NBA Playoffs: (6) Indiana Pacers @ (1) Boston Celtics, Game 1

As the NBA reaches this new era where dynasties are dead and parity has run rampant, the lowest-seeded team remaining in these Playoffs is the Pacers (47-35), who find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a decade. Emerging from a playoff field that was thrown into utter chaos due to injuries to a slew of key players, Indiana arrives to this stage of the postseason with a very different team than what we've come to expect. The highest-scoring side in the NBA at 120.1 points per game, (HC) Rick Carlisle's troops are all about pace and depth, logging 101.7 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd Overall) with the deepest bench in the league at 46.6 points (1st Overall). Furthermore, Indy gets A LOT of good shots evidenced by their 50.7% shooting from the field (1st Overall) aided heavily by a whopping 30.8 assists (1st Overall). (All-Star Point Guard) Tyrese Haliburton is the conductor of this machine, pacing the Association with 10.9 assists, surrounded by seven other players scoring in double-figures. Many of their doubters were silenced in Sunday's stunning 130-109 drubbing of the Knicks in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, an affair in which they shot a ridiculous 67.1% from the field, the best shooting percentage ever authored in a series' seventh installment.

Things to Know: It looks like the public is still riding the wave following Sunday's stunning performance in the Big Apple, as roughly 60% of all bets wagered upon tonight's opener siding with the Pacers. This team has been remarkably consistent in terms of their SU/ATS success, with just 4 games separating the 2 records, posting a 51-42-2 mark ATS, equating to a net profit of 4.36 units. Since January 15th, Indiana has covered back-to-back games on 7 occasions, though have yet to manage to cover 3 in a row over that span. Carlisle's charges are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings with Boston, though have split their past 10 encounters at TD Garden. Indy lost 3 of their 5 affairs against the Celtics during the regular season, including an ugly 104-155 defeat in Beantown back on November 11th. Haliburton & Co did best them in a thrilling 133-131 tilt in early January to send them to In-Season Tournament Semifinals in Las Vegas. Defense was the main issue in those meetings, as the Pacers shipped a dismal 129.0 points per game on 52.3% shooting and 43.6% from three, while getting outrebounded by a margin of 10.4 boards. Carlisle is very familiar with the Celtics, having spent the first 3 years of his playing career with the franchise, winning an NBA Championship in 1986. Historically speaking, Indiana is 1-7 all-time in the ECF, with their lone triumph coming in 2000.

Playmaker to Watch: As Haliburton goes, so do the Pacers. The head of the proverbial snake, the All-Star looks like he's fully healthy after a nasty hamstring strain struck midseason, while lower back spasms had affected him in the Playoffs. With that being said, excluding Game 1 of the previous series against New York, Haliburton has shifted into more of a scorer, averaging 23.8 points on a lethal 55.1% shooting and 44.3% from beyond the arc, along with 4.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Furthermore, the 24-year-old led the charge in Sunday's staggering 21-point victory at MSG, torching the Knicks for 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting (58.8%) and 6-of-12 from three (50.0%). It will be interesting to see if he and his teammates can carry that momentum with them into this ECF against the Celtics, whom they struggled against. In 4 encounters, Haliburton logged 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 1.7 steals, though shot just 41.1% overall and 32.1% from downtown.

Meanwhile, the rest of the eastern playoff field may have been chaos, but the Celtics (64-18) have handled their business over the last 6 weeks, winning each of their first 2 series in an efficient 5 games. Though they benefitted by Miami and Cleveland missing many key personnel, it hasn't been as if Boston has played to their lofty potential either. As we'll detail in a bit, (HC) Joe Mazzulla's outfit hasn't been completely healthy and their brightest star, (All-NBA Swingman) Jayson Tatum hasn't been at his personal best in these Playoffs either. With that in mind, these Celtics are 8-2 in this postseason, edging the opposition in points (+11.4), field goal percentage (+3.1%), three-pointers (+75), rebounds (+91), and free-throws (+59). (All-Star Guard) Jaylen Brown has been nothing short of a force thus far with 23.1 points on 55.4% shooting, while (fellow Guard) Derrick White doing the same with 18.2 points on 48.5% shooting and 43.5% from three.

Things to Know: The public appears to be a bit reticent to ride with the Celtics in this Game 1, even if they have enjoyed nearly a week off, as 45% of all money wagered on tonight's opening chapter has been placed up the shamrocks. Of course, that could because they are once again favored by 10+ points, marking the 40th time that has been the case this season (1st Overall). Boston is 21-17-2 when facing such a spread, including 4-3 in these Playoffs. Mazzulla's charges are 3-2 in 5 meetings with the Pacers from the regular season, beating them by an average margin of 12.2 points along the way. This is a team that may have sustained their only 2 defeats of this postseason at home, but they've been nothing short of dominant in each of the previous series openers, hammering Miami and Cleveland by a combined 45 points. In injury-related news, (Veteran Center) Kristaps Porzingis isn't expected to return to action tonight or in Game 2 for that matter, due to a right soleus strain suffered in Game 5 of the first round. While they haven't missed him yet, the common narrative is that he will be needed in order to claim their first Larry O'Brien Trophy since 2008. Historically, this the 39th time that Boston have advanced to the ECF, most of any eastern team in the NBA, owning a 22-16 record in those series.

Playmaker to Watch: This has gotta be Tatum, folks. The 26-year-old was recently named to his third consecutive All-NBA First Team, evolving into a star for a franchise that has had plenty of them over their long history. However, the difference between simply being a star and a SUPERSTAR is performing at a high level in the Playoffs, which is where Tatum has laid some eggs over the past few years. The 2022 NBA Finals was a trainwreck in which he shot just 36.7% from the field with 3.8 turnovers against the Warriors, while last year's ECF disaster at the hands of the Heat featured a 14-point, 5-of-13 shooting performance in a 19-point loss at home in Game 7. Tatum has thus far shot 43.0% overall and a mere 28.1% from three in this postseason, though to his credit he has made up for it at the charity stripe (7.1 FT), on the glass (10.4 REB), and as a distributor (5.4 AST). For those wondering, he feasted on Indiana in four encounters during the regular season, with 32.5 points on 57.8% shooting and 48.6% from long range.

Our Take: Celtics 118, Pacers 107