Anyone else feel like we've played the entire Eastern Conference 100 times? So far only 7 of our 35 games have been against Western Conference teams. Normally I don't look forward to a road trip out west but I'm ready for some new opponents.

All that in due time, however, because for now the focus remains on the Boston Celtics. The teams are closing out a double header at Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight, marking the fourth time this year they have faced off. Boston leads the series 2-1, winning resoundingly twice but losing the elimination game in the IST.

The Celtics held the Pacers to their worst scoring performance of the season on Saturday, en route to a 118-101 final tally. For a Pacers team that had scored at least 140 points in 3 of its past four games, the inability to put the basketball in the hole felt a bit like bad luck.

That's not to take anything away from the excellent defense played by Boston. Caitlin Cooper posted some truly impressive clips of the Celtics flawlessly executing defensive coverages. I recommend watching the one below a few times to truly appreciate the level synchronicity required to switch in and out of zone coverage depending on whether the ball is above or below the free throw line.

Rick Carlisle has been good at making adjustments in these double headers all year. We won the second games against Philly and Miami after dropping the first and we swept Milwaukee last week. It will be interesting to track what strings he pulls to give the Pacers a better chance tonight.

Injuries

Speaking of giving the Pacers a better chance, the injury report favors the home team. For the first game in a while, the Pacers are fully healthy. Both Bruce Brown and Andrew Nembhard are back in the lineup, which will give the Pacers' perimeter defense a boost after a rough outing on Saturday.

Perhaps more importantly, however, is the Celtics report. Star man Jayson Tatum, who lit the Pacers up for 38 points, 13 boards, and 6 assists in the last matchup, will not play tonight. They'll also be without sharp shooter Sam Hauser, while Kristaps Porzingis will be back in the lineup after getting scratched in the eye mere minutes into the game and not returning.

This is the first game where both Andrew Nembhard and Bruce Brown have been healthy since Rick Carlisle changed the starting lineup. It appears Rick is sticking with the vet, starting Brown and bringing Nembhard off the bench. This makes some sense considering Nembhard's usefulness at running the second unit offense, but it also raises questions as to TJ McConnell's playing time. Keep an eye on the minute distribution tonight.

Without Tatum, Horford will start for the Celtics at the power forward position. This arguably plays into the Pacers hands as it allows Jalen Smith to cover a fellow big man. Losing Tatum drastically alters what the Celtics want to do on offense, so it will be important for the Pacers to simply play solid D and prevent Boston's role players from getting hot from three.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET.

TV: Bally Sports Indiana, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

See ya in the comments!

Tagged in:

Game Thread