All season long, the Eastern Conference was likely to be dominated by the Boston Celtics.
They dominated their own side of the bracket and returned to the NBA Finals.
The Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers on Monday night to return to contention for the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the second time in three seasons.
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Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown (number 7) receives the Larry Bird Trophy after winning Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 27, 2024. (Justin Castaline/Getty Images)
The Pacers did everything they could to force a win and led by as many as nine points, but Derrick White hit a three-pointer with about 45 seconds left in the game to break the 102-102 tie.
Indy was up by four with 3:33 left but missed its final four shots and lost the ball twice. Jrue Holiday grabbed an offensive rebound with just over four seconds left to seal the game.
The Celtics are looking to avenge their complete failure last year, when the No. 2 seeded Celtics lost to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference Finals after leading the series 3-0 to force a seventh game before losing.
The Boston Celtics celebrate after winning Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 27, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Boston hasn’t won a title since 2008, losing in six games to the Golden State Warriors two years ago. That’s currently Boston’s second-longest title drought, stretching from 1987 to their most recent championship season 15 years ago.
After beating the Los Angeles Lakers that year, Kobe Bryant got his revenge two years later with back-to-back wins.
Tyrese Haliburton missed his second straight game for Indiana with a left hamstring injury.
Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown (number 7) was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP and received the Larry Bird Trophy after winning Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 27, 2024. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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Boston went 12-2 in the playoffs, defeating the No. 8 Heat and the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.
Jaylen Brown averaged 27.3 points per game and was named the series MVP.
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