The Indiana Pacers enjoyed the most successful season they have had in a long time in 2023-24. Last season, the team finished with a 47-35 record, their best since the 2018-19 season. Furthermore, they made a playoff appearance for the first time since the 2020 bubble, where they got swept by the Miami Heat in the first round.
Heading into last season, expectations were low in Indiana. And even after acquiring Pascal Siakam mid-season from the Toronto Raptors, many continued to doubt them. Ultimately, they finished the regular season as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, despite their lower seeding, the Pacers shocked the NBA world and made their first conference finals appearance since 2014.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they failed to win a game against the eventual champion Boston Celtics, who swept them in four games. However, anybody who watched the playoffs can tell you that, despite getting swept, the Pacers gave the Celtics their hardest challenge during their championship run.
The Pacers technically got swept by Boston, but three of the four losses easily could have gone the other way. And apparently, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla feels the same way.
Joe Mazzulla admits the Eastern Conference Finals 'should have went seven' games
In a recent interview with John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal, Mazzulla reflected on the Celtics' playoff run. While speaking with Karallis, the 36-year-old directly said the Pacers gave Boston their toughest challenge of the playoffs, a sentiment many NBA fans online were preaching.
“That Indiana series was by far the toughest series, and we swept them, but it should have went seven,” Mazzulla said.
Looking at the conference finals in a bit more depth, Mazzulla may be right.
Of Indiana's four losses, three of them were decided by five or fewer points. To put this in perspective, the Celtics played 15 other playoff games against the Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. Zero of those games were decided by five or fewer points.
The Pacers also had a five-point lead against the Celtics with less than two minutes remaining in Game 1 (and a three-point lead with 10 seconds left) before blowing it in overtime. Additionally, they blew an 18-point lead to the Celtics in Game 3 in Indiana.
Indiana matches up very well against Boston, and it showed during the playoffs. Despite losing the series, the Pacers proved they belong in championship discussions. With less than a month remaining until training camp, Pacers fans are eager for the team to get another crack at Boston and prove last season was no fluke.