I was watching the Celtics-Pacers game last night and decided it was over and went to bed. It was the best thing I could do to help them because I knew the basketball gods would punish me for it by letting the Celtics comeback thus missing out on an exciting finish. I deserved my punishment.

Anyway, one thing I noticed is that the Pacers play fast and they sped up the Celtics most of the game. Their pace led to transition points when they had the ball and to poor shooting, turnovers and difficulty finishing at the rim for Celtics.

When I coached youth basketball, I would say, "The only game we lose is the one that doesn't make us better." I think this game can make the Celtics better. They can play faster than they have been playing and when they do, it will make it even harder for the competition.