The Indiana Pacers blew up the NBA’s postseason party by winning Game 7 on the road at Madison Square Garden, setting up an Eastern Conference finals game against the Boston Celtics.
Indiana couldn’t afford to miss the elimination game, setting a new playoff record by shooting 67.1 percent from the floor in a 130-109 victory.
The Pacers’ offense has been strong all season, scoring 121 points per 100 possessions, the second-highest efficiency rate in NBA history.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, their performance fell short of the Celtics, who posted the highest offensive rating of 123.2. Boston’s net rating of 11.6 is also tied for the third-highest in history.
It’s worth noting that eight of the 12 teams that finished the regular season with double-digit net ratings won the NBA title.
So it’s no surprise that the Celtics are outrageous favorites to win the series against the Pacers. At BetMGM, odds are as high as -900 and the series game spread is -150 at -2.5.
Bettors will have to pay a premium to back Boston in this series, so this preview explores whether they can find any value in the underdog Pacers.
Porzingis misses start of conference finals
Boston lost center Kristaps Porzingis to a calf injury in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat. Although Porzingis continues to develop, ESPN reported that the Latvian will likely miss the first two games of the series.
The Celtics are a good enough team to overcome Porzingis’ injury in the first two rounds. You could also say that playing against two of his teams who are dealing with injuries to key players made things a little easier.
Miami was without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier throughout the series. And in the second round, the Cavaliers played without three starting pitchers late in the series. Cleveland center Jarrett Allen (ribs) did not play at all, and Donovan Mitchell (calf) missed Games 4 and 5.
The Pacers are probably Boston’s healthiest opponent in this playoffs, so it will be important for them to try to steal games with Porzingis still out.
series long range shooting key
Boston won the season series against Indiana (3-2), but four of the five games ended up being decided on the perimeter, and there was a big difference in 3-point shooting percentage. The only exception was on Jan. 8 against the Pacers, a 133-131 win with both teams shooting over 47 percent from deep.
The Celtics were arguably the best 3-point shooting team in the regular season, ranking first in field goals made (16.5) and attempts (42.5) and second in percentage (38.8 percent). .
Conversely, the Pacers had the best perimeter defense and led the NBA in allowing the fewest 3-point shots (10.7) and attempts (29.3) against their opponents. So this series will ultimately come down to which team can win a borderline battle.
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The Pacers were the best perimeter shooting team in the playoffs (38.1%). Tyrese Haliburton leads the way with 3.5 threes per game. This should give the Celtics a puncher’s chance.
As a result, backing Indiana with a series spread of +2.5 (+125 at BetMGM) is a bet worth considering.
Bet: Indiana Series Bet +2.5 (+125, BetMGM)
