2023-2024 Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics

2023-2024 Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics

The Eastern Conference Finals are set with the Indiana Pacers facing off against the Boston Celtics. The top-seeded Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals decisively, while the Pacers are coming off a thrilling second round. Now, both teams will battle it out. The winner earns the right to represent the East in the 2024 NBA Finals. Game 1 starts tomorrow in TD Garden at 8 pm Eastern.

The Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers have shown remarkable play throughout the playoffs. Led by their young star Tyrese Haliburton, in his first playoff run of his career. Helping bring Indiana back to the conference finals for the first time in a decade. Also, Pascal Siakam is leading the team in playoff scoring at 21.5 after being acquired by trade earlier this year. Myles Turner; the longest-tenured Pacer has been a notable presence on both sides of the ball. This postseason he is averaging 17.5 points and 1.8 Blocks per game.

The other guys on their roster like T.J. McConnell, Aaron Neismith, and Andrew Nembhard complete a young and hungry Pacer team. Something you can expect from this group is that they will play hard for 48 minutes every single game. While they have run into two injured-plagued teams in their first two matchups. It should not be understated that Indiana is a great team especially if Haliburton is in peak form.

The Boston Celtics

Conversely, the Boston Celtics have been a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference and to this point more of the same. With a rich history of success in recent years this will be the Celtics’ third straight Conference Final, the fifth with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the roster. Speaking of the roster it is the best supporting cast that the Celtics have put together alongside both their stars. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are the best defensive backcourt in the remaining field both sharing a rating of around 105. Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser provided a spark off the bench as well as 37-year-old Al Horford still having playoff performances in year 17. 

The Celtics have been a juggernaut in this postseason not allowing either of their first two matchups to go past game 5. The key has been their accuracy from three and great ball movement to allow for those open threes. Jayson Tatum has contributed to every aspect of the game besides scoring although he has done that as well. Tatum’s ability to get others involved cannot be overlooked, especially given the amount of attention opposing teams have focused on him in these playoffs.

The Matchup

Indiana and Boston were the two best-scoring teams in the NBA this year. This series has the potential to be an absolute slugfest. The keys to victory for either team on the court will be three-point shooting and defense. Comparing the last ten games for both teams; The Pacers have been the higher-scoring team (114.5), better-shooting team (52.3 FFG and 41.1 3P %), and generated more assists (30.1) in comparison to The Celtics who hold the rebound advantage (44.9) and Defensive rating (106.9). 

For the Pacers, this is their biggest challenge of the postseason, a Celtics team that is far healthier than their previous matchups in The Bucks and Knicks, both series going to games 6 and 7 respectively. The Pacers will not survive this series if both teams are playing even to their averages. As for the Celtics, they cannot overlook the Pacers in any fashion especially with the team riding high on a Game 7 win in Madison Square Garden. A notable stat for this series is the Pacers being undefeated at home in six playoff games while the Celtics are undefeated on the road in 4 games. 

The Boston Celtics can be frustrating

The Verdict

A matchup including the two best-scoring teams in basketball is a fans’ dream. Indiana vs Boston will be a must-see series. Although Indiana has played with heart and determination throughout these playoffs the Boston Celtics have the experience and the talent to be too much for Indiana. I can see Indiana giving Boston fits at times in this series to potentially steal a few games. After considering all factors leading into Tuesday, it’s important to keep in mind that the looming return of Kristaps Porzingis could impact the lineup for Game 3 in Indiana. Adding another layer to an already overwhelming Celtics team. Even without Porzingis, the Celtics have only lost one game since losing him three weeks ago. 

In a series that Larry Bird will love, my prediction is the Celtics in 5.