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« Return to 2003 Playoff Central
Playoffs 2004 - Head-To-Head with the Pacers
With the Celtics locked into another first round date with the Indiana Pacers, we thought it would be a good time take a look at the position-by-position breakdowns, and what the key matchups could be as the Celtics look to pull off another First Round upset over the Pacers.
Head-To-Head
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Man-To-Man
Point Guard
Chucky Atkins |
This is one series where the point guards won’t have center stage. Both teams have solid men running the point, but neither team has a game breaker here. The Pacers have more depth at the position with Jamal Tinsley, Kenny Anderson and Anthony Johnson, all with playoff experience. Chucky Atkins should be able to hold own against all three, but look for Marcus Banks to have an opportunity to make an impact, as all three of the Pacers point men lack speed and quickness, something Banks can use to is advantage off the bench. |
Jamaal Tinsley
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Shooting Guard
Paul Pierce |
If the Celtics are able to pull the dramatic 1-8 upset, Pierce will be the reason. He killed Indiana last year in the postseason, and often got Indiana stopper Ron Artest in foul trouble. Getting Artest in foul trouble will be key for the Celtics again this year. When Pierce gets to the line against Indiana the Celtics usually win, but in 2003-04 it was Artest who got the better of Pierce, holding him to just 20.5 points. Defensively Pierce can’t help too much on Artest or Jermaine O’Neal and leave Reggie Miller open for deep 3’s. |
Ron Artest
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Small Forward
Jiri Welsch |
Jiri Welsch is probably the most underrated defender on the Celtics and will most likely guard Artest, while Pierce mans up with Miller. Welsch will need to force Artest into bad shots and get inside his head. Offensively the Celtics need Welsch to be on fire from long range and be a little more consistent then he’s been in the second half. Whoever Miller ends up guarding, it will be a mismatch that the Celtics must take advantage of. |
Reggie Miller
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Power Forward
Walter McCarty |
This is where the Celtics could be in trouble, but it’s also where we thought the C’s were going to be in trouble last season. In last year’s playoffs McCarty was arguably the MVP of the first round, and could have a similar impact this year. McCarty is very key to helping Pierce get Artest in foul trouble. If McCarty is hitting his corner three’s that will pull O’Neal away from the basket, which opens driving lanes for Pierce. Defensively McCarty was excellent last year against O’Neal, and the Celtics will need more of the same. McCarty has both the athleticism and length to disrupt O’Neal, but that will be easier said then done. O’Neal averaged just 14.5 points and 8.0 boards per game vs. Boston this season. Look for both McCarty and Blount to spend minutes on O’Neal. |
Jermaine O'Neal
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Center
Mark Blount |
This is another matchup where the Celtics may be able to take advantage of the Pacers. In 2003-04 Blount averaged 11.0 points and 7.0 boards vs. Indiana, and three of those games came before February, after which Blount began to step up his play. If the Celtics want a chance to pull the upset they will absolutely need Blount to post similar numbers to his post all-star break 13.5 points and 10.3 boards per game. For Indiana, Jeff Foster is unspectacular, but a hardnosed player who can hurt you on the glass. The Celtics can’t allow Foster to get involved on the offensive glass, where he can really do damage. |
Jeff Foster
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Bench
Ricky Davis |
The main culprits off the bench will be Ricky Davis for Boston and Al Harrington for Indiana. Harrington had a huge impact this season vs. Boston, leading the Pacers in scoring at 19.3 points, while pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game in their four meetings. The Celtics can’t allow that kind of production, but they will need Ricky Davis to continue his good play. Since March Davis has scored 16.7 points per game on a blistering 52.5 percent shooting from the field and 45.0 percent from beyond the arc. The winner of the Harrington-Davis matchup could very well decide the series. Other factors off the Indiana bench will be Anthony Johnson, Scot Pollard and Austin Croshere, while the Celtics will count on Marcus Banks, Chris Mihm, Jumaine Jones and Brandon Hunter. |
Al Harrington
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Compiled By: Brian Gleason
