Celtics

“I think they’re undervaluing and underappreciating the talent level of the Pacers.”

The Celtics will need to get past the Indiana Pacers if they want to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.

As expected, Boston is viewed as the overwhelming favorite in this matchup with the sixth-seeded Pacers. According to Vegas Insider, the Celtics are seen by experts as a -1300 betting favorite in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But even though the Celtics hold the edge in terms of star power and defensive fortitude against a run-and-gun Indiana offense, former NBA guard Austin Rivers offered up an ominous warning to the Celtics and their fans ahead of Boston’s bout with the underdog Pacers. 

“I think Celtics fans are doing themselves a disservice. I think they’re undervaluing and underappreciating the talent level of the Pacers, more so the depth, too,” Rivers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “First off, the Pacers are a dangerous team. They’re highly confident, they’re well-coached. They’re coming off winning a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden. Those guys are all healthy over there. You have guys tapping in, playing the best basketball of their careers.”

Even though the Pacers were not tabbed as a title contender entering the 2023-24 season, they can put Boston on its heels thanks to a fast-paced offense. Indiana led the NBA in scoring during the regular season, averaging 123.3 points per contest — along with a league-best 30.8 assists per game and 50.7 field-goal percentage.

The Pacers were also one of just four teams in the NBA this season to hand Boston multiple losses this year, even though the Celtics still held a 3-2 series edge against Indy during the regular season.

Indiana’s defense is an area that Boston can exploit, given that the team ranked 27th in the NBA during the regular season at 120.2 points allowed per game. But if Boston’s defensive intensity has extended lapses, the Pacers can pile on points in a hurry and make these games interesting. 

“The Pacers could be problematic, man,” Rivers added. “If they steal one of these games on the road, it could be trouble because we all know the Pacers at home are a whole difficult ballclub. They don’t lose at home. 

“They have one of the best home environments in sports. The Celtics have to be careful because they’ve been playing, like, this lollygag basketball where they give away a game and they haven’t really tapped in because they haven’t had to. You can’t do that vs. the Pacers, man. People are underappreciating this team.”

Rivers is far from the only former NBA player who has cautioned the Celtics about not taking Indy lightly in this series. 

“I have this series going seven games, OK?” former Celtics big man Kendrick Perkins predicted earlier this week on “The Pat McAfee Show”. “I give the nod to the Celtics, but this Indiana Pacers team has shown me something these first two rounds. They’re not going anywhere.

“Whether the world believes in them or not, they believe in themselves. That’s the most important thing, and they’re showing it. They’re showing it and they’re not backing down from anyone. You want to play physical? We can do that. We’re gonna put up points because we arguably have the best pure point guard in the league, Tyrese Haliburton, who wants to get everyone involved.”