Totally out of it

The Celtics' play became increasingly sloppy (26 turnovers) and unfocused. They lacked resiliency, folding at the first sign of a spurt by the Pacers. A pair of 3-pointers by Miller late in the first half combined with another trey early in the third quarter proved to be the clinchers, allowing Indiana to distance itself from Boston for the first time. A little distance was all the No. 1 seed in the East needed. Miller propelled the Pacers to a 90-75 rout of the Celtics.

With an average winning margin of 16.8 points per game, Indiana completed a thorough four-game sweep of Boston in the first-round series. The Pacers are bound for bigger and better playoff moments, certainly a second-round matchup against either the Heat or the Hornets and quite possibly a spot in the NBA Finals. It remains uncertain where the Celtics are headed, a fact not lost on the players.

"My heart goes out to Paul Pierce," said Mark Blount. "I want to cry for that man because who knows what's going on. He is in the middle of his [maximum] contract [with four years remaining]. We don't know what's going on. The guy's been a key part of what we've done in the playoffs and how we've gotten there. I feel bad for him. Does he want to be here for the rest of his prime, rebuilding with these young guys? I don't know."

Undoubtedly, it will be another offseason full of changes. Executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge must hire a coach and determine how he will use three first-round draft picks. He must find a way to replace starting center Blount, who is expected to exercise his option and find a more stable home as a free agent. Ainge must convince Pierce the prime of his career will not be wasted on a rebuilding effort that looks like it will take longer than the three years originally allotted for The Vision.

"We need to get better," said Ainge, who maintains his long-term plans are on the same timetable. "I knew that going into the series. The series didn't change any of that. Sometimes getting your butts kicked can light a fire under you for the offseason to want to get better. I think there can be some learning even from this bad series. This year was not pretty. It was nothing like what I envisioned."