After a wild overtime win by the Celtics over the Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics once again host the Pacers, looking to go up 2-0 in the series before heading to Indiana for Games 3 and 4. The Pacers stayed with the Celtics throughout the first game and it was only due to their miscues and lack of poise at the end of regulation and in OT that the Celtics were able to pull out the win.
In the first two rounds, against both the Heat and Cavaliers, the Celtics won Game 1 easily and then went on to lose Game 2 in both series. The Celtics just barely scraped by in Game 1 against the Pacers and so they have no reason to com into this game complacent or expecting an easy win. They need to come into this game ready to play hard and defend for 48 minutes as they gave the Pacers some confidence in the last game and need to beat them right from the beginning in this game with no let up.
This is the Celtics 6th appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in 8 years. It is also their 3rd straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The Pacers have not been in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2014 when they lost in 6 games to the Heat. The Pacers last appearance in the playoffs was in 2018-19 when they were swept by the Celtics in the first round. This is the 7th time that the Celtics and Pacers are meeting in the playoffs.
The Celtics won 4 of the 6 series between these two teams so far and all of them were in the first round. This is Indiana’s ninth appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, with all those appearance coming in the last 30 years. Only four teams have more conference finals appearances over that span: the Spurs with 11 and the Lakers, Heat, and Celtics with 10 each. The Pacers have just one win in the ECF in their history and that was in 2000, over the New York Knicks.
There is a wide gap in playoff experience between these two teams. The Celtics have a wealth of playoff and Conference Finals experience that includes the starters and several of the reserves. The Pacers have just 3 players who have been to this stage of the playoffs with their previous teams. However, the Pacers are not afraid of the big stage or the bright lights of the Conference Finals. However, their inexperience may have been one of the reasons behind their meltdown at the end of the game.
Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out for this game. He is still dealing with a calf injury that he suffered in Game 4 of Boston’s first-round series against the Heat. The Celtics are being cautious with him but are hoping to get him back for Game 4 of this series. Xavier Tillman is questionable for this game due to the death of his father. For the Pacers, only Benedict Mathurin is out after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Probable Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Jordan Walsh
Jaden Springer
Neemias Queta
Luke Kornet
Xavier Tillman
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Injuries/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (calf) out
Xavier Tillman (personal) available
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Pacers Starters
Pacers Reserves
Isaiah Jackson
Quenton Jackson
James Johnson
TJ McConnell
Doug McDermott
Ben Sheppard
Jalen Smith
Obi Toppin
Jarace Walker
Two Way Players
Kendall Brown
Oscar Tshiebwe
Isaiah Wong
Injuries/Out
Benedict Mathurin (shoulder) out
Head Coach
Rick Carlisle
Key Matchups
Jrue Holiday vs Tyrese Haliburton
In Game 1, Haliburton finished with 25 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He shot 44.4% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. Holiday played very well in Game 1, on both ends of the court and the Celtics will need him to continue that in this game. The Celtics need to play tough defense on Haliburton in this game while also making him defend.
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Jayson Tatum
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
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Pascal Siakam
Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
Jayson Tatum vs Pascal Siakam
Siakam finished Game 1 with 24 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal while shooting 52.2% from the field and was 0-2 from beyond the arc. Tatum struggled at times, especially in the 4th quarter of Game 1 but he “woke up” and played very well in Overtime to help the Celtics get the win. The Celtics need more from him on both ends of the court throughout the game in this one.
Honorable Mention
Al Horford vs Myles Turner
Turner finished Game 1 with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks while shooting 69.2% from the field and 75% from beyond the arc. The Celtics have to be aware of his presence in the paint as he is a good rim protector and also a good rebounder. They also have to stay with him on the perimeter as he has been shooting very well from beyond the arc.
Player to Watch
Aaron Nesmith
Nesmith was drafted by the Celtics and played his first two seasons there before being sent to Indiana in the trade for Malcolm Brogdon. Since going to Indiana, he has blossomed and has started every playoff game for them so far. Against the Celtics this season, he averaged 14.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 32.1% from beyond the arc. In Game 1, he finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals while shooting 50% from the field but just 20% from beyond the arc. He seems to take games against the Celtics personally and plays harder against his former team. He is also the Pacers’ go to defender and will likely be defending whichever Celtic is playing the best in any given game.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is the key to winning every single game and especially against the Pacers as they lead the playoffs with 121.2 offensive rating. The Celtics are 2nd in the playoffs with a 118.1 offensive rating. The Celtics are 3rd in the playoffs with a defensive rating of 107.1. The Pacers are 13th with a defensive rating of 118.1. The Celtics need to make defense their identity and their priority. In Game 1, the Pacers shot 53.3% from the field to 47.5% for the Celtics. The Pacers also shot 37.1% from beyond the arc to just 33.3% for the Celtics. The Celtics have to step up their defense in this series as they likely won’t win a shoot out against the high scoring Pacers. The Celtics must defend them both in the paint and on the perimeter. Defense down the stretch helped to pull out Game 1 and defense will determine the winner of this series. The Celtics need to play lock down defense for 48 minutes and not just in spurts.
Rebound – The Celtics are 3rd in the playoffs, pulling down 44.7 rebounds per game. The Pacers are12th with 41.1 rebounds per game. In Game 1, the Pacers out-rebounded the Celtics 44-43, and the Celtics almost lost the game. Much of rebounding is desire and effort and the Celtics have got to put out more effort on the boards than the Pacers if they want to get a win in this game. Other than Game 1, the Celtics have won every game in the playoffs that they have out rebounded their opponent and they have lost the 2 games where they were out-rebounded. As with defense, rebounding will be key to winning this game.
Bench Play – The Celtics need to get help from their reserves. The Celtics bench loses a lot with Al Horford moving into the starting lineup and the Celtics have been depending on just 3 players to contribute off the bench. In their first 2 rounds, the Pacers reserves averaged 32 points or more per game. TJ McConnell will especially be a problem for the Celtics as he is a pesky defender and brings a lot of energy to the Pacers when he enters the game. In Game 1, the Pacers got 30 points off their bench while the Celtics got just 13 points from theirs. The Celtics need for their reserves to score and to defend well to take some of the pressure off the starters.
Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes – The Celtics have to play every minute with extra effort. The Pacers play hard and fast and so the Celtics need to match that effort and play even harder. The team that plays harder and is more aggressive is usually the team that comes out on top and that also gets the better whistle. The Celtics also have to stay focused. They have to focus on taking good shots and making them and on playing as a team and making the right play every time. They also have to keep that effort and focus up for 48 minutes with no let up and no collapse, especially on defense.
Move the Ball – The Celtics are tough to beat when they keep the ball moving and they make the extra pass to find the best shot. They struggle when they lapse into iso ball and when players hold the ball too long. The Pacers move the ball very well and are 1st in the league, averaging 30.6 assists per game. They racked up 38 assists on 53 field goals in Game 1. The Celtics are 5th in the league with 23.4 assists per game and they finished with 30 assists on 47 field goals in Game 1. But, they still lapsed into iso-ball at times and they need to limit those times in this game.
X-Factors
Home Game – The Celtics worked hard in the regular season to get home court for the playoffs. They lost only 4 games at home in the regular season. However, they have struggled at home for some reason in the playoffs, They are just 16-14 at home in the last 3 postseasons. The only games they have lost in these playoffs were at home. They almost lost a 3rd game at home on Tuesday but managed to pull it out in the end. The Celtics need to protect home court and use the crowd support for motivation. The Pacers have to deal with travel and staying in hotels and playing on an unfamiliar court and in front of hostile fans. The Celtics need to use home court to their advantage and fight hard for a win in this game.
Officiating -Officiating is always an x-factor. Every crew calls the game a little differently with some calling it tight and others letting them play. They seem to be letting them play more in these playoffs so far, but that could change with any given crew and any given game. In Game 1, the Celtics shot 30 free throws to just 10 for the Pacers. The Celtics likely won’t have a free throw advantage like that again but the Pacers are 14th in the playoffs, attempting just 16.4 free throws per game. The Celtics have to adjust to how the game is being called and focus on the game and not on the officials.
Official Report
Crew Chief – Scott Foster -Foster has a home win/loss record of 47-27 In these playoffs he calls 50% of fouls on the road team and 50% on the home team. Boston is 9-1 in their last 10 games with Foster as an official, including the Game 1 win over the Cavs. Indiana is 4-6 in their last 10 with Foster, including Game 5 loss to the Knicks and Game 5 loss to the Bucks. Foster is known as the Fixer and The Extender and is known for trying to keep games competitive. He was voted the worst ref in the league in a poll taken of league referees (just ahead of Tony Brothers, who called Game 1). Just the name Scott Foster tends to cause fear and gnashing of teeth by every fan base in the league. He can be very good but he can also be very bad.
Referee- James Williams Williams has a home win/loss record of 45-28. He calls 53% of fouls on the road team and 47% on the home team. The Celtics are 6-4 in their last 10 games with Williams on the crew including Game 3 win over the Cavs, Game 3 win over the Heat and a 2 point loss to the Pacers in the regular season. The Pacers are 6-4 in their last 10 games with Williams, including Game 5 loss to the Knicks and Game 2 win over the Bucks. Williams has faced criticism for bad calls during games on consecutive nights this season, which added to a series of high-profile mistakes.
Umpire – Sean Wright – Wright has a home win/loss record of 38-34 this season. The Celtics are 9-1 in their last 10 games with Wright, including the Game 2 loss to Miami. The Pacers are 6-4 in their last 10 games with Wright, including Game 2 loss to New York and Game 5 loss to the Bucks. He calls 52% of fouls against the road team and 48% against the home team.
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