The Boston Celtics will host the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals tonight at 8 p.m. EST. Both teams know each other well as they met five times during the season — four were regular season games and the fifth was the quarter-final matchup in the In-Season Tournament back in December. The Celtics won three of five.
Boston took the first game of the season, blowing out the Pacers at TD Garden 155-104. Indiana didn’t have Tyrese Haliburton, and the Celtics took full advantage shooting 56.8% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the arc.
Boston came out of the gates flying scoring 44 points in the first quarter and 31 in the second quarter, and ended the game even stronger scoring 46 points in the final 12 minutes.
This was the fourth game of the season for Boston and the main question at the time regarding the team was their bench scoring. Despite not needing much from this bench early on, the “stay ready” group scored 63 points in the game and showed a glimpse of what they were capable of.
Boston had eight players in double figures: Tatum with 30 points, White 18, Hauser 17, Brown 16, Holiday 15, Pritchard 15, Porzingis 13, Banton 11.
The second meeting came in early December when the two sides faced each other in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament. Indiana went on to advance to the semi-finals with a 122-112 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Haliburton was present in this game and made sure to show why the Pacers are an entirely different team with him in the lineup. Haliburton recorded his first career triple double netting 26 points, providing 13 assists, and grabbing 10 rebounds. For Boston, Kristaps Porzingis missed the game with a calf injury.
While in the first matchup where Boston had eight players in double figures, this time they only had four whereas Indiana had seven.
The Celtics trailed for most of the game, thanks to self-inflicting wounds (17 turnovers and 66.7% free throw shooting). The scrappy Pacers defense did enough to limit the Celtics and ended up sealing the game thanks to Haliburton hitting back-to-back three-pointers, with the latter being a four-point play to put the game to bed.
The two teams faced off again in early January with back-to-back games in Indiana. Indiana lost the first game 118-101.
This was the game where former Celtic Aaron Nesmith hit Porzingis in the eye in the first quarter. Porzingis returned for only a couple of plays before having to be subbed out for the remainder of the game.
Boston, before Porzingis’ injury, was struggling to score. After KP checked out, the Celtics went on a 21-12 run to end the first quarter leading 29-17.
Haliburton initially was the primary defender on Jaylen Brown and Brown took full advantage of the smaller guard. Brown finished with 31 points and four rebounds.
Indiana continued to force Boston into careless turnovers as the Celtics coughed up the ball 12 times in the first half, and finished with 18 in the game.
However, the turnovers didn’t cost Boston in this game as Tatum (38 points on 14-of-23 shooting, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Brown were too much for Indiana. Al Horford was pivotal with KP out, almost securing a triple-double with 10 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
The Pacers didn’t have to wait long to get revenge as the two teams went back at it less than 48 hours later. This game came down to the final seconds and after a controversial overturnes call, the Pacers walked out with a 133-131 win over a Tatum-less Boston team.
With the game tied at 131 and 3.2 seconds left, Jaylen Brown attempted a sideline jumpshot. It seemed like Buddy Hield hit Brown on the side of the head. On the court, the refs initially called it a foul, but Indiana challenged and it was overturned.
The Pacers were whistled for a foul on Jaylen Brown’s game-winning shot attempt.
After a challenge, the call was overturned.
Good call or bad call? pic.twitter.com/7rXaxWfHm5
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 9, 2024
Things went from bad to worse for Boston. The Pacers had possession and Benedict Mathurin shot a three-pointer which he missed, but the refs called a foul on Porzingis with 0.6 seconds left. Mathurin made the first two and then missed the third all but sealing the Pacers win. Brown led Boston with 40 points on the night.
The final six minutes of this game may be a glimpse of what we will see in this upcoming series and both teams made crucial plays at critical moments.
The fifth and final regular season meeting occurred in late January at TD Garden where the Celtics edged Indiana 129-124.
This game was a lot closer than it had to be. Boston led by 10 after the first quarter and 15 by halftime, but a slow third quarter got Indiana back in the game. The Pacers outscored Boston in 37-25 to make it a three point game heading to the fourth.
Although Boston played Indiana twice in January already, this was the first time seeing the Pacers with Pascal Siakam in the yellow and blue.
Boston’s starting five all were all firing with everyone scoring at least 17 points.
It was a 16-4 run in the third in addition to offensive rebounds that fueled the rally from Indiana. Granted the Celtics were without Horford and Kornet, but the Pacers grabbed 19 offensive rebounds.
It was Boston’s late-game defense that proved to be the difference maker, a calling card they will need to lean on to get by this scrappy Pacers team.
With a minimum of four more games against the Pacers, the Celtics will have to learn their past matchups of relying on their defense first to try and slow down this high-paced, scrappy Indiana team.
