celtics faithful outside TD Garden during overtime that had seemingly left the building before Brown’s big shot, only to watch the extra period through the windows of a bar once they learned of Boston’s unlikely comeback.

But, like, was it that unlikely?

I understand fans get out the door early when a game is all but decided, particularly if it’s an embarrassing upset. But the Pacers never led by more than 3 points in the final minute; which is to say, it never really looked totally out of reach. This wasn’t some Reggie-Miller-9-points-in-11-seconds situation.

Look, I’ve been caught in the Green Line chaos at North Station, too. But in a one-possession game? In the playoffs?

Not wise, my friends. No re-entry means no re-entry; once you’ve made that call, there’s no turning back, and you might miss something special.

Finn: The Celtics finally win a close one, and what a win it was

Hey, you asked for this. Don’t blame me if your Celtics fan nerves are shot this morning. The Celtics need a close game, you said. They need a genuine playoff test, to show that they close a tight game late, or better yet, seize victory when all looks lost. They need to prove that they have mettle, the clutch gene, guts — definitely guts — and assorted synonyms for guts, too.

Gasper: The steady hand of Jrue Holiday was exactly what the Celtics needed

No Celtic played more minutes than Holiday’s 48:19, a calming influence in a chaotic contest that saw 10 lead changes, 11 ties, and a dramatic final 57.4 seconds of regulation. No. 4′s fingerprints were all over Boston’s 133-128 overtime victory. Both a stabilizer and a driver, he contributed a Celtic career-high 28 points, adding 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Holiday’s play, Christopher L. Gasper writes, was a reminder of what separates the Celtics from the playoff pack and makes them putative favorites. Who else has a fifth option, the role Holiday accepts when the team is fully healthy, that is a two-time All-Star with a championship on his résumé? I’ll wait.

Washburn: Tatum at his best at the right moment

Just when the Celtics needed him, Jayson Tatum was at his superstar best down the stretch in Game 1, lifting Boston to a crucial home win. He finished with a game-high 36 points, along with 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. In what would have been a deflating Game 1 home loss, Tatum saved the Celtics from quickly losing grip of this series.

Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com.