The Boston Celtics pulled off another hard-fought victory in Game 4 over the Indiana Pacers to complete their sweep of them, advancing to the 2024 NBA Finals in the process. The 105-102 win didn't feel secure until the final buzzer sounded, but the C's did exactly what they needed to do down the stretch of this game to win, and the reward is their second trip to the Finals in the past three years.
Game 4 followed an eerily similar script to Boston's Game 3 victory. They trailed for much of the second half before making a spirited late rally, due in large part to some fantastic defense and timely shot-making on the other end of the floor. The gap in playoff experience between these two squads clearly played a big part in the outcome of these games, but the Celtics managed to prove just how much they have grown during the Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown era of their franchise's storied history.
Entering the playoffs, the biggest potential pothole the Celtics were going to have to navigate on their quest to raise Banner 18 was their play in close games. And while it wasn't necessarily expected to be proven against a seemingly overmatched Pacers team, the C's showed in this quick sweep that they can, in fact, go out and close games late in the fourth quarter when they have to.
The Celtics prove crunch-time concerns were overexaggerated
Boston finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA at 64-18, and while they weren't perfect, they didn't have many noticeable flaws on their roster. If anything, the biggest worry was that they hadn't really been challenged during the regular season, which was somewhat true. How would they fare in the face of adversity in the playoffs?
There's been a lot of complaints about the Celtics playoff run, but that's been largely due to the opponents they have faced. The Miami Heat didn't have Jimmy Butler at all in their first-round series, the Cleveland Cavaliers only had Donovan Mitchell for three games, and the Indiana Pacers only had Tyrese Haliburton for two games.
Sure, injury woes have worked out in Boston's favor, but there's no such thing as an easy win in the playoffs. The Heat were always going to be a pest, and the Cavs put up a valiant effort without Mitchell and Jarrett Allen (who missed the entire second-round series) in their final two games, and you can make a legit case that the Pacers were better over their final two games without Haliburton on the floor, which is a shocking statement to even type out.
The narrative surrounding the Celtics run to the Finals is surely blown out of proportion, simply because nothing is guaranteed in the NBA. You have to go out and play, or else the other team is going to come out and punch you in the face. Boston weathered the flurry of tough midrange jumpers Indiana hit throughout this series and delivered the goods when they had to.
That started in Game 1, when Jaylen Brown improbably hit a massive game-tying three to force overtime, which ended up leading to a 133-128 victory. Sure, the Celtics threw away a game they largely had control of from the opening tip, but they never gave up, and the result was a victory that would end up defining this series.
Game 2 was the only contest in which the Celtics never really had to sweat out a win. Games 3 and 4, though, were pretty much carbon copies as previously noted. But they also provided the blueprint for how Boston can win clutch contests. Play smothering defense, while going down on the other end of the floor and taking high-probability shots.
Ironically enough, Tatum's decision to not take the best possible shot in the biggest situations of both games nearly cost them. In Game 3, he took a wild left-handed layup through two defenders that he ended up missing. In Game 4, he dribbled out the shot clock before settling for a stepback three that clanked off the back iron.
In both cases, he ended up getting bailed out by the unsung hero of this series in Jrue Holiday. In Game 3, Holiday proceeded to steal the ball from Andrew Nembhard on the ensuing possession, drawing a foul with 1.7 seconds left and burying a pair of free throws. In Game 4, Holiday secured the offensive rebound on Tatum's miss, kicking the ball out to Brown, who ran out the clock before the Pacers could commit a foul to extend the game.
It may seem like two small plays, but Holiday has come to personify the growth that Boston has made in these clutch moments this season. Whereas in previous seasons they would kill their offense by settling for isolation-heavy sets, they have largely continued to play within their offense late in games. Holiday was a calming presence late in each of these games, and the rest of the team followed suit.
Yes, Tatum settled for isolation shots to potentially win both Games 3 and 4, but he also played a massive role in getting Boston back into these games. Take his assist-of-the-year candidate on a behind-the-back pass to Al Horford in the corner for a wide open three that he nailed in Game 3 as a prime example of that. A year or two ago, that's not a play Tatum is even in a position to make.
Some fans will say that beating the Pacers shouldn't come with much fanfare, because this was a series the C's should have won. That's true, but Indiana just provided Boston with the toughest challenge they faced all season, even without Haliburton on the floor for the final two games. The good news for the Celtics is that they managed to pass in flying colors.
Now comes their biggest test of the season, which will be a Finals series against the Dallas Mavericks (unless, you know, the Minnesota Timberwolves end up pulling off a historic comeback from their 3-0 series deficit). Regardless of who they play, this will be Boston's biggest challenge of the year. And while some may argue that their playoff path has been easy, they have proven they are up to the task no matter who their opponent is, and that will serve them well as they look to rack up four more wins to wrap up their 2023-24 campaign.
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