Celtics’ Jason Tatum and Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton: head-to-head NBA Playoffs stats record

The NBA Conference Finals get underway on Tuesday (21 May), with four teams fighting for a chance to reach the NBA Finals and take home the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy. In the East, the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers will face off, while in the West, the Dallas Mavericks will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Celtics continue imperious form in 2024 NBA Playoffs

The Celtics boasted a 64-18 record during the regular season, the best in the NBA, making them the East’s top seed. In the playoffs, they have defeated both the Miami Heat (first round) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (conference semifinals) in five games (4-1).

Boston have flexed their attacking muscles in the playoffs, scoring over 100 points in nine of their 10 games so far (game 2 against the Cavs, in which they bagged 94, being the exception). With a roster including Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņgis (who will miss the first game agianst the Pacers due to injury), head coach Joe Mazzulla has plenty of firepower at his disposal.

Jayson Tatum’s 2024 NBA Playoffs stats

Tatum, of course, remains the ace in the Celtics’ pack, as proved by the 26-year-old being the team leader in the conference semifinals in points (26.8), rebounds (10.4), assists (6.2), blocks (1.0) and steals (1.6) per game against the Cavs.

Those figures bumped up the small forward’s overall stats in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, which look like this after 10 games:

Pacers continue to upset the odds

The Pacers, meanwhile, went into the playoffs as Eastern Conference sixth seeds with a 47-35 record in the regular season. In the first round, they needed six games to get past the Milwaukee Bucks (4-2), who were without main man Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the conference semifinals, their series against the New York Knicks went to Game 7 after they had trailed 3-2.

Indiana, who have never won an NBA championship, have been the surprise package of the playoffs. They were the underdogs in both previous rounds, with few predicting they would reach the Conference Finals. Rick Carlisle’s team will be desperate to upset the odds once again versus the Celtics.

Tyrese Haliburton’s 2024 NBA Playoffs stats

Point guard Tyrese Haliburton will inevitably be key to their success once more. He came to the fore to lead the Pacers past the Knicks in the second round and keep their dreams of just a second ever Conference championship alive.

Haliburton and Pascal Siakam have teamed up to great effect during the postseason, becoming the first duo to average 20+ PPG, 50%+ FG, and 40%+ 3PT in a conference semifinal.

Tatum and Haliburton may have slightly different roles to play, but who could say which of the two is more important within their respective teams? Whoever performs best in the Eastern Conference Finals may have a big say on whether the Celtics or Pacers progress to face either the Mavs or the Timberwolves in the NBA Finals.

The series between the Celtics and the Pacers get underway on Tuesday 21 May, with game 1 taking place at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts (tip-off at 8pm ET).