The Indiana Pacers finished the 2018-19 NBA regular season with a 48-34 record, which was the same as they had last year. Even without Victor Oladipo, the Pacers are going to be a tough out in the playoffs.

Boston is currently favored to win the series and they aren't expected to have too much difficulty. For those fans and analysts who think that, simply looking back to last season should be a lesson. Indiana, with Oladipo, pushed LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of the postseason.

Granted, not having Oladipo is going to put the Pacers in a tough spot. Even without him, though, the Pacers have the pieces necessary to make a run in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Indiana is going to have their work cut out for them. That being said, if they play their game and don't fall into the traps that Boston will set for them, this series is going to be long and entertaining.

Let's take a look at the three main keys for Indiana to focus on in order to contend with Boston and possibly even beat them and move on in the playoffs.

3. Bojan Bogdanovic Has To Remain Consistent

One of the most important things in this series will be the play of Bojan Bogdanovic. With Oladipo out, Bogdanovic has become the Pacers' go-to scorer. He has played very well, but has had some consistency issues.

Brad Stevens is going to focus his dangerous defense on Bogdanovic. If the Pacers want to beat the Celtics, Bogdanovic will have to be a legitimate No. 1 scoring option each and every game.

Bogdanovic has stepped up all season long and that won't change in the playoffs.

2. Don't Let Boston Win on the Glass

Boston is more than capable of beating teams up on the glass. Indiana has struggled at times this season in the rebounding category, but that simply cannot be the case in this series.

Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Domantas Sabonis will need to clean the boards. They are more than capable of beating Boston on the boards, but that has to be one of their primary focuses.

It is going to be entertaining to watch this specific aspect of the series. Nate McMillan has preached rebounding all season long and now is the time for Indiana to come through. They have the personnel needed, but have to make things happen on the floor.

1. Do Not Get Into an Up-Tempo Battle with the Celtics

Finally, the Pacers must be careful when it comes to the tempo of the game. Boston loves to get out and run and Indiana cannot beat them at their own game. Slowing the ball down and picking and choosing when to play fast would be a wise decision.

Kyrie Irving and company are too good in transition. They can get open threes and knock them down at will and are dangerous in the paint. Speeding the game up too much will end in turnovers and fast-break points for the Celtics.

Indiana has shown the ability to execute well in the half-court. If they focus on slowing down and getting quality looks without turning the basketball over, things will be much better for them.

Final Breakdown

Both teams are going to play aggressive and tough on both ends of the court. Indiana has been proud of their ability to muck up the game and win hard-fought battles, which will need to be the case in this series.

Expect to see Indiana make this series a six or seven-game series. If they can steal one of the first two in Boston, they are going to make things very interesting.