NBA Playoff Picks 5/23 – Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celitcs

NBA Playoff Picks 5/23 – Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celitcs

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The Eastern Conference Finals continue tonight with the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers (47-35) visiting the top-seeded Boston Celtics (64-18) in Game Two on ESPN. Boston leads the series 1-0 after a 133-128 overtime win on Tuesday night. The Celtics 133 points is their highest scoring playoff total since a 157-128 win against the New York Knicks in April 1990. Boston has won three of four against Indiana since losing to them in the quarterfinal of the first annual In-Season Tournament on Dec. 4, 2023. Boston is a 9-point favorite and the total is 225. 

Game One saw Boston rally for a 133-128 overtime win on Tuesday and take a 1-0 series lead. Indiana appeared to have the game in hand after being up 117-114 and having possession of the ball with just 10 seconds remaining. But a bad inbounds pass caused Paskal Siakam to step out of bounds and give possession back to Boston with 8.1 seconds left. Boston’s Jaylen Brown then knocked down a 23-foot three-pointer from the left sideline with 6.1 seconds left to tie the game at 117. Indiana’s Tyese Haliburton airballed a highly-contested three as time expired. 

All five Indiana starters scored in double figures. Tyrese Haliburton (25 points, 10 assists), Paskal Siakam (24 points, 12 rebounds) and Myles Turner (23 points, 10 rebounds) each had 20-point double doubles in the loss. Indiana also received big contributions from Obi Toppin (15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal) and T.J. McConnell (13 points, 4 assists, 1 steal) off the bench. The Pacers committed 22 turnovers in Game One which is ten above their season average.

Boston’s starters combined for 120 points in the Game One win. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points (12-26 FG, 2-8 3 Pt, 10-12 FT), 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in 46 minutes. He scored 10 of Boston’s 16 points in overtime. Jrue Holiday added a season-high 28 points (10-16 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals across 48 minutes. Jaylen Brown contributed 26 points (10-20 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-8 FT), 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Tatum, Holiday and Brown became the first trio in NBA history to record 25+ points and 3 steals in a playoff game. 

GAME STORYLINES: INDIANA

In February 2022, the Indiana Pacers made the surprising decision to trade their star big man Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings in an exchange for a trade package that featured then-22-year-old, second-year point guard Tyrese Haliburton. During his one and a half seasons in Sacramento, Haliburton had been relegated to a secondary role to established star point guard De’Aaron Fox as both were extremely talented but played the same position. Haliburton averaged about 13.5 ppg during his brief stint in Sacramento.

Upon his arrival in Indiana during the 2021-22 season, Tyrese Haliburton immediately elevated his game to an elite status. He averaged 17.5 ppg and 9.6 apg in 26 games as a Pacer.  In his first full season (2022-23) with the Pacers, Haliburton averaged a career-high 20.7 points, 10.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.9 threes on 49 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent shooting from long distance in 56 games. Haliburton’s outstanding play was a big reason the Pacers increased their win total by 10 games to 35-47 in 2022-23. He was also named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

NBA Playoff Picks 5/23 – Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celitcs

Tyrese Haliburton was excellent again in his second full season with Indiana this year. He finished the regular season averaging 20.1 points, a career-high 10.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.8 threes on 47.7 percent shooting from the floor. He was named an All-Star for a second straight season while leading Indiana to a 47-35 record and the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. Indiana has won a playoff series and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Despite dealing with a right ankle sprain and lower back spasms, Haliburton has been tremendous in his first career playoff appearance. He’s averaging 19.3 points, 8.2 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.6 threes on 48.8 percent from the floor through 14 playoff games. He averaged 21.3 ppg on 53.8 shooting from the floor and 43.9 percent from beyond the arc as the Pacers outlasted the New York Knicks in 7 games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.  

Indiana acquired two-time All-Star and NBA champion Paskal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 18. Siakam averaged 21.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg on 54.3% from the floor in 41 regular season games with Indiana. He’s putting up almost identical numbers through Indiana’s 14 postseason games, and has scored 20 or more points in four straight playoff games. Siakam averaged 19 ppg in 19 postseason games for the Toronto Raptors when they won the 2019 NBA title. His versatility and playoff experience has been key in Indiana’s run to the Eastern Conference finals. 

GAME STORYLINES: BOSTON

Over the last two seasons, the Boston Celtics have come up just short of winning an NBA championship. In 2022, they lost 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Last season, Boston lost a hard-fought 7-game series to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. After acquiring former All-Stars Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason, Boston entered this season with enormous expectations. 

The Boston Celtics lived up to/exceeded their enormous expectations this season as they finished with the best record in the NBA at 64-18 and completed one of the most dominant regular seasons in NBA history. Boston set an NBA record with nineteen 25-point wins and won ten games by 30 or more points. Boston’s 64 wins is their most since the 2007-08 season when they finished 66-16 and won the NBA title behind the trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Boston now finds themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth time in the last seven seasons and are now the favorites to win the title. 

NBA Playoff Picks 5/23 – Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celitcs

The All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston again this season. The 26-year-old, five-time All-Star Tatum averaged 26.9 ppg and 8.1 rpg on 47.1% from the floor in 74 regular season games. Brown averaged 23 ppg and 5 rpg on 49.9% from the floor in 70 games. Tatum is averaging 25.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals through 11 postseason games. He leads Boston in scoring, rebounding and assists in the postseason.  Tatum scored a playoff-high 36 points in the Celtics Game 1 win on Tuesday night and is averaging 31.8 ppg over his last four games.

Boston center Kristaps Porzingis went down with a right calf strain in Game 4 of the first round series against Miami on Apr. 29, and has missed the last 7 playoff games. ESPN is reporting that Porzingis could be back for Game 4 against the Pacers on May 27. Guard Derrick White has increased his production – from 15.2 ppg to 17.9 ppg – in the postseason with Porzingis out. He’s Boston’s third leading scorer through 11 postseason games. White scored a career-high 38 points in Boston’s 102-88 Game 4 win at Miami on Apr. 29.

THE PICK: CELTICS (-9)

I think Boston got their one “off game” out of the way in Game 1 and will come out on fire tonight and pummel the Pacers. Lay the 10 points and take the Celtics!