Celtics at Pacers
THE STORY: The Boston Celtics were on their way up in the Eastern Conference, getting ready to challenge the Indiana Pacers for the No. 3 spot. Now the Pacers are running away and the Celtics are falling again. Boston has dropped its last two games, managing only 86 points in each while getting dominated on the glass. Indiana has won four straight and is coming off a home triumph over the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSNE (Boston), FSIN (Indiana)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (30-24): Boston is the worst rebounding team in the NBA and is especially weak on the offensive glass, where Tim Duncan and the duo of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer had no trouble getting themselves and their teammates second chances in losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. Coach Doc Rivers was upset after the Celtics were outscored by 18 points in the second half against the Bulls on Thursday, telling reporters: “I had to use two timeouts … to remind us that we were actually having an NBA game tonight.” Boston now leads the Philadelphia 76ers by only one game in the Atlantic Division.
ABOUT THE PACERS (34-21): Where Boston struggles on the glass, Indiana has begun to excel. The Pacers rank in the top 10 in the NBA in rebounding and had a 50-40 edge on the Thunder in Friday’s 103-98 triumph. It was not just Roy Hibbert and David West on the inside, as guard Paul George ended up with a career-high 16 boards. The victory pushed Indiana 3 ½ games ahead of the Celtics and kept it 1 ½ games clear of the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers have taken two of three from Boston this season, including a 97-83 home win on Jan. 14.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Celtics took the most recent meeting 94-87 on Jan. 27 in Boston.
2. PG Rajon Rondo has recorded double-digit assists in 15 straight games for the Celtics.
3. Danny Granger has stepped up his scoring output for Indiana, averaging 26.3 points in the last four.