Last season, the Celtics struggled after halftime on many occasions, and similar difficulties resurfaced in their Christmas Day defeat to the Brooklyn Nets. Indeed, more third-quarter difficulties proved to be the deciding factor on Sunday night. Boston led by six points at halftime but squandered it in the third quarter, being outscored 39-28 by Indiana. The Celtics led in each of the last three quarters. Their uninspired play coming out of the locker room must be changed if they are to regain their footing and be a genuine East contender this season.
Wednesday night, the Celtics will take their winning run to the Midwest.
When the Boston Celtics take on the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, they will be looking for their fifth straight win. This will be the clubs' first encounter since the Celtics swept the Pacers in the first round last spring.
These two teams met in Indiana on Sunday, and the Pacers came away with a 108-107 victory after Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed a potential game-winning 3-point jumper with time expiring.
The C's will need to enhance their defense if they are to have a chance to win Tuesday. Boston is 22nd in points allowed per game, 24th in 3-point % allowed, and 30th in field goal percentage allowed. Of course, a three-game sample size is insignificant, but we know the Celtics are capable of far stronger defensive performance after finishing in the top ten last season.
When are the Celtics and Pacers scheduled to meet this season? Browse the event listings above to see all regular-season and playoff meetings between the Celtics and Pacers. Do I need to print my tickets for the Celtics vs. Pacers game? NBA games will no longer provide print-at-home tickets. The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers both use mobile ticketing for all home games.
Celtics Vs Pacers Game 1
With 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals, Kyrie Irving was the best player for the Celtics, but he was inefficient. 6-17 shooting from the field with three turnovers. Marcus Morris was the most effective player off the bench, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Jayson Tatum had a solid game with 15 points on 6-11 shooting, two steals, and three turnovers. Al Horford finished with a double-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists, but he was inefficient. 4-10 with three turnovers. Gordon Hayward also scored ten points, although on four of twelve attempts, to go along with seven rebounds and two steals as a replacement. Terry Rozier led the bench squad with 5 points on 1-6 shooting and 5 rebounds. Aron Baynes got nine rebounds in 23 minutes before being forced to leave the game with an injury. Finally, Jaylen Brown grabbed five rebounds but struggled with his shot. 2 points for 1-5 and 3 points for turnovers.
I keep thinking back to the March 25 meeting between these two teams (Note: This was after the Pacers' season-ending loss of Victor Oladipo, hence comparable lineups to what we'll see in this series), when the Celtics won 114-112 but failed to cover as seven-point home favorites. Boston did enjoy a 26-8 advantage in fast-break points, and Indiana still lost by a bucket, so the Pacers have a fantastic opportunity to cover or possibly pull the upset if they can down the pace even somewhat. Pacers +5 1/â.
The Celtics competed with vitality for the first time in a long time. Kemba Walker was at his best, and the club won despite Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown having bad nights offensively. The bench undoubtedly contributed significantly to their capacity to do so. Our opinions on those and other topics are included in our three immediate overreactions to the Celtics' victory against the Pacers.
Who will win the Pacers vs. Celtics matchup? And in far over half of simulations, which side of the spread is correct? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Pacers vs. Celtics spread you should bet on Sunday, courtesy of the model that is up more than $4,000 this season on top-rated NBA selections.
Celtics Vs Pacers Game 2
Meanwhile, Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with 23 points on 9-21 shooting, along with 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Thaddeus Young performed well with 15 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Tyreke Evans was the best player off the bench, scoring 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three, and grabbing seven rebounds. Darren Collison added 13 points, albeit on 6-10 shooting and three turnovers. Myles Turner finished with eight points and two blocks. Wesley Matthews ended with six points on two-of-eight shooting and five assists. Finally, as a replacement, Donatas Sabonis got five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
The Celtics opened the 2019 playoffs with a solid performance, especially on the defensive end. The Celtics' 84 points were the fewest of the season, and it was the first time they had won a game with a point total less than 100. Despite an early 11-point deficit, Boston immediately recovered on defense, particularly in the third quarter, when the Pacers managed just eight points. Kyrie Irving was at his best, scoring 20 points. As did Marcus Morris, who came off the bench to provide 20 points. However, they will be missing Marcus Smart for Game 2, and Al Horford's participation is in doubt. Horford, 32, stayed home from last night's shootaround due to feeling sick, but Brad Stevens has claimed Horford is fit to play. Indiana will be expecting to improve significantly on their shooting performance from last season, when they averaged only 33.3 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from three-point range. How to watch Game 2 of the Celtics vs. Pacers is detailed below.
However, the telltale indication of an outstanding offensive player is his ability to bend even the best defense to his will. James Harden accomplished this feat against Utah in his first-round series, and Irving accomplished the feat against the Pacers as well. His toolkit is much too extensive. Irving has always played at a higher level throughout the playoffs. Shaquille O'Neal said on TNT's Inside the NBA that elite players must average three to four points more in the playoffs than in the regular season. Irving averaged 19.6 points per game in the regular season and 25.2 points per game in the playoffs on the cusp of 50-40-90 club efficiency figures.
The model has now zeroed in on the Celtics versus. Pacers matchup. We can confirm that it is leaning over, and it has also created a great spread choice that cashes in roughly 60% of simulations. That one is exclusive to SportsLine. The model has taken into account Boston's championship-caliber defense. Indeed, the Celtics boast the NBA's sixth-best defensive rating (107.0). They've been particularly difficult during the previous five games, with a defensive rating of 105.4, good for third in the league. This defense poses a significant concern for an Indiana team missing its leading scorer, Victor Oladipo (knee).
Celtics Vs Pacers Game 4
BOSTON â Sierra Goodwill examines Friday nightâs critical matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. Jaylen Brown, who is currently having lower back spasms, will be out for the Cs. Marcus Morris has been upgraded to doubtful with pain in his right knee. With a victory today, Boston clinches the playoff tiebreaker versus Indiana.
It might go seven games if the celtics fail to win in Indianapolis, but the pacers are not going to win this series. They just lack the necessary skills. They will battle and I'm sure these games will be tight, but the celts should not lose this series unless they suffer injuries or a total collapse, which has about the same likelihood of occurring as the sun exploding tomorrow. As a result, I'm choosing the Celtics in five in this contest. W W W L W Those are the five games, but I like the Celtics in this matchup, and itâs an excellent matchup for them, given their troubles against the magic and the fact that Brooklyn does have a star capable of winning games. This, I believe, worked out well for the celts, given their season's unpredictability.
Celtics vs. Pacers: Schedule, analysis, and forecast
Date It's Match Time! (TV channel) 1 p.m. ET (TNT/fuboTV) April 14 Game 1 at Boston April 17: Game 2 in Boston at 7:00 p.m. ET (TNT/fuboTV) April 19: Indiana hosts Game 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) April 21 – Indiana – Game 4 – 1 p.m. ET (ABC) *Game 5 vs. Boston is scheduled for April 24. *Game 6 vs. Indiana is scheduled for April 26. *Game 7 in Boston is scheduled for April 28.
Marcus Morris was the C's best player, scoring 18 points on 7-11 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds off the bench.
Jayson Tatum added 18 points and eight rebounds, but on 4-10 and 9-12 shooting from the free throw line, respectively, with four turnovers. Gordon Hayward led the way with 20 points on 7-9 shooting and two steals, but also committed three turnovers as a replacement. Al Horford finished with a double-double of 14 points (4-19 and 1-6 from three), 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kyrie Irving added 14 points and seven assists, but he wasn't very effective. 4-13, 0-4 from long range, and three turnovers. Jaylen Brown contributed 13 points on 5-9 shooting and 6 rebounds. Finally, Terry Rozier scored 11 points on 4-6 shooting and added two steals.
