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The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers’ road to the Eastern Conference finals has been largely shaped by what, or more precisely, who they have avoided facing along the way.
The Miami Heat, who were missing Jimmy Butler—the man who had tormented and broken the heart of the Celtics in Game 7 of the previous season’s conference finals—were largely defeated by top-seeded Boston in their 4-1 first-round series victory. Then, in the second round, they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1, despite missing All-Star Donovan Mitchell for the final two games due to injury.
There are also some noteworthy obstacles removed from Indiana’s path, which is ranked sixth. The Pacers defeated a Milwaukee club without Giannis Antetokounmpo in six games to advance to the first round. After that, they managed to hold off a 3-2 lead held by the New York Knicks, but they were forced to give up due to a slew of injuries, including star Jalen Brunson injuring his hand in the Pacers’ crushing victory in Game 7.
However, the stories about how they got here are not the main focus of either Boston or Indiana. They are present. And it’s now the NBA Finals or bust for both, starting with Game 1 on Tuesday night in Boston. That means erasing any memories of the championship hopes that have hung over the Celtics the whole season.
Forward Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics said, “You just got to focus on what matters most.” “That is your group. That is everything you have in front of you. Whatever your job is, that’s it. Just be able to focus the mind on what is important, as it is simple to become sidetracked or evaded from the target and overall goal when you begin to enjoy everything that is happening on around you. Tyrese Haliburton, an Indiana guard, stated that the team has always had high internal expectations.
“We held a player-only, coach-free preseason camp in Nashville. We were clear about that from the beginning. that our presence was anticipated. We’re not surprised by this, he remarked. It’s not a coincidence. Our group anticipates this from you. We knew we could really take off once we signed Pascal Siakam. Among the NBA’s final four teams, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is totally embracing the notion that his club is the “uninvited guest.” “We were fortunate enough to reach this point,” he remarked. “However, our guys worked hard to earn this opportunity.”
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