Welp

 For awhile -- in the dim recesses of four or five days ago, or even in the less-dim recesses of about nine hours ago -- this looked possible. Not probable, mind you. But possible.

The Indiana Pacers could play with the mighty Boston Celtics. Play with them? Hell, they had them beat, back in the ancient days of Game 1. And then they made one more turnover to complete the 22-turnover matching set, and Jaylen Brown did a Jaylen Brown thing by popping a three-ball to force overtime, and ...

And the Celtics escaped in overtime, 133-128. And then reminded everyone why they won 64 games in the regular season with a dominant Game 2 win in which the Pacers lost Tyrese Haliburton to a bum hammy. And then Indiana, even without their best guy, came out smokin' in Gainsbridge Fieldhouse and led by 12 at halftime last night in Game 3.  

And then ...

 Well, you know. The Pacers the sustain, the Celtics kept coming, and the C's wonn again -- even though Andrew Nembhard stepped up for Indiana with a career night (32 points, 4-of-7 from deep), and Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner combined for 44 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and T.J. McConnell put up 22 points, nine rebounds and six dimes in 29 minutes off the bench.

And, welp. 

Celtics lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals 3-0. Season all but over for the Pacers.

Relevant stat, at three-games-to-none: The Pacers have turned it over 49 times in three games. The Celtics have kicked it away 31 times.

Other relevant stat: Aside from Nembhard's 4-of-7 sniping, the Pacers were 1-of-15 from the arc in Game 3. The Celtics, on the other hand, made 16 triples and have outscored the Pacers 138-96 from Threeville in the series.

To paraphrase Dean Wormer in "Animal House": Turnover-prone and outshot from deep is no way to go through an Eastern Conference final, son.

Ah, well. Always next year, right?