The Boston Celtics are back in the NBA Finals! In a hard-fought 4-0 sweep, the Celtics remained a perfect 6-0 on the road to knock off the Indiana Pacers and advance to the NBA Finals. Jaylen Brown capped an incredible series by scoring 29 points and six rebounds to win the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP. The Indiana Pacers must be credited for turning around a 35-47 record in 2022-23 to finish 47-35 and the 6th seed in the conference this season. The Pacers were underdogs in rounds 1 and 2 and somehow toppled the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks. The future looks bright in Indiana with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam as building blocks for the future. However, in this article, we will discuss how the Celtics sealed the deal to advance to the 23rd NBA Finals in franchise history. Also, we will preview Game 4 in the Western Conference Finals and predict whether the series will be on Tuesday Night.
1. How the Celtics Advanced
The Celtics have been criticized for end-of-game execution in the regular season. Boston won 64 games but lost 12 of their 18 games in crunch time when the game is within 5 points under the last 5 minutes. Still, the team was 4th in that category behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks because they won 21 of the 33 games. However, the difference in this series was Boston’s ability to stay poised in close games. Two of the first three games against the Pacers were won by 8 points, and Game 4 was the same story. Boston finished the game on a 15-4 run with Tatum and Brown making the big shots, doing the playmaking and defensive stops. Yet, the game was sealed when Derrick White drilled a corner three on a perfect assist by Jaylen Brown. Drew Holiday grabbed a pivotal offensive rebound that sparked celebrations by the green jerseys in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It feels like the Celtics in 2022 & 2023 were the Pacers in 2024, but the experience of heartache has propelled this team to 4 wins away from Banner 18.
2. Can the Mavericks close the deal?
It feels like the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves are playing a series that mirrors the East Conference Finals. The Mavericks won the first two games by 4 points, and in the third game, it was tied 104-104 with 4 minutes left. However, like the Celtics, the Mavericks executed in crunch time, and in Game 3, they finished the game on a 12-3 run to finish the game. The duo of Doncic and Irving have been a menace for the Timberwolves in this series and scored 66 points combined in the Game 3 win. In Game 4, Minnesota’s chance to avoid the sweep will depend on Karl Anthony Towns bouncing back from his shooting slump. Towns scored 14 points by shooting 5 of 18 from the field and 0 of 8 from the three-point line. Towns prides himself as one the best big shooting players in the league but in this series, he is just 3 of 22 from distance. Towns must take advantage of the mismatch in the post and provide support to Edwards, who scored 26 points in Game 3. Also, Chris Finch must coach with desperation and adjust going small in their lineup to match the versatility of the Mavericks lineup. Ultimately, I think the Mavericks will close the deal because they will see the opportunity to get rest for Luka’s ailing knee and Dereck Lively as pivotal for the upcoming series. I have the Mavericks winning a close hard-fought game at home and making their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years.