The NBA's Eastern Conference Finals tip-off Tuesday night at the TD Garden in Boston, with the top-seeded Celtics holding home-court advantage. While Boston enters the series as huge favorites on the money line, the Indiana Pacers hope to pull off another major upset. The Celtics boast the league's top offense, featuring Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, while the Pacers rely on Tyrese Haliburton's playmaking. Both teams have solid defenses that can rise to the occasion.
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Basketball: NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals Game 1
Where to Watch: ESPN
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date: 22.05.2024. 03:00
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1, winning 113-98 in Game 5 of their semifinals. Jayson Tatum led the way with a near triple-double (25 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, 1 block), joining LeBron James (2016 Finals) as the only player since 1973 to lead both teams in a playoff series across five key categories. Al Horford's 15 rebounds and 3 blocks boosted Tatum's effort, while Derrick White added 18 points. A surprising performance came from Marcus Morris Sr., who had played little throughout the playoffs. He joined the parade with 25 points, shooting (10-of-13) including 5 three-pointers.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers upset the odds with a confidence-boosting comeback against the New York Knicks in their semifinals. After losing the first two games at home, Indiana stunned the Knicks with a playoff-record 67.1% shooting performance that enabled the Pacers to make their first conference finals in a decade. In Game 7, Tyrese Haliburton led the offense with a 26-point output, while Pascal Siakam added 20 points and Myles Turner chipped in 17. Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and T.J. McConnell contributed as the Pacers scraped to the conference finals. Having overcome the Knicks on the back of Halliburton's epic performances, the Pacers will need their star to control the pace, create scoring opportunities, and penetrate the Celtic's defense if they are to have a chance against the number one team.
Betting Odds
The Indiana Pacers are 4.30 underdogs on Betway, which prices the Boston Celtics at 1.97 on the spread (-10.5). Over 220 is priced at 1.755 odds on 1XBET and the under 2.07. Tyrese Halliburton is 1.86 odds to score over 19.5 points, with Pascal Siakam 1.83 to point under 20.5. Read more.
Bet on Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers with 1xBet
