Indiana Pacers preparing for Boston Celtics in Conference Finals: 'This is a challenge that we've earned'

The Pacers and Celtics will battle with a trip to the Finals on the line

Nov 1, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) goes to the basket versus the Boston Celtics / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — By vanquishing the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, the Indiana Pacers are off to the Eastern Conference Finals. It's their first appearance in the East's final round since 2014 and their ninth all time. They are four wins from the NBA Finals.

The Boston Celtics stand in their way. The historic franchise is the ultimate test for NBA teams this season — they finished 64-18 this year and ranked in the top-two in both offensive and defensive rating. Their starting five has no holes. Ask Cleveland and Miami about the Celtics — they were both dispatched in five games by the league's powerhouse team.

The Pacers will be the next group that tries to take them down. Indiana, the "uninvited guests," as head coach Rick Carlisle called them Sunday afternoon, has already toppled two teams with a better record than them in the postseason, and their high-powered offense hasn't slowed down at all. Boston has the best playoff defensive rating of the four teams still remaining — Indiana has the top offense. Something will give in the best-of-seven set.

"We know we've still got another series, possibly two, to go. It starts with Boston. We're all excited for that challenge," Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said on Sunday. He was sandwiched between teammates Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner when he said that, and those three were all terrific when it counted in Game 7 against New York. They combined for 63 points on 25/43 shooting.

That's how the Pacers beat the Knicks and will hope to beat the Celtics. When Indiana can play at their pace and get enough stops, they are hard to combat. New York and Milwaukee found out the hard way. Boston, though, is a different beast. Their individual defenders are among the best in the league. It will be tougher for the blue and gold to create the same advantages they did in the first two rounds, though the Pacers have found a way to overcome every challenge so far.

"As a collective, we just brought a ton of energy and made timely shots," Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said after Game 7 of Pacers-Knicks. "It was a happy locker room for sure... very happy locker room, but now we get ready for Boston."

The Celtics have a seemingly endless supply of strong defenders in their opening five. Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis are all above average on the less glamorous end of the floor, and they can drop Al Horford in with Porzingis sidelined and not miss a beat. They are tough to crack.

Indiana has been good at playing their game and finding holes against any defense. That's why they had a top offense during the regular season and the top offense during the playoffs. Haliburton is proud of the fact that his team has maintained their quicker tempo in the postseason — a setting that many thought would require the blue and gold to slow down.

That's where this series will become fascinating. The Celtics currently have the NBA's slowest pace in the playoffs. The Pacers want to play fast and are at their best when they do so. If Indiana gets into their offense quickly, will they dictate how these games go? Or will Boston's strong defense, combined with their top-tier offensive punch, set a slower game? That clash will define the Eastern Conference Finals.

"They're a team that just set the pace for the entire league this year," Carlisle said of Boston on Sunday evening. "We have an idea of what we are getting into up there with their crowd and the level or talent they have. But this is a challenge that we've earned, and we're looking forward to it."

Few outside of Indianapolis thought the Pacers would make it this far, but the team always had a belief that this was possible. They held a players-only trip to Nashville before the season started where they set goals, and the team wasn't just happy to be in the playoff field. They wanted to achieve much more.

"We're happy to be in, but our work's just begun," Carlisle explained before the postseason. "That's the way we're going to look at this. Just getting to the playoffs is not the goal. The goal is a championship." Now, Indiana is only four wins ahead from reaching the NBA Finals and having a shot at the championship. The Celtics stand in their way.

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• Historic offensive night for Indiana Pacers leads to historic Game 7 win over New York Knicks. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics Eastern Conference Finals series schedule. CLICK HERE.
• With the Indiana Pacers facing elimination, Pascal Siakam delivered a masterpiece. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers crush New York Knicks in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals . CLICK HERE.
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