Eastern Conference rivals at opposite ends of the standings collide on Monday night, as the Boston Celtics host the Indiana Pacers at the TD Garden.
The Pacers (6–22, 14th East) recently flashed signs of life but have since dropped four straight, most recently suffering a 19-point thumping in New Orleans. The Celtics (17–11, 3rd East) have won seven of their last nine, punctuated by a 16-point blowout win in Toronto without Jaylen Brown, who’s listed as available for Monday’s contest.
Here’s a look at the Injury Report:
Indiana Pacers
- Out: Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), T.J. McConnell (Knee), Aaron Nesmith (Knee), Ben Sheppard (Calf), Obi Toppin (Foot)
Boston Celtics
- Out: Jayson Tatum (Achilles)
- Questionable: Jordan Walsh (Illness)
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Boston enters as an 11.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Indiana is listed as a +440 underdog. The game’s total is set at 225.5 points.
Pacers vs. Celtics Preview
Indiana Pacers Preview
The Tyrese Haliburton-less Pacers seemed to shake off their dramatic fall from grace with a recent stretch of four wins in six games, fueled by a top-ten defense in that span. A week later? They allowed 44 first-quarter points to the 7–22 Pelicans.
Indiana has struggled mightily as of late, entrenched in a brutal four-game slide that also included a 19-point beatdown from the NBA-worst Washington Wizards. Scoring has been especially sparse during this stretch, as the Pacers rank dead-last in field goal percentage (41.4), while only Pascal Siakam (19.8) and Andrew Nembhard (15.8) are averaging over 15 points per game.
Boston Celtics Preview
Boston has collectively embraced the “next man up” mentality this season. Even without superstar Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have maintained a top-three seed in the East and boast the third-best offensive rating in the league.
That team identity was on full display on Saturday in Toronto, where Boston surged to a 112–96 victory over a tough Raptors squad without leading scorer Jaylen Brown. Payton Pritchard led the charge, erupting for 33 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds.
The Celtics returned home Monday night with the 2024 Finals MVP — averaging a career-high 29.3 points with 6.3 rebounds and five assists per game — rejoining the resilient lineup.
Pacers vs. Celtics Pick, Best Bet
One team has held strong without its star’s right Achilles. The other has not. Boston keeps finding ways to win, no matter who’s on the floor, and welcomes back one of its top players against an understaffed Pacers squad that continues to struggle. Count on the Celtics to dominate at home and comfortably cover the 11.5-point spread on Monday night.
