Throughout the lead up to their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers, Celtics coach Brad Stevens was well aware of the style the Pacers like to bring to the court.
And to open the postseason, the Celtics didn’t back down to the Pacers’ physicality.
With hard-nose, physical basketball almost a prerequisite for the playoffs, the C’s exhibited their toughness throughout their 84-74 Game 1 victory, especially by locking down Indiana on the defensive end.
“This is not a series for the timid,” Stevens said. “We’ve known that going in. This is a heckuva team with a heckuva coach.