It's the same story that it was two seasons ago but a different path. The Boston Celtics are coming out of the Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs picture for a chance to snag their 18th Larry O'Brien trophy. This core led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum has been here before. They have the experience and it just took late-game collapses from the Indiana Pacers to get it done. Whether it's the Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Timberwolves that they face, Paul Pierce issued a stern reminder for the squad.
Paul Pierce urges them to stay the course
There is a lot to be hyped about. Many reasons are also surfacing around for the Celtics to win it all in the NBA Playoffs. From winning it for Bill Russell and the late Bill Walton to finally killing the narrative that they had the easiest path, getting riled up after beating the Pacers can be easy. However, Paul Pierce is keeping the squad grounded amid all of this hype.
“Congrats but job not finished let’s gooooooo,” the former Celtics Finals MVP declared.
Paul Pierce has been in this situation before. The Celtics were on the verge of winning yet another title against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. After clawing themselves back up until they reached the last round of the NBA Playoffs, the dream dissipated after absorbing tough losses. This squad is now going to be tested once again. They are not just facing the Western Conference champions but also the media narratives, crippling pressure, and everything in the middle. All of which are very real factors which affect a team's execution in the postseason.
They now have Jrue Holiday and are awaiting a return from Kristaps Porzingis. Derrick White has also answered the call to get better. Lastly, there is a lot of certainty that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown no longer want to have that sour taste in their mouths after getting beat by the Golden State Warriors. Pierce may not really be the best voice of reason at times but he is right. The job is not yet done and there are still four more wins they must notch before bringing Banner 18 home.
Celtics edge out the Pacers
Don't let these four games in the NBA Playoffs fool anyone. It was a competitive series regardless of Tyrese Haliburton and Benedict Matthurin's absences. Veterans TJ McConnell, Pascal Siakam, and even Andrew Nembhard all did well in executing their advanced pass-based offense. Even when the Celtics broke their plays, Coach Rick Carlisle had the personnel to salvage their schemes.
But, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were just a little bit too much for anyone to handle. In the final game, they both played 44 minutes apiece. Tatum notched a huge double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds. He was also just two assists shy of recording a double-double to send the Pacers packing. Brown, who won the Larry Bird trophy, led the Celtics in scoring with 29 points while also grabbing six rebounds.
The fact that the Celtics outgunned a Pacers squad that had five 12+ point scorers made their late-game execution all the more impressive. The job's not done, though.
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