Schedule and 2023-24 Results
Regular Season Records: Boston 64-18, Indiana 47-35
Game 1 on Tuesday, 21 May: Indiana loses at Boston, 133-pts-128(OT)
Game 2 on Thursday, 23 May: Indiana loses at Boston, 126-pts-110
Game 3 on Saturday, 25 May: Boston wins at Indiana, 114-pts-111
Game 4 on Monday, 27 May: Boston wins at Indiana, 105-pts-102

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 4: The Boston Celtics visited and defeated the Indiana Pacers 105-pts-102 to complete a 4-games-nil best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1578 victory. With the series 1578 win, the Boston Celtics improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 77-32 overall and 22-13 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1578 loss, the Indiana Pacers see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 16-19 overall and 1-8 (with an active four-Semifinals series losing streak) in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Boston Celtics in series 1578 was WWWW: Series 1578 thus becomes the 20th NBA Semifinals-round series, the 95th NBA series (all rounds), and the 255th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The last three best-of-7 NBA playoff series losses (and the last four of five best-of-7 NBA playoff series losses) by the Indiana Pacers have been through four-game sweeps, with series 1578 the latest instance of such.

After Game 3: The Boston Celtics visited and topped the Indiana Pacers 114-pts-111 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1578 lead of 3-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 17-0 and a Game 4 record of 8-9. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Indiana Pacers have a series record of 0-4 and a Game 4 record of 1-3. Series 1578 thus becomes the 404th best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series to feature a 3-games-nil lead. The Boston Celtics trailed the host Indiana Pacers by nine points after three quarters but emerged victorious in their series 1578 Game 3: In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games from 1947, inclusive, road teams down nine points after three quarters had a game record of only 8-93 (.079) - the Boston Celtics thus achieve a grade-A (.000 - .099) in-game comeback to take a 3-games-nil lead over the Indiana Pacers in series 1578.

After Game 2: The Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Indiana Pacers 126-pts-110 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1578 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 42-1 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 3 record of 17-26. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Indiana Pacers have a series record of 1-8 and a Game 3 record of 5-4. Leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Boston Celtics sustained their only best-of-7 NBA playoff series loss in series 1380, to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Semifinals. Trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Indiana Pacers achieved their only best-of-7 NBA playoff series win in series 1575, over the New York Knickerbockers in the 2024 NBA Quarterfinals (in the previous Pacers series).

After Game 1: The Boston Celtics hosted and topped the Indiana Pacers 133-pts-128(OT) to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1578 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 62-8 and a Game 2 record of 43-27. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Indiana Pacers have a series record of 6-13 and a Game 2 record of 10-9. With their series 1578 Game 1 loss, the Indiana Pacers have now lost five consecutive Game 1s in best-of-7 NBA playoff series. Series 1578 Game 1 becomes the first best-of-7 NBA playoff Game 1 to go to overtime since series 1469, in which the Bucks in Milwaukee hosted and defeated the Miami Heat 109-pts-107 in 2021 NBA Preliminary-round Game 1.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the Boston Celtics finished 17 games ahead of the Indiana Pacers. From 1947 through the 2024 NBA Quarterfinals round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 17 regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 11-2 (.846) with an active eight-series winning streak in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1578 is the 109th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Boston Celtics, and the 35th for the Indiana Pacers. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Boston Celtics have an all-rounds series record of 76-32, a Semifinals-round series record of 21-13, and a Game 1 record of 70-38, while the Indiana Pacers have an all-rounds series record of 16-18, a Semifinals-round series record of 1-7, and a Game 1 record of 15-19 (with an active four-Game 1 losing streak). Series 1578 is the fifth best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. Boston and Indiana split their first four best-of-7 NBA playoff series against each other, all in the NBA Preliminary round. The sole best-of-7 NBA playoff series victory by the Indiana Pacers in the Semifinals round occurred in series 817, over the New York Knickerbockers in the 2000 NBA Semifinals.