The final four remaining in the NBA playoffs are the Celtics vs. Pacers in the East and the Timberwolves vs. Mavericks in the West. Who will make it through the conference finals for a spot in the finals?
Our NBA experts break down the biggest questions in each matchup and make their selections.
What's the biggest question going into the East finals?
Vincent Goodwill: The spirit of Boston. This series will last as long as the Celtics want. They are the biggest favorite to win the conference finals since Golden State in 2017. Yes, that Warriors team. Along with Boston's depth, Porzisis' health is a big question mark. But their approach should concern everyone – are they recognizing and appreciating the opportunities in front of them? And Jayson Tatum has to be better offensively.
Dan Devine: Can Indiana slow down Boston's offense and win the shootout? I believe the Pacers will score.In Game 1 against the Bucks, the Pacers scored nearly 122 points per 100 possessions, almost 130 However, the Celtics they faced had the No. 1 offense in the NBA during the regular season, had similar ferocious attacks against Miami and Cleveland, and had the stingiest defense of any team. It's still a tournament. Meanwhile, Indiana's defense is the most questionable unit in this series. The Pacers will need to brace themselves for prayer.
Jake Fisher: Kristaps Porzisis health status. Boston will face a full-fledged Pacers team riding on the momentum from Game 7 at MSG. Indiana boasts a true front line in Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam, and the Celtics could certainly use the 7-foot-3 center to compete.
Dan Titus: Will offensive Tyrese Haliburton show up at TD Garden? There is a clear difference between Haliburton's home and road games this postseason. The Pacers have the edge at home (6-0) in the 2024 playoffs, but Haliburton has a plus/minus of -30 on the road. At home, he averages 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists, but on the road, he averages just 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, making six more field goals per game. Indie needs firmness!
Ben Rohrbach: Indiana's defense. Haliburton has nowhere to hide in that regard, and Boston will relentlessly target him in pick-and-rolls. If he holds up long enough, he will give Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith a puncher's chance against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Otherwise, the Pacers' entire defensive system will collapse under the weight of Boston's talent.
Check out our analysis of the Celtics vs. Pacers series.
What's the biggest question going into the West Regional finals?
Divine: Can Minnesota's defense hold up against Dallas' two-headed monster? Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving can destroy drop coverage, seek out and exploit mismatches with the best players, and turn even the best defensive possessions into ashes with pure uncut shot-making. The Timberwolves just topped the defending champion Nuggets team. One About those people. Will they be able to repeat the trick against the Mavericks side? two One of them?
Rohrbach: Dallas shooting incident. How will Jason Kidd space the Timberwolves if Maxi Kleber can't play five-out brand ball opposite Rudy Gobert? Can P.J. Washington hold up as a small-ball five? Can Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Green, and Dante Exum be reliable safety valves for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving? That's the only way to not get swallowed up by Minnesota's defense.
Titus: Can the Timberwolves limit second-chance points? The Gobert-Towns-Reid frontcourt will have its hands full, as the Mavericks are keeping pace with the Knicks in terms of offensive rebounds and converting loose balls into buckets. However, the Timberwolves have done a good job of defending their defense in the postseason, allowing just 9.6 second-chance points per game to their opponents.
Fisher: Who will protect PJ Washington and how effective will he be? Washington played a very important role in Dallas' effort against OKC, scoring 27 and 29 points in the fourth quarter of Game 6. It was revived. At first glance, this would seem like a Karl-Anthony Towns matchup, but there's always a question mark. — but Minnesota could change its look throughout the series.
Goodwill: Can Dallas' big man improve overnight? Suffice it to say the Timberwolves got over a great manager in Nikola Jokic and that Daniel Gafford and Derek Lively II played well against OKC. But if Karl-Anthony Towns unleashes his maturity and Rudy Gobert exorcises his demons against Jokic, will there be a newfound confidence? Of course, there's also “Who Will Protect Ant?” “Who is Ali guarding?” But the old adage “no rebound, no ring” could be true. Look at Game 7 in Denver, especially the rebound difference in the second half.
Which do you prefer, Celtics or Pacers?
RORBAC: The Celtics won by 5 points. Both teams have high scoring ability, but only one is focused on defense. The Celtics have too many defensive options to slow Haliburton's offense, and the Pacers don't have enough options to stop everyone they need to.
Fisher: The Celtics are in 6th place. Indiana made my No. 5 Knicks prediction look pretty ridiculous, but I'd argue that it looked pretty good until OG Anunoby's hamstring went numb. Celtics rest. They've been here before. Their experience truly comes into play in this series.
Goodwill: The Celtics are in 6th place. They're going to be screwed for the game as usual. And the Pacers will win another game, like Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. Porzyszc's departure will extend this period slightly, but the Celtics can't afford to tinker too much.
Divine: The Celtics are in 5th place. No matter how healthy Kristaps Porzisis gets, I don't think the Pacers will be able to produce enough stops to provide more than a temporary speed boost to Boston's road to the Finals.
Titus: The Celtics are in 6th place. The Pacers could take a few games away from them, especially with the uncertainty of Kristaps Porzis' return date. Whether it's an inevitable disappointment in Boston or some freak shooting performances in Indy, the Celtics are playing in a different tier than the rest of the East. Barring any unexpected injuries, they're well on their way to the NBA Finals.
Wolves or Mavs?
Fisher: Wolves are in 6th place. While Dallas is having success on all cylinders, the Timberwolves have the best lineup to take on the Mavericks defensively. Jaden McDaniels will likely follow in Luka Doncic's footsteps. Anthony Edwards will try to suffocate Kyrie Irving. And compared to OKC's thin frontcourt, the Timberwolves' size may look much bigger for Dallas than it appeared Wednesday night.
Goodwill: Wolves in 7th place. It's not easy. There's something to be gained from coming up from the heights of defeating a champion on the road. This team is built to beat Denver, not necessarily Dallas. Luka and Kyrie are scary and will put this series in jeopardy, but it will be a fascinating two weeks as both teams feel they have a chance. As we've seen, anything can happen in Game 7.
Divine: Wolves are in 7th place. You might feel stupid in two weeks, but I felt stupid after playing Minnesota in the first two rounds. NBA Playoffs: The most exhilarating way designed to make you feel like an idiot.
Rohrbach: Wolves are in 6th place. The Mavericks may have the best player in the series, and Anthony Edwards will have something to say about that, but Minnesota may boast six of the best-nine selections in the best-of-seven set. The Wolves' depth and truly elite defense should be enough to get it done sooner rather than later.
Titus: Mavericks at 7. I want to pick the Wolves, but something tells me this is where the Luka-Kyrie tandem takes over. Minnesota won the regular season series 3-1, but that was before Dallas traded for Washington and Gafford. I'm forgetting about the Minnesota hype train, because the Mavs are a different beast now.
