Who will set the tone in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and Pacers?
• 3 min read
The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers will meet in the Eastern Conference finals with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. The Celtics will have almost gone a week without playing before Game 1 tips off as they took care of the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the second round.
It probably should’ve been a sweep, but the Cavs managed to steal one from a Boston team that has looked like juggernaut all season long. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston has quietly gone through the postseason without being challenged a great deal, and while the Celtics are heavy favorites against the Pacers to win this series, Indiana is coming off a remarkable second-round win against a New York Knicks squad that pushed it to its limits.
The Pacers finished off the Knicks in Game 7 to advance to the East finals, and before that eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Both rounds featured series-altering injuries to the Bucks and Knicks, but while some may look at that as an easier path to the conference finals, the Pacers still had to go out there and take care of business, which is what they did. Against the Knicks, the Pacers fought back from an 0-2 deficit in the first two games, tied the series back up, were on the brink of elimination in Game 6, and walked into Madison Square Garden and sent the Knicks packing to advance to the next round. Not exactly an easy task.
Both teams have had very different journeys to get to the conference finals, but now all of that is in the past as both teams prepare to face off with hopes of making it to the NBA Finals.
Here’s everything you need to know as the Celtics and Pacers kick off their series:
Celtics vs. Pacers schedule, scores
All times Eastern | * If necessary
- Game 1: Tuesday, May 21 — Pacers at Celtics, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Game 2: Thursday, May 23 — Pacers at Celtics, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Game 3: Saturday, May 25 — Celtics at Pacers, 8:30 p.m., ABC
- Game 4: Monday, May 27 — Celtics at Pacers, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Game 5*: Wednesday, May 29 — Pacers at Celtics, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Game 6*: Friday, May 31 — Celtics at Pacers, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Game 7*: Sunday, June 2 — Pacers at Celtics, 8 p.m., ESPN
Celtics vs. Pacers, Game 1
Where to watch
Time: 8 p.m ET | Date: Tuesday, May 21
Location: TD Garden — Boston
TV channel: ESPN | Streaming: fubo (try for free)
Storylines
Celtics: Some will say the big storyline here will be how will Boston fare without Kristaps Porzingis who continues to be out with a calf strain. There’s expectation that he’ll return at some point in the conference finals, but that isn’t really a dealbreaker here. The real story will be how will Boston look with six days off between the last time it played and Game 1 of this series. All season long the biggest weakness for the Celtics has been that they tend to get in their own way, and this would be a prime example of that, if they allow the Pacers to walk into their home arena and wreak havoc. Indiana will put up a fight, and all it takes is one small flame for the Pacers’ offense to turn into a wildfire. If the Celtics come out too relaxed, they could mess around and find themselves in a hole early in this series.
Pacers: Indiana has the best offense of any team remaining in the postseason, and while it’s incredibly porous on defense, it can legitimately beat you by having a shootout. But in order for that to happen, Tyrese Haliburton needs to show up consistently. He can’t come out putting up six points like he did in Game 1 against the Knicks. Or only attempting nine shots like he did in Game 5 of that series. His facilitation is important, yes, but the Pacers also need him to be aggressive in scoring the ball. Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam have been wonderful during this postseason run, but Indiana needs its best player to show up in a matchup where the Pacers will be heavily overlooked.
Prediction
I just don’t trust Indiana’s defense to make enough stops for their high-powered offense to matter too much in Game 1. I don’t think it will be a particularly high scoring affair, either, because I suspect the Celtics will come out a little rusty with that time off. But even with that rust, I still think the Pacers will be at a disadvantage. I do think the Pacers pick up a couple wins in this series, but I don’t see it happening in Game 1. The pick: Celtics -10
