The Eastern Conference Finals can still see the Indiana Pacers as the winners. Yes, the team lost a close one in the first game against what many considered the favorite, the Boston Celtics. However, as basketball fans saw against the New York Knicks, this is a resilient bunch. Therefore, some of the overlooked aspects from Game 1 could prove to be the pathway to facing the winner from the West.
For many, this side simply lacks the necessary star power to go on a deep playoff run. And despite making it this far, skeptics remain. However, this has less to do with how well they have played at times. Instead, this has more to do with the limitations of their opponents throughout the postseason, mainly through injury.
As the home team ended up cruising toward the end of a 133-128 victory, there was not enough attention given to the visitors of the evening. In many ways, they fumbled a great chance to steal a game away from home. Not only were they ahead late, but outside of the spectacular individual place down the stretch, the loss was ultimately a result of mental blunders at the worst possible time.
Tyrese Haliburton has been playing better as of late. Furthermore, he seems to have that extra pep in his step and has been playing with a level of confidence that seemed to have eroded throughout the regular season. However, in the second half, when he needed to lead his team for a couple of final possessions, his inability to create separation and loss of ball control opened the door for Boston.
It's impossible to take away the spectacular shot from Jaylen Brown and the pressure that caused the turnovers. But this was a game that the visitors had won, and the hosts are fortunate. The players mostly had the right mindset following the final whistle, and it is doubtful that either side will overreact one way or another. But there were some key takeaways from the game.
Why the Indiana Pacers Should Feel Optimistic
The style of basketball that the top-seed of the conference often chooses to play favors the six-seed. While they may not have the iso players of Brown or Jayson Tatum, they do an excellent job of fighting mismatches within the offense that they can go to over and over again. Furthermore, their shot selection when they're able to get into the flow of things early is often a great look.
Additionally, on defense, this is a team that can usually switch one through five. Of course, there are issues when a frontcourt player is able to use his size advantage on T.J. McConnell, for example. But that's the case across the league and isn't something unique to this roster. But even when physically outmatched, collective heart and grit often more than make up for any disadvantage.
Most importantly, this is a team that believes they can match up with anyone in the NBA, and most nights they can. Even early in the New York series, when they were down 2-0, some correctly pointed out that the games themselves were close. Therefore, when you consider the playoff meltdown history of the two top players on the other side and how they bounced back before, things are looking up.
If you're a fan of this team, it is far too early to even consider reaching for the panic button. At the very least, each individual game is going to be a battle, and it's more likely that this series will go to six or seven games than anything else. In reality, the Indiana Pacers are one clean inbounds pass away from having an early game advantage and being seen as the likely team to emerge from the East.
About the Author
Gabriel keeps his curiosity on the pulse of the sports world. Agree or disagree you can reach out to him on Twitter/X @BigTenGabriel, or send an email (gstesparza@gmail.com). He will respond! He's a fan of sports and competition in all forms. His past work includes content on various sites covering college football, college basketball, UFC, boxing, soccer, MLB, and the NFL.