Joe Mazzulla Expects ‘Energetic Atmosphere’ For Celtics’ In-Season Quarterfinals Matchup

The Boston Celtics are set to face the Indiana Pacers in the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday night.

While the tournament is not quite the same as the NBA postseason, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged the games have had a similar feel.

“It’s not Game 7, but you can’t ignore the fact that it feels a little bit different,” Mazzulla said, per the team. “But at the same time, you got to understand what leads to winning. It does give us an opportunity to play a playoff game mindset from the standpoint of like, and so that is good.”

Mazzulla added: “I think it’s necessary to be able to go through some of those things but if you get distracted by that and lose sight of what leads to winning, and you don’t have a better chance to win, in my opinion, you have to do both.”

The Pacers are 10-8 on the season to the Celtics 15-4 record, but Mazzulla anticipates Indiana to play Boston hard on Monday night.

“I expect it to be an interesting atmosphere, an energetic atmosphere,” Mazzulla said. “I expect to get the best of Indiana but that’s going to happen every night. We have to be ready to play and it’ll be a good test for us.”

The winner of the Celtics-Pacers matchup will advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 followed by the championship game against the winner of the West Knockout Round on Dec. 9.

The Celtics went 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Group C and secured their spot in the Knockout Round when they defeated the Chicago Bulls by 27 points on Nov. 28.