Indianapolis — this timeThe Boston Celtics’ trip to the Eastern Conference Finals is over without any public or press conference clamor that the coach must go, and oh, by the way, let’s throw a wrecking ball at the roster.
this timeThe Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 105-102 on Monday night at Gambridge Arena to complete a sweep of the Indiana Pacers. Some quick play-by-play is in order here, starting with the Celtics’ 10-2 run after trailing all night. Jayson Tatum’s breakaway dunk made it 100-100, and then, ahem, Series MVP Jaylen Brown’s 8-foot jumper tied the score at 102-102 again. Brown defended next, blocking Andrew Nembhard’s 3-pointer with 1:05 left.
and then? Then, for all practical purposes, Derrick White hit a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and the Celtics trailed by eight with 5:56 left and 4:14 left. 5 points behind.
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Celtics sweep Pacers to advance to NBA Finals
Yes, White’s game-winning shot happened to come on the one-year anniversary of last year’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, but that’s just fodder for “trivia night” at the local sports bar, folks. In the real world, especially the real NBA, this doesn’t make any sense. The Celtics in the 2024 playoffs are different from the Celtics in the 2023 playoffs, as they rallied after losing their first three games to win three straight before a Game 7 at TD Garden was eliminated. No, these Celtics are not Celtics at all, something Brown pointed out after the game, saying: “We have different teams, different coaches every year. We’ve had three coaches in the last five years. .Still, people want it to look the same, the same, the time has passed and we’re ready to go all out.
Brown is, of course, right. When asked if he was surprised to be named the series MVP, he was right, and it was really fun. “I didn’t expect this at all,” he said. “I’ve never won (expletive), so…”
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Jaylen Brown wins Eastern Conference Finals MVP
Annoyingly, Brown didn’t receive the individual regular-season award that many NBA fans (including one NBA fan named Jaylen Brown) thought he should have received. It’s great that Brown proved his doubters wrong with a stellar performance against the Pacers — a corner 3-pointer in overtime that won Game 1 and Game 2. 40 points in a game, solid two-way play in Game 4 – but it was more than that. Yes, the Celtics are “different teams every year,” but it’s the same, same, same: These are the Tatum/Brown Celtics, or, for those For someone who thinks position on the marquee is important, the Brown/Tatum Celtics. This is their time, their own era, but they haven’t won a championship yet. Now, they’re in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years and have an even better supporting cast — especially if Kristaps Porziis returns.
So if expectations are anything to go by – and they are, they are – the Celtics haven’t won anything yet. The Celtics’ losses to Dallas or Minnesota in the NBA Finals definitely don’t come with a glimmer of hope, a life lesson, or a glass half-full. But that’s for later. For now, as it stands today, Celtic deserve praise for their lofty prize-focused work ethic.
Combine that with what happened in Game 4 and Game 3, when Boston rallied from an 18-point deficit to win, and what we have here is a team that coaches at every level can use when explaining talent. Show and tell teams can’t win on talent alone. They also win because of their ability to perform an old-fashioned gut check.
“We feel comfortable in any type of game,” White said. “We feel like we can address any issue the team throws at us, no matter the situation.”
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A lot will be written about the Pacers’ ease against the Celtics in this series. They probably should have won the first game, they could have won the third and fourth games. Hit TJ McConnell hard in the face. It was ruled a common foul. “We feel like it’s unfortunate, but it doesn’t rise to the level of a flagrant foul,” captain Zach Zarba said in a pool report.
There is room for adults to discuss how this game should be judged. Kevin McHale’s clothesline Kurt Rambis was a hit even though it wasn’t, even if it was an accidental delivery, it had hair on it.
The idea that the Pacers should win this or that game is critical of the Celtics to a ridiculous degree. That’s like saying the Seattle Seahawks should have won Super Bowl 49 but lost to the Patriots because Russell Wilson decided to throw the ball. That’s like saying the Red Sox should have won Game 6 of the 1986 World Series but lost because Bill Buckner put the ball between his legs.
Don’t do that. Seriously, stop it. The Celtics currently have a 12-2 playoff record. But they didn’t hurt everyone. They happen to be the team with the best record and Best bowel exam.
(Derek White’s game-winning shot against Aaron Nesmith Photo: Dylan Burr/Getty Images)
