Pacers Face Long Odds Against the Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals

Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Jan. 30, 2024. (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

After the Indiana Pacers crashed one garden party in dominating fashion, the next one doesn’t look as inviting against the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the TD Garden.

“Well, we’re the uninvited guest,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after a 130–109 blowout of the New York Knicks on Sunday. “Here we are. When you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history. It’s very, very difficult to do.”

It gets more difficult with the heavily favored Celtics, owners of the league’s best record with 64 regular season wins. The Celtics, which lost only one home game thus far in the playoffs, suffered only 11 home defeats all season where the seven-game series opens on Tuesday.

“Good young team. Played with a lot of energy. Played with place. A lot of passion, and we got to be ready to go,” Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown told reporters regarding the Pacers on Monday.

Boston could squelch that passion with the league’s second-rated defense, which allows 109.2 points per game. The Celtics beat the Pacers 3–2 in head-to-head regular-season meetings.

Boston Celtics held the Pacers to 46.8 percent shooting those five games though Indiana eclipsed the century mark each time. Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the team’s most dynamic scorer, averaged 15.8 points in those matchups.

Indiana, which averages 123.3 points per game, will need to maintain a similar pace in order to have a shot against the Celtics. Defense doesn’t normally win the day for the Pacers amid an average of 120.2 points allowed per game, and the Cetlics have a strong offense, averaging 120.6 points per game. Boston went over 100 points in all but one playoff game thus far.

Celtics Key Players

Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum is having a strong postseason with 24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Brown likewise has been tough to stop with 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

Boston has a pair of tough defenders and All-NBA defensive candidates in point guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. White averages 18.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest, and Holiday posts 10.4 points, five rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Celtics center Al Horford will play a significant role as starting center Kristaps Porzingis remains sidelined through at least Game 2 of the series. Horford averages 8.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

Porzingis had likewise been solid with 12.3 points, five rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game when healthy in the playoffs. He sustained a calf injury in Game 4 of the quarterfinals against the Miami Heat on April 29.

Pacers Key Players

Indiana power forward Pascal Siakam leads the scoring with 21.1 points per game plus 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per night. Halliburton has been stellar at times amid 18.8 points, five rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Center Myles Turner has also been solid with 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. Power forward Obi Toppin likewise has been tough in the post with 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per contest.

Point guard T.J. McConnell has been productive in the backcourt amid 10.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. Small forward Aaron Nesmith has been solid amid 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.

How the Celtics and Pacers Fared Head-to-Head

Boston and Indiana will meet for the first time since Jan. 30 when the Celtics won 129–124. Three of the five games came down to fewer than 10 points in the regular season series.

The Celtics demolished Indiana 155–104 in their first meeting of the season in November 2023. Indiana bounced back in the second meeting, 122–112, during December 2023 at home. The Celtics then beat the Pacers 118–101 on Jan. 6 but fell to Indiana 133–131 on Jan. 8.

A Look at Celtics’ and Pacers’ Roads to Eastern Conference Finals

Indiana reached the conference finals by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 4–2 in the quarterfinals followed by a 4–3 win over the Knicks. The Pacers bounced back from 0–2 down on the road against New York, and the Pacers have kept a perfect record at home in the postseason, 6–0.

Boston beat the Miami Heat 4–1 in the quarterfinals followed by a 4–1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semifinals. Tatum caught fire in the last series as the leading scorer for four consecutive games.

What’s at Stake for Celtics, Pacers Legacies

For Boston, it’s a must-win series for the team’s legacy. The Celtics last won a title in 2008, and the team has been back to the East Conference Finals seven times since. Boston advanced to the NBA Finals only twice in that span.

As for the Pacers, it’s a return to the conference finals for the first time since 2014 when the team lost to the Heat in six games. Indiana ended a three-year streak of losing seasons this year and made it out of the first round for the first time since 2014.