The Celtics officially have their third-round opponent
The Celtics finally know who they will be playing in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
Jan 30, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket defended by Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
The waiting is finally over for the Celtics.
Sitting at home awaiting to know their third-round opponent for what's felt like ages now, Sunday's Game 7 showdown between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks has produced a result for the C's, with the Pacers and Celtics officially locked in for their first postseason showdown since 2019.
The Pacers punched their ticket to Boston by way of a 130-109 victory at Madison Square Garden, which came with yet another injury for a Knicks team that was battered beyond belief by the end of their run, with Jalen Brunson the latest Knick ruled out, this one due to a fractured left hand.
But even beyond the Brunson injury, the Pacers absolutely dominated this game on the scoring front, with an NBA playoff-record day shooting-wise (67.1 field goal percentage).
The Celtics won three of their five meetings with the Pacers during the regular season, and as previously noted, this will be the first playoff matchup between the two since 2019's first-round showdown.
This will Boston's third straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Pacers have advanced to the third round for the first time since 2014.
Overall, this will be the seventh playoff showdown between the Celtics and Pacers in their respective history, with the Celtics holding a 4-2 edge in series head-to-heads over that span.
The schedule for the Celtics-Pacers showdown goes as follows, and with all games available to be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub...
Game 1: Tuesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. at Boston
Game 2: Thursday, May 23 at 8 p.m. at Boston
Game 3: Saturday, May 25 at 8:30 p.m. at Indiana
Game 4: Monday, May 27 at 8 p.m. at Indiana
Game 5: Wednesday, May 29 at 8 p.m. at Boston (if necessary)
Game 6: Friday, May 31 at 8 p.m. at Indiana (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, June 2 at 8 p.m. at Boston (if necessary)
Mazz’s Tiers: Useless postseason meetings in Boston Sports since 2000
It's time for the latest Mazz's Tiers! With the Boston Celtics having played two easy playoff opponents so far in 2024, Mazz decided to rank the most useless playoff matchups in Boston Sports History dating back to the year 2000!
But before the Tiers, here's a look at who could be appearing on the list!
The Colorado Rockies made their lone World Series appearance in 2007 against the Boston Red Sox. They swept the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS and swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS to reach the World Series. The Red Sox would in turn sweep the Rockies.
A young Carolina Hurricanes team surprisingly made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019. They would run into the Boston Bruins, who would go on to sweep the Hurricanes out of the playoffs.
In the 2011 NFL season the Denver Broncos would use some Tim Tebow magic to reach the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. The New England Patriots would go on to smoke Tebow and the Broncos 45-10.
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts upset former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in the 2014 season to setup an AFC Championship matchup with the Patriots. That game would end in a 45-7 beatdown and the Patriots would easily punch their ticket to Super Bowl 49. There was loads of controversy that followed that game and it involved footballs and the amount of air in them.
The 2013-14 Boston Celtics made the playoffs after finishing the season under .500 with a 40-42 record. They would go to be easily swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Ten years prior to that the Celtics went 36-46 and made the playoffs only to be swept by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
Tier 1
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 15: Jrue Holiday #4 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 15, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
2002 - Boston Celtics - Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs Detroit Pistons - 4-1 series win
2005 - New England Patriots - Divisional Round vs Jacksonville Jaguars- 28-3 win
2011 - New England Patriots - Divisional Round vs Denver Broncos - 45-10 win
2012 - New England Patriots - Divisional Round vs Houston Texans - 41-28 win
2014 - New England Patriots - AFC Championship Game vs Indianapolis - 45-7 win
2016 - New England Patriots - AFC Championship Game vs Pittsburgh - 36-17 win
2017 - New England Patriots - Divisional Round vs Tennessee Titans - 35-14 win
2018 - New England Patriots - Divisional Round vs Los Angeles Chargers - 41-28 win
2024 - Boston Celtics - Eastern Conference First Round vs Miami Heat - 4-1 series win
2024 - Boston Celtics - Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs Cleveland Cavaliers - 4-1 series win
Tier 2
DENVER - OCTOBER 28: Mike Lowell #25 of the Boston Red Sox holds the MVP trophy after the Red Sox won Game Four by a score of the 4-3 to win the 2007 Major League Baseball World Series in a four game sweep of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on October 28, 2007 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
2005 - Boston Red Sox - American League Divisional Series vs Chicago White Sox - Swept by White Sox 3-0
2006 - New England Patriots - AFC Wild Card Round vs New York Jets - 37-16 win
2007 - Boston Red Sox - World Series vs Colorado Rockies - Swept the Rockies 4-0
2009 - New England Patriots - AFC Wild Card Round vs Baltimore Ravens - 33-14 loss
2021 - New England Patriots - AFC Wild Card Round vs Buffalo Bills - 47-17 loss
Tier 3
Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesDavid Krejci and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins celebrate after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 to win the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 16, 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
2004 - Boston Celtics - Eastern Conference First Round vs Indiana Pacers - Swept by Pacers 4-0
2004, 2007, 2009 - Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels - Any series vs the Angels was a waste of time
2014 Boston Celtics - Eastern Conference First Round vs Cleveland Cavaliers - Swept by Cavaliers 4-0
2017 Boston Bruins - Eastern Conference First Round vs Ottawa Senators - Lost series 4-2
2019 Boston Bruins - Eastern Conference Finals vs Carolina Hurricanes - Swept Hurricanes 4-0
