Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals began about as well as any Boston Celtics fan could have anticipated. In front of a Boston crowd dreaming about another NBA Finals experience, the Celtics rattled off a 12-0 run (including a history-making Joe Mazzulla challenge 35 seconds into the game) to force Indiana coach Rick Carlisle to call a timeout. Just how everyone in Boston drew it up.
Then, something happened. A shift took place that often seems to happen in a Pacers game: they slammed down the gas pedal and started flying up and down both sides of the court.