The Celtics look to win their fifth straight recreation as they head to Indiana to tackle the Pacers in a rematch of the Jap Convention Finals. Regardless of the truth that they swept the Pacers within the ECF, the Celtics felt that they have been their hardest matchup of the playoffs. Just one recreation was a blow out by 16 factors. The primary recreation went to time beyond regulation whereas Video games 3 and 4 have been simply 3 level wins.
The Pacers have struggled out of the blocks this season. They beat the Pistons of their season opener however then misplaced to the Knicks, 76ers and Magic of their subsequent 3 video games. Like Jayson Tatum, Haliburton was given little or no taking part in time within the Olympics however as an alternative of coming again with a chip on his shoulder as Tatum did, he appears to be extra complacent this season. Nonetheless, Haliburton and the Pacers did play a lot better of their most up-to-date loss to the Magic.
That is the primary of three conferences between these two groups this season. They are going to face off once more on December 27 and December 29, with each of these video games in Boston. The Celtics gained the sequence 3-2 final season, together with a loss to them within the NBA Cup In-Season Event. They’re 109-85 total all time towards the Pacers and they’re 41-57 in video games performed in Indiana.
Each groups had comparatively quiet off seasons. The Celtics stood pat for essentially the most half within the off season, bringing again their total core of gamers and dropping simply Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett. They added Baylor Scheierman, who was the thirtieth choose within the draft and signed 2nd spherical choose, Anton Watson to a 2 manner contract. They’ve one open roster spot. They’ve additionally added a few chips on their shoulder after Olympic snubs and different drama over the summer time.
The Pacers additionally stood pat for essentially the most half and introduced again their core gamers. Final yr, Indiana added Obi Toppin, Bruce Brown Jr., and Pascal Siakam they usually needed to alter lineups and construct chemistry as they went alongside. Throughout coaching camp this season, the Pacers constructed chemistry on and off the court docket. They’re hoping that having a while collectively final season and having coaching camp collectively this season will assist them to take one other step ahead this season.
The Celtics can be with out Kristaps Porzingis, who remains to be rehabbing from off season ankle surgical procedure. He isn’t anticipated to return till someday in December. Sam Hauser missed the final 3 video games with soreness in his decrease again and has been upgraded to possible for this recreation. For the Pacers, James Wiseman is out with an ACL tear. Johnny Furphy is questionable with a strep throat and Myles Turner is questionable with a sprained ankle.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesLuke KornetPayton PritchardNeemias QuetaBaylor ScheiermanJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan Walsh
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutKristaps Porzingis (ankle) outSam Hauser (again) possible
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Pacers Starters
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Pacers ReservesIsaiah JacksonJames JohnsonBenedict MathurinTJ McConnellBen Sheppard Obi ToppinJarace Walker
2 Means Gamers Enrique FreemanQuenton JacksonTristen Newton
Accidents/OutJohnny Furphy (sickness) questionableJames Wiseman (knee) out Myles Turner (ankle) questionable
Head Coach Rick Carlisle
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Elsa/Getty Photographs
Tyrese Haliburton
Photograph by Dylan Buell/Getty Photographs
Jrue Vacation vs Tyrese Haliburton Haliburton had a escape yr final season, averaging 20.1 factors, 3.9 rebounds and 10.9 assists. He was additionally named to the All Star group and the Olympic group. To date this season he has began out slowly, averaging 14 factors, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals whereas capturing 33.9% from the sector and 26.5% from past the arc. Over his profession, he has averaged 18.5 factors, 4.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals per recreation towards the Celtics.
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Jayson Tatum
Photograph by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Photographs
Pascal Siakam
Photograph by Ron Hoskins/NBAE through Getty Photographs
Jayson Tatum vs Pascal Siakam Siakam is averaging 18.5 factors, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steal per recreation whereas capturing 54.5% from the sector and 31.3% from past the arc. Over his profession, he averaged 17.8 factors, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per recreation over his profession. Jayson Tatum struggled considerably towards the Bucks and ought to be seeking to get again on observe on this one.
Honorable Point out Al Horford vs Myles TurnerTurner is averaging 15.0 factors, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and a couple of.0 blocks per recreation this season. Over his profession, he has averaged 13.5 factors, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per recreation towards the Celtics. Al Horford has been taking part in very nicely with Kristaps Porzingis out to start the season and hopefully that may proceed on this recreation.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is the important thing to profitable each single recreation. The Pacers haven’t been the scoring juggernaut they have been final season. They’re averaging 110.5 factors per recreation (twenty third) whereas the Celtics are averaging 124.3 factors per recreation (1st). The Celtics are 14th within the league with a defensive ranking of 111.2. The Pacers are twenty third with a defensive ranking of 115.8. The Celtics must make protection their identification and their precedence. The Celtics need to play powerful protection to stop the Pacers from getting out on the break and scoring simple factors.
Rebound – The Celtics are twenty sixth within the league, knocking down 41.0 rebounds per recreation. The Pacers are twenty ninth with 38.3 rebounds per recreation. It is vital for the Celtics to rebound the ball to present themselves additional possessions and to stop the Pacers from getting the identical together with 2nd likelihood factors. To date, the Celtics haven’t been rebounding in addition to they did final season. A lot of rebounding is want and energy and the Celtics have gotten to place out extra effort on the boards.
Factors within the Paint – The Celtics consider capturing from the perimeter and often that may result in a dominant win for them since, as Joe Mazzulla says, 3 is greater than 2. Nonetheless, they’ve been outscored within the paint in all 4 of their video games to date by a big margin. The Celtics are final within the league with simply 36.0 factors within the paint per recreation. The Bucks are sixth with 54 factors within the paint per recreation. The Celtics want to attain inside extra, particularly when the three’s aren’t falling. In addition they need to defend inside higher to stop opponents from getting simple buckets within the paint.
Most Effort for 48 Minutes – The Celtics are dealing with one among their hardest opponents from final season’s playoffs. There’s a good chance that they’ll see them within the playoffs sooner or later this season. The Celtics effort of their final 2 video games was good at instances and never so good at different instances. The Celtics have to present max effort on the boards and on protection they usually have to present that effort for the complete recreation and never simply 2 quarters.
X-Components On The Street and Fatigue – The Celtics are taking part in of their third recreation on the street this season. The Celtics are dealing with the distractions of journey and a hostile crowd they usually can’t enable these distractions to remove from their deal with the sport. Alternatively, the Pacers are taking part in within the third recreation in 4 nights. Fatigue might are available to minimize the stretch for each groups as a result of journey and three video games in 4 nights.
Revenge – The Celtics swept the Pacers 4-0 within the Jap Convention Finals final season, regardless of all the video games being very aggressive. The Pacers have had a relatively lackluster begin to this season with a 1-3 document. Dealing with off towards the Celtics as soon as once more ought to give them motivation to up their effort to attempt to actual some revenge for final yr’s ECF loss.
Officiating – Officiating can at all times be an x-factor. Each officiating crew calls the sport in another way. Will the refs name it tight? Will they allow them to play? The officiating towards the Bucks was horrible and so hopefully it is going to be higher on this one. As soon as once more, the Celtics should alter to the way in which the crew is asking the sport and never enable it to grow to be a distraction for them.
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