Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals began about as well as any Boston Celtics fan could have anticipated. In front of a Boston crowd dreaming about another NBA Finals experience, the Celtics rattled off a 12-0 run (including a history-making Joe Mazzulla challenge 35 seconds into the game) to force Indiana coach Rick Carlisle to call a timeout. Just how everyone in Boston drew it up.
Then, something happened. A shift took place that often seems to happen in a Pacers game: they slammed down the gas pedal and started flying up and down both sides of the court. The Pacers ramped up their activity level, hit some timely shots, and clawed their way back into the mix in a high-scoring first quarter. They accomplished what they’ve done throughout this postseason: they forced the Celtics to play at their pace.
This is what makes the Pacers compelling. They have a flawed roster, but one that excels in very specific ways. The Indiana offense is explosive and energetic, able to break defenses down with a chaos factor in transition. Everyone can shoot, at least a little bit, and Tyrese Haliburton is one of the league’s best maestros on the run. This team flat-out puts points on the board.
This energy translates to the other end of the floor, too. The Pacers aren’t a good defense, as a whole, but they do play with effort. Players like Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, TJ McConnell and, yes, former Celtic Aaron Nesmith have the ability to influence the game with their energy. Even after Indiana missed shots in the first half, they managed to bother the Boston offense by simply getting upcourt faster than most teams would. Both Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton disrupted would-be Celtic fastbreak points after their own missed shots. Indiana’s playbook is to play with hustle and pressure and hope it compensates for their lack of technical defensive talent.
One area to keep an eye on: Al Horford’s stamina. The 37-year-old center is going to have to carry a significant minutes load until Kristaps Porzingis returns (Xavier Tillman is out tonight due to the tragic passing of his father). He looked tired at times in the second round against Cleveland, and this is an opponent that will put a more extreme amount of stress on him with their scoring attack. Horford isn’t going to look like he did in Game 7 against Cleveland every night, but he needs to demonstrate that he can keep up with the activity level on the court in this series. The Celtics don’t really have any other options to turn to right now, especially as Luke Kornet looked outmatched in his limited first half minutes.
The Celtics asserted themselves more effectively in the second quarter, pushing the Pacers back to arm’s length with efficient offense and exacting defensive pressure (they forced X Indiana turnovers). But the Pacers battled back in the span of a few short minutes, tying the game with just under three minutes to play in the half. They’re shooting 59% from the field and 53% from three, and though they have yet to claim a lead in the game, this game being tied at the break is a reminder that they have to be taken seriously. These Indiana Pacers have fought hard to be here, and the Boston Celtics are going to need to find a way to slow them down.
