NBA Playoff Preview: Celtics Set to Battle Pacers in Eastern Conference Finals
Pacers Aim to Upset Top-Seeded Boston
Indiana Struggles Against Celtics in Regular Season
The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers are set to face off in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Celtics entering the series as heavy favorites. The Pacers, who upset the top-seeded Miami Heat in the second round, will need to find a way to overcome the Celtics' size and depth.
In five meetings during the regular season, the Pacers shot just 46.8% overall and 31.8% from three-point range against the Celtics. Those numbers are a significant drop from their 82-game averages of 49.1% and 38.6%, respectively. The Celtics, meanwhile, shot 50.3% overall and 39.6% from three-point range against the Pacers.
The Celtics are also the more experienced team, having reached the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the past two seasons. The Pacers, on the other hand, have not reached the conference finals since 2014.
Betting Odds
The Celtics are -1000 favorites to win the series, while the Pacers are +650 underdogs.
Prediction
The Celtics are the clear favorites in this series, but the Pacers have shown that they are a dangerous team. If they can shoot the ball well and play with the same energy that they did against the Heat, they could give the Celtics a run for their money. However, the Celtics' size and experience should ultimately prevail.
Prediction: Celtics in 6
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