SUMMARY
- The Celtics secured an overtime victory against the Pacers in Game 1 of the ECF.
- Kevin Garnett believes the Celtics have to play harder on defense while producing more on offense to beat the Pacers.
When you speak about Kevin Garnett, you talk about arguably the greatest power forward that ever played in the NBA. Interestingly, two of the teams that used to play for are currently the favorites to win this year’s championship. And between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, the latter definitely has a lot on the line this season.
You already know what it is 😏
JB’s game-tying shot is tonight’s @DraftKings Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/n4gSqcsHcU
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 22, 2024
Having hovered around the Eastern Conference Finals over the last three seasons, the Celtics have to win the title this year to prove their worth. They’ve experienced their most dominant season yet, achieving a 64-18 record during the regular season while going 4-1 against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds of the postseason. Now comes their biggest challenge in the playoffs, facing the Indiana Pacers in the ECF.
Kevin Garnett expects the Pacers to dominate offensively
The ECF recently kicked off with the Celtics securing Game 1 in their books. However, their overall defensive efforts were quite underwhelming. Despite having a decent lead throughout the game, the Pacers ended up tying and taking a three-point over the Celtics with under a minute left in the game. The Pacers failed to realize they could’ve either called for a timeout after taking the lead or fouling Jaylen Brown before he attempted the game-tying three-pointer.
But the Pacers also proved that they’re an offensive threat that the Celtics need to carefully execute defensive plays against. Kevin Garnett addressed the Celtics’ narrow victory while speaking to Stephen A. Smith. He said, “Yeah man, Indiana is going to test them. Indiana is not known for defense but they can put points up better than anybody in the league.”
He added, “It’s going to take the Celtics to tap into their defensive side along with their offensive side. But these next two to three or even four years to me, man, it’s the season to lose.” The Celtics haven’t had Kristaps Porzingis on the floor since Game 4 of the first round. The 28-year-old could potentially return as soon as Game 4 of this series as per league sources. He happens to be their biggest defensive asset averaging 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.
Kevin Garnett reveals his take on a potential Celtics vs Timberwolves finals matchup
It has been nearly a decade since Kevin Garnett last played in the league as he retired in 2016. From 1995 to 2007, KG played for the Timberwolves. While making the playoffs consistently, the Wolves under Garnett’s leadership nearly achieved a title run in 2004. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. In 2007, Garnett joined the Celtics until 2013.
aaaand we’re back at it. pic.twitter.com/gnzxa5NcOW
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 21, 2024
Garnett won his first and only championship in 2008, the same season he joined the Celtics. As experts predict that both his former teams may meet in the NBA Finals, Garnett claims that it’s a win-win situation for him. Both, the Celtics and Wolves have been extremely dominant on both sides of the floor. They are favorites to win over their conference finals opponents this year.