The Celtics' biggest ally has never been clearer with playoffs approaching

The latest chapter in the Boston Celtics-Indiana Pacers alliance is upon us. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton recently shared that he and Jayson Tatum have grown close throughout their respective journeys through recovery from Achilles surgeries.

Not only that, but that he’s looking forward to seeing Tatum and the Celtics make a run in the upcoming playoffs.

“Jayson and me talk pretty regularly, so I’m excited to see his run throughout the playoffs,” Haliburton said during his Monday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “Seeing him have so much success definitely makes me excited for when I come back.”

The Celtics-Pacers bond spans far beyond Tatum and Haliburton

These two franchises have somehow become best friends over the past two years. It started in 2024 when the Celtics swept Indy in the Eastern Conference Finals, despite all of the games being competitive.

A mutual respect was formed, likely because fans in New England appreciated the level that the Pacers played at without actually beating the Celtics. Meanwhile, Indy’s fans were probably shocked that there was no sore-winner behavior emitting from North Station.

A year later, the Pacers effectively had Boston’s back, after the Cs were eliminated by the New York Knicks. Indiana made sure that the Knicks and their fans didn’t get the chance to enjoy their victory for long, and sent them packing in six games. Then of course, both Tatum and Haliburton suffered the same injury, solidifying the relationship between Boston and Indianapolis through some trauma bonding.

If you want more proof, look no further than the replies of this tweet. I saw the Haliburton quote today and had no choice but to tip the cap.

Pacers fans returned the favor. Literally every single person who responded to the post brought positive energy, wished the Celtics a long and healthy playoff run, or simply asked that Boston keep the Knicks from winning.

"Wishing nothing but the best for JT. Gives me hopes that Ty will be okay when he returns," one X user wrote.

"Hope y'all run thru the East," said another.

"Need Boston to humble New York while we're gone," a third chimed in.

Not a single person rejected my olive branch.

The cherry on top came when a Pacers fan came on over to the Celtics Reddit community and wished the fans luck this spring.

The relationship goes beyond just this recent stretch, too. Larry Bird, one of the greatest Celtics ever, hails from Indiana -- as does Celtics president Brad Stevens. Bird coached the Pacers after retiring from playing, then went on to hold a role in their front office.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlise was Bird’s teammate for some time in Boston, and forward Aaron Nesmith spent his two seasons with the Cs before being traded to Indy in 2022.

I’m sure if you kept searching, you’d find more and more links between the last two Eastern Conference Champions. One thing is for sure, both fanbases are hoping that remains the case as the postseason plays out this year.

Oh, and that loud boom you just heard was the emphatic dap between Celtics and Pacers nation.

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