The Indiana Pacers earned a matchup against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals by defeating the injury-plagued New York Knicks in seven games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Luck has taken the runners-up in the NBA In-Season Tournament to their first conference finals trip in ten years, even though few predicted the No. 6 seed in the east to survive a side of the bracket that featured the Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, maybe the two biggest dangers outside of the Cs. Can they defeat Boston? The Celtics are currently huge favorites according to oddsmakers, with an opening line of -900. To cut a lengthy tale short, the answer is yes, but it would require a small miracle.
But miracles do happen, and Indiana has a better chance of seeing one with these three Pacers. Throughout the entire series against the Knicks, Pascal Siakam was a beast from the mid-range, finding his place at the elbow and draining fadeaway after fadeaway in a style reminiscent of Paul Pierce. With an impressive 53/40/71 shooting slash that
averaged 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal per game against New York, the January trade acquisition was a game-changer.
Siakam is a two-way player, but if he can slow down the Celtics’ top player, Jayson Tatum, his defense could win him a few additional million dollars this offseason. In that situation, no supporter of the Cs would be looking forward to Tatum’s speech, but they would be looking forward to a dominant Pacers frontcourt dominating a Boston team that is less without Kristaps Porzingis. Saying that Siakam might be the Pacers’ most valuable player in the Eastern Conference Finals is perhaps not overstating the case.
The Boston Celtics advanced to their sixth Eastern Conference Finals in the previous eight seasons by defeating a Miami Heat club without Jimmy Butler and a Cleveland Cavaliers team that had lost Donovan Mitchell by the end of the series. Outstanding? Yes, defeating everyone in front of you is always a noteworthy accomplishment in any professional sport. However, something to rejoice in? Absolutely not. It would be a huge letdown if Boston’s record season ended in the same round as the last one. When Draymond Green spoke on Inside The NBA on May 15, after Boston’s Game 5 victory over the Cavaliers, he correctly called attention to this with remarks that look like hate but actually perfectly describe the spirit of Celtics fans.
