Welcome to Around The Realm, where we discuss stories from around the league.
Celtics advance to the NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics completed their sweep against the Indiana Pacers yesterday and advance now to the NBA Finals. The Celtics were the dominate 1 seed in the East for the majority of the season, and it would have been a little surprising if they had failed to make the Finals. They’ll likely be the favorites to win the title regardless of which team advances from the West. Boston is also hoping to get Kristaps Porzingis back soon.
An eye on Indy’s offseason
The Pacers had an easy path to the Conference Finals with both the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks dealing with a multitude of injuries. Finally the injury luck ran out, and Tyrese Haliburton missed the final 2 games of the series. Andrew Nembhard stepped up nicely, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Celtics. Now the Pacers will hope to retain Pascal Siakam, who is hitting free agency. I’d expect the negotiations to go quickly, since assurances of a max extension were probably negotiated prior to the trade that brought Siakam to Indiana.
Can the Mavericks complete the sweep?
The Mavericks hold a 3-0 lead over the Timberwolves, and will try to finish out the series tonight. If they do, we’ll have a long gap with no basketball. The Finals are scheduled to begin June 6th, and that start date won’t move even if both Conference Finals end quickly. The Mavericks are getting Maxi Kleber back for Game 4 as well.
