4. Boston Celtics – 5. Indiana Pacers
Regular Season Series: Boston 3-1
What an incredible series this would be if the Indiana Pacers had their All-Star Victor Oladipo. Oladipo had been having an incredible run in his time in Indy prior to his devastating quad injury and if he hadn’t gone down, there’s no question in my mind that the Pacers would have finished higher than the fifth seed.
Nevertheless, even without him, the rest of the Pacers squad is a resilient and experienced group. Myles Turner is a beast in the paint and his backup, sixth man extraordinaire Domantas Sabonis, is not one to be trifled with. Bojan Bogdanovic has stepped up as a prolific scorer for the Pacers in Oladipo’s absence and has been a solid offensive weapon.
But, of course, the Celtics are a team that, despite struggles throughout the season, is built to go far in the playoffs. Last year they made it all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals despite not having Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward. Now, with both in action and Hayward finishing the season quite strong, their largest obstacle may very well be themselves.
Chemistry (or a lack thereof) has been Boston’s biggest issue throughout the season. And if that translates over to the postseason, it will likely mean big trouble. Meanwhile, the Pacers are the complete opposite on the drama scale. For all this team’s perceived shortcomings, especially sans Oladipo, they are as tight-knit and together as they come.
So therein lies the question. Will Indy’s togetherness and cohesion be able to outmatch Boston’s sheer talent and depth? Can a strong Pacer defense slow the likes of Irving and a well-rounded squad?
One thing’s certain, Indy will bring the fight. But I simply think they lack the offensive firepower and shot creating without Oladipo that they’d need to stop Boston. Despite a turbulent regular season, I still wouldn’t be surprised to see the Celtics make a deep run in the playoffs, so I’d be pretty surprised if an Indiana team without its main guy is able to stop them in the first round, especially without home court advantage where they’ve been so dangerous all season long.
Prediction: Celtics in 6