The Boston Celtics have viewed every playoff opponent as a new challenge, and the same goes for the No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals round.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla dug deeper into the specifics behind Indiana’s successful Game 1 bid. The Pacers battled and stuck around until the very end of regulation, taking a 3-point lead with 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but the storylines will center around Boston. In fending off Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, With their 133–128 victory in Game 1, the Celtics avoided having a slow start to their conference finals campaign.
“Most people find it very difficult to say, ‘Oh, they’re not defending,’ or ‘Oh, they have to take this away or that away,’ because of how quickly they play.” Mazzulla clarified during the team practice on Wednesday. This team only puts your risk management to the test, and each game may present a new challenge. We discussed this with other teams if you’re behind six (points). A completely different defensive strategy is used if you’re trailing by six to eight points as opposed to a tie or eight to ten points. The communication amongst our guys is what matters most.
Without Jaylen Brown’s clutch off-balance 3-pointer in the corner to tie the game at 117 and force overtime in Game 1, Boston had plenty of opportunities to start the series on the winning foot. The Celtics realized they had to get back up on their own two feet and demonstrate greater mental toughness than they had shown throughout the series.
Everyone in the locker room, including Mazzulla and the other members of the coaching staff, was open to self-reflection.
“You must comprehend how you prevailed,” Mazzulla stated. “You need to be open to the reasons why you can fail and improve every day at those things.”
