Celtics vs Pacers: Injury Report, Depth Chart, Stats & More Ahead of Eastern Conference Finals

While the West had intense rounds of match-ups to decide their final two, the East had a relaxed postseason. However, the Indiana Pacers had it tough, taking down the short-handed Bucks and Knicks. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics had a comfortable 4-1 series win in both their rounds. Now, the East might get fired up as the talented young guns, headed by Tyrese Haliburton, take on the thriving Celts at TD Garden for Game 1 of the Conference Finals at 8:00 PM ET.

Heading into Game 1, Jayson Tatum & Co. have a massive hurdle to cross. The team has ruled out Kristaps Porzingis for the Game 1 clash, citing his calf strain. The 7 ‘2 center sustained a non-contact injury during the first-round series against Miami Heat. It was similar to how Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered his calf injury in the regular season. Since that injury, Porzingis has yet to set foot on the court.

Apart from performing the big man duties, he also had an impact behind the perimeter with his shooting skills. He recorded a 40% FG from the three-point line in the four games he played. Despite missing six games in the postseason, he still leads the team with 1.5 blocks per game.

Moreover, the Celtics also have an upside amid this misery. In the regular season, Kristaps Porzingis missed 25 games with various injuries like hamstring, knee, quad, and ankle. During his absence, the Celtics have a 21-4 record and a 5-1 record in the postseason. So the star center’s absence may not affect the table toppers on a big scale. Apart from him, the team has listed Xavier Tillman in the Questionable category for personal reasons.

On the other hand, the Pacers have a fairly healthy roster except for one player. Benedict Mathuri has been out of the side since March 10 after he sustained a season shoulder injury. Nevertheless, the Pacers have a game-ready roster despite a few niggles.

Celtics vs Pacers: Depth chart and starting lineups

In the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, veteran center Al Horford might make it to the starting lineup. So far, in the postseason, the 37-year-old has managed to average 8.8 points with 7.3 rebounds per game. As a starter, he has averaged 9.3 points with a high score of 22 points. With superstars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the side, the supporting cast barely makes it to the offense column. Let’s take a look at the Celtics’ depth chart.

On the other hand, the Pacers, who lost their guard Benedict Mathurin to a season-ending injury, came only off the bench. So the 21-year-old guard’s absence won’t affect the team’s starting five. Without Mathurin, the Pacers’ depth chart will look like this.

The Celtics relied heavily only on three of their bench players: Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet throughout the series, whereas the Pacers worked with four players: Ben Sheppard, Obi Toppin, T. J. McConnell, and Isaiah Jackson. On the other hand, several bench players received playoff experience, thanks to multiple blowout wins in the stretch.

The already brewing silent rivalry between the Celtics and Pacers

The Pacers have already had the better of the Celtics in the regular season. Even though the Celtics won the 5-game regular season match-up with a 3-2 record, Tyrese Haliburton & Co. gave a major heartbreak to the Celtics. The Indianapolis side dominated the league at the start of the season with a successful run. The team even reached the Finals of the inaugural edition of the In-season Tournament and lost against the Lakers. However, before that, they eliminated Jayson Tatum & Co. in the quarter-finals 122-112 win.

Apart from that, the Pacers have again defeated the Celts without Haliburton. Thanks to Benedict Mathurin, who held his nerve and sunk the clutch FTs. Given the rivalry, let’s take a look at a few stats comparison with the team’s top players.

Jayson Tatum’s stats vs Pacers

The Celts’ power forward Jayson Tatum is the centerpiece of the team’s attack this postseason. So far, he has led the team in all three important stats. He has recorded an average of 24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in the playoffs. When it came down to his career stat, he has played 24 games against the Pacers and has averaged 24.3 points with 7.5 rebounds along with a high score of 38 points, which he scored in January 2024. Heading into Game 1, JT could be the one to watch out for.

Jaylen Brown’s stats vs Pacers

JT’s second fiddle Jaylen Brown has also played 24 games against the Pacers in his career, averaging 20.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Importantly, he also scored his high score of 40 points in January this year. Moreover, in the 2024 postseason, Brown has averaged 23.1 points with 6.6 rebounds per game. The 27-year-old forward, despite his criticism of ball handling with his left hand, has impressed the NBA world with his athleticism.

Tyrese Haliburton stats vs Celtics

Despite being the most popular player on the team, Haliburton doesn’t lead the team in points. Instead, he leads the team on assists. In fact, he led the league on assists this season, averaging 10.9 assists per game. Moreover, in this postseason, he has recorded 18.8 points and 8.1 assists per game.

Apart from orchestrating the game and making creative passes, he also threatens the league with his shooting skills, especially from the three-point line, recording 37.5% from the perimeter. Notably, he has played 12 games against the Celtics, averaging 18.5 points with 8 assists per game.

Pascal Siakam stats vs Celtics

The new scoring leader of the Pacer, the power forward joined them ahead of the trade deadline and has been a major boost to the side after a slump post the In-season tournament. In the postseason, he has led the team on points and rebounds, averaging 21.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. And against the Celtics, he has played 25 games and recorded 17.6 points.

Moreover, the Pacers’ attack doesn’t end with these two stars. Myles Turner, the young center, has also emerged as a major threat to the opponents in the postseason. Since Turner has an additional weapon of three-point shooting with 46.1%, it spreads out more space for Siakam and Haliburton to make their move.

Will the Celtics weather the Pacers storm? Let us know in the comments below.