The Celtics Completed Their Sweep Of The Pacers To Advance To The Conference Semifinals

The Boston Celtics are the first team to reach the second round of the NBA Playoffs. They completed the sweep of the Pacers on Easter Sunday with a 110-106 triumph in Indianapolis, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals with the minimum of games played.

Much like the first three games of the series, Sunday’s affair was close throughout and the Pacers came undone in the second half. Indiana suffered an eight-minute scoring drought in Game 1 before blowing a 12-point fourth quarter lead in Game 2. Where the Pacers went astray in Sunday’s Game 4 was much less abrupt, with Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum asserting themselves in the closing minutes much like they did during Game 2 in Boston.

Boston had seven scorers in double figures, including Gordon Hayward with 20 points and Marcus Morris with 18. Irving had 12 points and Tatum had 17 points and eight boards as they picked up a first round sweep.

A Marcus Morris three with 2:49 left made the Celtics lead 10, and it hovered around that mark the rest of the way.

The Celtics thrived in crunch time in this series, executing where the Pacers simply could not. And much like Game 3, it was a Kyrie Irving steal that provided its signature moment. Irving threw an impressive pass off the steal, setting up a triumphant dunk by Tatum.

The Milwaukee Bucks likely loom in the second round — assuming they finish business against the Detroit Pistons on Monday — in a series that would start on the road for the Celtics. But after a season of turbulent growing pains, Boston does, indeed, look to have things together in time for postseason play. Whether they can handle Giannis Antetokounmpo or not is one thing, but it was clear the Pacers were fallible.