Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 22/05/2024, 23:39  by Kennedy Kechula in NBA Predictions

The Indiana Pacers will be away to the Boston Celtics looking to tie their Eastern Conference finals matchup in game two. They lost game one 133-128 on the road after OT. The Celtics are seeking to win game two for the first time in these playoffs. Joe Mazzulla’s men, who have home-court advantage for the postseason, have lost the second game in each of their last two series. After a difficult game one, they will be wary of their visitors. Boston trailed late in the fourth quarter before a decisive three-point shot from Jaylen Brown forced overtime. It was the first time they had been forced to play OT in these playoffs. Brown scored 26 points while Jrue Holiday had his best offensive game in this year’s postseason and poured in 28 points. Jason Tatum scored a game-high 36 points, his third game in the last four matches with over 30 points. Boston, who were without Kristaps Porzingis and Xavier Tillman in game one, are averaging 110.4 points in the playoffs. Porzingis and Tillman are questionable for this game.

The Pacers looked to have game one in the bag late in the fourth quarter but were let down by a lack of concentration. They turned the ball over twice and quickly saw their five-point lead with less than two minutes left evaporated. Rick Carlisle’s me will be disappointed yes, but will be boosted by how they played against the number one team in the NBA. And with the Celtics yet to win a game two in these playoffs, this will add to their confidence levels. The Pacers, who blew out the Knicks in game seven in the semi-finals, have the best-rated offence this season. They were ranked top in the regular season and are also leading in the postseason with an average of 115.2 points a game. Tyrese Haliburton scored a team-high 25 points in game one with Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner adding 24 and 23 points respectively. The Pacers have been lucky on the injury front and only long-term absentee Bennedict Mathurin is expected to be out.