NBA fans are convinced that the Boston Celtics-Indiana Pacers series is rigged following a curious decision by Rick Carlisle during the fourth quarter.

Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers talking to refs.

Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

With the Boston Celtics up 17 points during the final frame, the Pacers head coach curiously decided to take out superstar Pascal Siakam and two other key starters in Myles turner and Aaron Nesmith.

Why exactly Carlisle did that is anybody’s guess. The Celtics took advantage of the questionable coaching decision and cruised to a 126-110 victory, putting them two wins away from a return to the NBA Finals.

Some fans think the reason behind Carlisle’s coaching call is obvious. That is, they think the game was rigged, and that Carlisle was simply following the script to ensure a Boston Celtics victory.

Per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, Carlisle said that he pulled his starters because he wanted other players to get playing time. Carlisle also insisted that the Pacers weren’t “giving up” whatsoever:

“To look at some guys that I thought needed a look. McDermott went in there and played well. Isaiah Jackson brought a lot of fight to the game. Jalen Smith hasn’t had much of an opportunity to play in the playoffs, so I wanted to see where he was at. We weren’t giving up, but it was an opportunity to get some energetic fresh guys in there to fight. They did some good things.”

The Pacers also lost their top player, Tyrese Haliburton, in the game with a hamstring injury. Coming back from 2-0 down against a superior team is difficult enough as is, with or without Haliburton. So one can understand why Carlisle decided not to take any further risks by benching his starters.

Boston Celtics Are Firmly In Control

The Boston Celtics ran away with the best record in basketball during the regular season (64-18). They have absolutely dominated in the postseason, too, sporting a 10-2 record heading into Game 3 vs. Indiana.

Even if Haliburton returns for the rest of the series, it’s going to be awfully difficult for the Pacers to win four of the next five games. Boston has more star power, depth and a much better defense that the Pacers haven’t been able to solve.

With two more victories, the Celtics will be off to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. At this point, it’s hard to envision them not getting there.