Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction-The stage is set for the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics advanced to the second round, sweeping the Cavaliers in five games. They were waiting for the winner of a grueling Pacers-Knicks series that went the distance, and Indiana won Game 7 on the road at Madison Square Garden to keep its season alive.
Boston will benefit from a few extra days of rest to give All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis more time to recover from a calf strain. Porzingis was ruled out of Game 4 of the Celtics’ first-round series against the Heat. He’s still expected to miss Games 1 and 2, but “there is optimism for a return,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Pacers will head straight to Boston with just one day off between basketball games before the Eastern Conference Finals begin.
Can Indiana pull off an upset or will the Celtics continue to roll east? Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction-The Sporting News breaks down the matchup below.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction
The Celtics looked inadequate at times, but that didn’t stop them from compiling a playoff-best 8-2 record. They have the highest net rating (12.8), highest average margin of victory (11.4) and best point differential (+114).
With one win by 30 points, two wins by at least 20 points and two wins by at least 10 points, Boston has dominated its competition. It will face its toughest test in the Eastern Conference Finals, though.
The Jimmy Butler-less Heat and Donovan Mitchell-less Cavaliers play a completely different game than a full-strength, fast-paced Pacers team.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction-Tyrese Haliburton will be the focal point of this series. He didn’t get the same offensive juice in the regular season, averaging just 18.3 points and 8.3 assists in the playoffs. He’ll be attacked by Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, but he’ll have to stay aggressive even if the Pacers have a chance.
Still, Boston still seems to be on a runaway train for the NBA Finals.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction-Tatum led the Celtics in total points, rebounds, assists, steals in their last series on game. He joins LeBron James as the only players in the last 40 years to achieve this feat. He’s just getting started this postseason, and already he’s gotten plenty of help from White and Jaylen Brown in scoring outbursts.
Porzingis’ availability will be a major factor in how many games this series lasts if he returns after the first two games, Boston could win five games. With lingering uncertainty surrounding his health, the Celtics feel safe making the six call.
Prediction: Celtic in six
Celtics vs Pacers betting odds
The Celtics (-1000) open the series as favorites over the Pacers (+650) courtesy of NBA Odds.
Celtic 4-0: +250
Celtic 4-1: +165
Celtic 4-2: +450
Celtics 4-3: +550
Pacers 4-0: +10000
Pacers 4-1: +4000
Pacers 4-2: +1600
Pacers 4-3: +2500
Celtics vs. Pacers regular season series
The Celtics and Pacers are very familiar with each other, having met five times during the regular season. The 2nd meeting was the 1st round of the in-season tournament playoffs.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction: Boston won the season series against Indiana, 3-2.
November 1, 2023: Celtics 155, Pacers 104
December 4, 2023: Pacers 122, Celtics 112 (Seasonal Tournament)
January 6, 2024: Celtics 118, Pacers 101
January 8, 2024: Pacers 133, Celtics 131
January 30, 2024: Celtic 129, Pacers 124
Indiana got revenge by holding the Celtics to 26 points, 13 assists and zero turnovers from Halliburton in the first round of the in-season tournament playoffs.
Tatum (38 points) and Brown (31) combined for 69 points to lead Boston to victory in the third meeting with the Pacers. Indiana pulled off a controversial two-point victory over the Celtics in the final seconds two days later, but Boston was without Tatum.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction story: Can Indiana’s defense hold up against Boston?
We know the Pacers can score with any team in the league. Their 120.1 offensive rating is the highest in the 2024 NBA playoffs. They play fast and push the pace in transition with Halliburton trying to match their pace, forcing teams to make mistakes and forcing bad shots.
The Celtics don’t like to play fast, but they can. With four reliable ball-handlers always on the floor, Boston can exploit mismatches in transition. Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction-It’s a matchup nightmare in the halfcourt for the same reason, often with 5 floor-spacing shooters on the court. The Celtics’ 14.5 3-pointers per game lead all playoff teams, and their 37.7 percent conversion rate is still the best among living teams.
Boston’s second-best offensive rating in the playoffs (118.9), able to offset Indiana’s biggest strength. So if the Pacers can’t capitalize on their offensive advantage, can their defense hold up against the Celtics’ high-powered scorers?
Indiana’s defense has struggled all season. The Celtics averaged 129 points per game against the Pacers in five regular-season meetings, highlighted by their 155-point outing in November.
Head coach Rick Carlisle faces a much different challenge than the Knicks series. Instead of trying to stop a concentrated offensive force, Indiana must now have two high-scoring wings in Tatum and Brown.
Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam will likely draw these assignments as their two best perimeter defenders, but the rest of the team will try to stop Boston’s other scorers.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Prediction-Myles Turner won’t be able to park himself in the paint and protect the rim like he did against New York’s non-shooting centers. Al Horford and, if he’s healthy, Porzingis will take Turner’s defensive presence away from the basket.
That would give the Celtics slashers a runway to the rim without the security blanket of Indiana sitting in the paint all the time.