Could the Celtics be looking at an Eastern Conference Finals rematch?

The Indiana Pacers again upset the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Tuesday night. Now, the Pacers unexpectedly lead the Cavs 2-0 in the series as they head back home for Game 3 on Friday. The Celtics are heavy favorites in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the New York Knicks - despite losing Game 1 - so it may be time to investigate what a Celtics-Pacers series would look like.

To get this out of the way early, the Celtics besting the Knicks is certainly less guaranteed after Game 1's loss, but they are still expected to advance. So, assuming the Celtics can get by the Knicks and the Pacers close out the Cavs, what would an Eastern Conference Finals rematch look like?

To begin, let's review the stunning Game 2 upset that put the Pacers up 2-0 on the Cavs. For most of the game the Cavaliers possessed a double-digit lead, and they were up by 14 points going into the fourth quarter. However, the Pacers launched a strong final-frame comeback - outscoring the Cavs 36-21 - to close out Cleveland 120-119 via a final-tick three from Tyrese Haliburton.

Of course, the Celtics still need to take care of business with the Knicks - as do the Pacers - but if they do advance, the rematch from last year will be quite interesting. When the two played in 2024's Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics swept Indiana. A hypothetical 2025 series may play out very differently.

Remember, in 2024, Haliburton missed Games 3 and 4 in the series with the Celtics due to injury. The Pacers were completely without their best player, but assuming he remains healthy, it may not be as easy. Even without Haliburton, that round was not a cakewalk for Boston - they only won Game 2 by double-digits, the rest were tight contests. Plus, as their first two games with the Cavaliers have shown, the Pacers look like a tougher opponent in 2025 than they were in 2024.

So, if the Celtics do end up seeing the Pacers in the conference finals, they may have their hands full. Also considering the lackluster showing the Celtics had in Game 1 against the Knicks, Boston may not be prepared to fight when they are punched in the mouth and cannot hit threes.

Obviously, this is all speculation - the Celtics may not even pass the Knicks - but moral of the story is, the Pacers look good. It was expected to be the Celtics and Cavaliers in the East finals for most of the season. Now, Indiana poses a real threat to shake up the outlook of the conference.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.