The Eastern Conference Finals gets underway Tuesday night in Boston, with the top-seeded Celtics hosting the No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers.
The two teams have arrived at this point with vastly different recent histories. Boston is playing in its sixth Eastern Conference Finals in the last eight seasons, and last missed the playoffs a decade ago.
Indiana, meanwhile, is in the conference finals for the first time in 10 years after three straight years without a trip to the postseason. The Pacers knocked off the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks to get to this point, while Boston took care of the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics are favored to win the series, and ESPN’s BPI is expecting them to get off on the right foot tonight.
According to the ESPN computer, Boston has a 69.2% chance of winning Game 1, compared to just 30.2% for the Pacers.
The Celtics are looking for their second trip to the NBA Finals in the last three years, while Indiana hasn’t advanced that far since 2000. The winner will match up against either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Dallas Mavericks for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Celtics-Pacers will tip off at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday night from TD Garden in Boston. ESPN will broadcast the action.