1st Quarter Report
The Celtics are on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Pacers 29-17.
The Celtics came into the game with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers
Current Records: Boston 27-7, Indiana 20-14
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis, Indiana
- TV: Bally Sports Midwest – Indiana
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $26.00
What to Know
Having just played yesterday, the Boston Celtics will head out on the road to face off against the Indiana Pacers at 7:00 p.m. ET on January 6th at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one of them is set up to suffer a discouraging change of fortune on Saturday.
The Celtics entered their match on Friday as the heavy favorite, and they fully lived up to expectations. They blew past Utah 126-97. With the Celtics ahead 71-40 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Jayson Tatum was his usual excellent self, scoring 30 points along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, the Pacers came tearing into Friday’s contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.4 points) and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victor by a 150-116 margin over Atlanta. The oddsmakers set the bar high with a 262-point over/under, but they still managed to beat it.
The Pacers’ success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Myles Turner led the charge by scoring 27 points along with five rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on ten points and 18 assists.
Boston’s win was their 17th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 27-7. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 123.1 points per game. As for Indiana, they have been performing well recently as they’ve won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 20-14 record this season.
Saturday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: The Celtics have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 47.5 rebounds per game (they’re ranked first in rebounds per game overall). It’s a different story for the Pacers, though, as they’ve been averaging only 40.4 rebounds per game. Given the Celtics’ sizeable advantage in that area, the Pacers will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Celtics came up short against the Pacers in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 122-112. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Haliburton, who dropped a triple-double on 26 points, ten rebounds, and 13 assists. Now that the Celtics know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There’s only one way to find out.
Odds
Boston is a solid 6-point favorite against Indiana, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 5.5-point favorite.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 247.5 points.
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Series History
Boston has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Indiana.
- Dec 04, 2023 – Indiana 122 vs. Boston 112
- Nov 01, 2023 – Boston 155 vs. Indiana 104
- Mar 24, 2023 – Boston 120 vs. Indiana 95
- Feb 23, 2023 – Boston 142 vs. Indiana 138
- Dec 21, 2022 – Indiana 117 vs. Boston 112
- Apr 01, 2022 – Boston 128 vs. Indiana 123
- Feb 27, 2022 – Indiana 128 vs. Boston 107
- Jan 12, 2022 – Boston 119 vs. Indiana 100
- Jan 10, 2022 – Boston 101 vs. Indiana 98
- Feb 26, 2021 – Boston 118 vs. Indiana 112
