Ahead of Schedule

The Indiana Pacers arrive in Boston as the most surprising conference finals team in the NBA. Not much was expected of Rick Carlisle’s team at the start of the season but the Pacers got off to a strong start and went on to reach the finals of the NBA’s first-ever In-Season Tournament. After a rough stretch, the Pacers finished strong and earned the sixth-seed in the Eastern Conference and a date with the Milwaukee Bucks. After dispatching the Bucks, the Pacers fell behind 2-0 to the Knicks but, once again, bounced back and won each of the next two games at home. The teams exchanged home wins in games five and six before they met at MSG on Sunday for the right to face the Celtics. Behind 67.1% shooting, the highest field goal percentage for a playoff game in NBA history, the Pacers dismantled the Knicks 130-109. They jumped out to a lead as high as 22 points as they shot 71% in the first half. Tyrese Halliburton led the way with 27 points to push the Pacers back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.

“Well, we’re the uninvited guest,” coach Rick Carlisle said after the Pacers completed their second consecutive series win over a higher seed. “Here we are. When you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history. It’s very, very difficult to do.”

The Pacers are very familiar with the Celtics, meeting them five times this season, winning two and losing three times to the Eastern Conference’s top team. The Pacers come into this series tops in the NBA in points per game after finishing first in the regular season. They are first in field goal shooting and fifth in three point shooting. The Pacers are third in the playoffs in 3-point field goals made per game. They are just 14th in the playoffs in scoring defense. They are 10th in field goal defense and 11th in 3-point defense. They are fifth in 3-point field goals allowed per game in the NBA Playoffs. The Pacers are 10th in rebounds per game but have been extremely protective of the ball, ranked second in fewest turnovers per game. The Pacers top scorer, Tyrese Halliburton, injured his hamstring vs. the Celtics which limited his overall production against them this season, averaging just 15.8 per game. He’s healthy now and should present more of a challenge for the Celtics’ talented guards. Pascal Siakam averaged 21.4 points per game vs. Boston this season.

Key Injuries: Pacers come into this series healthy.

Time is Now for Boston

The Boston Celtics are ready and waiting for the Indiana Pacers as they get set to compete in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight season. The Celtics have only reached the NBA Finals once in those three seasons and failed to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy, losing to the Warriors in six games. Despite all their success, including an 8-2 record in the playoffs thus far, the Celtics know that nothing short of an NBA title will suffice this season. The Celtics closed out the Cavaliers in round two back on Thursday night, winning 113-98. All-Star Jayson Tatum led the way with 25 points after scoring 33 points in each of the previous two games. He and his team have more to do.

“It just shows the character of the team, the organization,” Tatum said of Boston advancing to the conference finals for the fifth time in his seven NBA seasons. “People might think that it’s a given that we’re supposed to be here, but I give a lot of credit to everyone in the front office, the coaching staff, the trainers, the guys that hand out the equipment, the ball boys, the cooks, the chefs, the security team. We’re all in this together. I do, I mean that.

“Everybody has an effect on each other, and we all impact each other to help winning and build this culture that we have. Everybody should be proud of themselves. Obviously, it’s not the end all, be all. We want to win a championship, but we’re doing something right.”

Boston seeks to get back to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. They come into this series ranked sixth in the playoffs in points per game. The Celtics are fourth in field goal percentage and second in 3-point shooting. They are also first in the playoffs in 3-point field goals made per game. The defensive end will be the key to this series. Boston comes in ranked second in the NBA Playoffs in scoring defense. They are sixth in field goal defense and sixth in 3-point defense. They are just 11th in 3-point field goals allowed. The Celtics are third in the playoffs in rebounds per game and third in fewest turnovers per game. The Celtics’ two big guns, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, had their way with the Pacers this season. Tatum averaged 32.5 points per game against Indy this season and Brown averaged 28.4 points per game.

Key Injuries: Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss at least the first two games of this series with a calf injury.