Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Prediction: It won't be easy for the Celts

Indiana has beaten Boston once on the road in the last 5 years, and that was this season. Will the Pacers be able to repeat their success at TD Garden and improve their playoff chances?

Jayson Tatum isn't even in the top 5 of the NBA in scoring average anymore, and Boston has lost its lead in the Eastern Conference to Milwaukee. Tatum has made 31.4 percent of his three-pointers over the last 15 games, and his star teammate, Jaylen Brown, has been far more effective. Robert Williams is already back in the lineup, and Peyton Pritchard and Danilo Gallinari are out due to injuries.

In the last two games, Boston scored more than 40% of their three-pointers, but in one case, it was enough to win, but not in the other. The Celtics lost to Utah by the narrowest of margins but took their hearts out on Sacramento State, 132:109. Tatum and Brown again accounted for nearly half of the team's points, but Derrick White had a double-double (20 points + 11 assists). Al Horford was good on long-range shots and for a good reason. He averaged 45.9 percent on his long-range attempts during the season. Malcolm Brogdon was second on the team in scoring at 45.1 percent, but he failed in his meeting with the Kings. The victory over the Californians was Boston's 5th in their last seven games, so we can say they are back on track.

The Pacers have been in or near the playoff zone for most of the season, which is a small feat for a team that has recently embarked on a rebuild. Indiana has two newcomers playing an essential role in the rotation, with Andrew Nembard replacing injured players in the starting five.

Now the team needs Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup. There's no way to do it without that. While Haliburton's participation is questionable, Chris Duarte might not take the court either. The Pacers had already suffered three losses during the 5-game stretch, so the team has failed to return to the East's top 10: they're still sitting in 11th place. Without Tyrese, Indiana was able to beat Milwaukee and Toronto on the road, but without their crucial playmaker and star player, it is challenging to produce a consistent winning streak. Nembard pulled out the game against the Raptors. The Canadian guard added ten assists to his 25 points. The final score was 118:111.

The Celtics still experience some local upsets. Take, for example, the loss to Houston, an outsider in the West. Indiana is not a very comfortable opponent for Boston, and this season only confirms that. The Pacers have already handled the Celtics on the road, and in the last face-to-face meeting, the game went into overtime. The lineup could become optimal if Haliburton returns, and their win odds depend on whether the top star plays.