INDIANAPOLIS — This timea trip to the Eastern Conference finals for the Boston Celtics ended without any clamor from the crowd and the press box that the coach needs to go and, by the way, let's aim a wrecking ball at the roster.
This time, ended with the Celtics emerging with a 105-102 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to complete a sweep of the Indiana Pacers. Some quick play is required here, starting with how the Celtics, trailing for most of the night, went on a late 10-2 run. Jayson Tatum made it 100-100 with a dunk and then, ahem, Series MVP Jaylen Brown tied it again, this time 102-102, with an 8-foot jump shot. Brown then defended, blocking Andrew Nembhard's would-be 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining.
And then? And then it ended, for all practical purposes, with Derrick White hitting a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left, this after the Celtics had rallied from an 8-point deficit with 5:56 left and a 5-point deficit with 4:14 left. . go.
GO DEEPER
Celtics sweep Pacers to advance to NBA Finals
Yes, White's game-winning game occurred on the one-year anniversary of his improbable buzzer-beater against Miami in Game 6 of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, but that's just fodder for Trivia Night at the local sports bar. , friends. In the real world, especially in the real NBA, that means nothing. Because these 2024 playoff Celtics aren't those 2023 playoff Celtics, who rallied for three straight wins after losing the first three games and then were eliminated in Game 7 at TD Garden. No, these Celtics are not those Celtics at all, a point Brown highlighted after the game when he said, “We have a different team every year, different coaches. We've had like three coaches in the last five years. And yet, people want it to seem like it's the same, it's the same, it's the same. The time has passed. Experience has been gained. And we are ready to give our best.”
Brown is right, of course. Just as he was right, and very, very funny, when asked if he was surprised to be named MVP of the series. “I didn't expect it at all,” he said. “I never win (expletive), so…”
GO DEEPER
Jaylen Brown wins Eastern Conference Finals MVP
The bad thing is that Brown didn't take home any of the regular season individual awards that many NBA fans, including an NBA fan named Jaylen Brown, thought he should have won. It's good to say that Brown proved his doubters wrong with his stellar effort against the Pacers: the corner 3-pointer to win Game 1 in overtime, the 40-point effort in Game 2, the solid two-way play. in Game 4, but it's more than that. Yes, the Celtics “have a different team every year,” but here's where it's the same, it's the same, it's the same: This is the Tatum/Brown Celtics or, for those who believe marquee placement matters , the brown/tatum Celtics. It's their time, their own era, and they still haven't won a championship. They are now in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years, but with a better supporting cast, especially if Kristaps Porziņģis returns.
And so, if expectations mean anything (and they do, they do), the Celtics haven't won anything yet. There is simply no scenario in which a Celtic failure in the NBA Finals against Dallas or Minnesota turns into rays of light, life lessons or glasses half full. But that's for later. For now, for today, the Celtics' magnificent work ethic with their eyes on the prize is worthy of praise.
If we add what happened in Game 4 to what happened in Game 3, when Boston rallied to victory after being down by 18 points, what we have here is a team that every coach at every level can use to show and tell when explaining that talent Teams don't win with talent alone. They also win because they are capable of old-fashioned gut checks.
“We're comfortable in any type of game,” White said. “We feel like we have the answers for anything teams throw at us, no matter what the scenario is.”
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Much will be written about the fact that the Pacers conveniently beat the Celtics in this series. They probably should have won Game 1, and they could have won Games 3 and 4. They also have a lot of disgruntled fans who believe Brown should have received a flagrant with 7:23 left when he inadvertently punched TJ McConnell in the face, hard. – as the Pacer grabbed a rebound. It was ruled by a common multitude. “We think he was unlucky, but he didn't rise to the level of a flagrant foul,” crew chief Zach Zarba said, according to a group report.
There is room for an adult discussion about how that play should have been awarded. Kevin McHale covering clothes with Kurt Rambis wasn't, but it was a pretty big hit, even if he turned in by accident.
Arguing that the Pacers should have won this or that game is taking criticism of the Celtics to an absurd level. It's like saying the Seattle Seahawks should have won Super Bowl XLIX but lost to the Patriots because Russell Wilson decided to throw the ball. It's like saying the Red Sox should have won Game 6 of the 1986 World Series but lost because Bill Buckner passed the ball between his legs.
For. Really, enough. The Celtics are now 12-2 in the playoffs. But they are not attacking everyone. It turns out that they are the team with the best record. and the best visceral controls.
(Photo of Derrick White's winning shot over Aaron Nesmith: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
