Pacers visit Boston to begin playoff series
Indiana Pacers (48-34, fifth in the Eastern Conference during the regular season) vs. Boston Celtics (49-33, fourth in the Eastern Conference during the regular season)
Boston; Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Boston hosts first series matchup
BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Celtics host the Indiana Pacers in game one of the Eastern Conference first round.
The Celtics are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. Boston ranks eighth in the league allowing 108 points per game and holding opponents to 44.8 percent shooting.
The Pacers are 33-19 in Eastern Conference play. Indiana is fifth in the NBA in 3-point percentage, shooting 37.4 percent as a team from downtown this season. Bojan Bogdanovic leads them shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is scoring 13 points per game and averaging 4.2 rebounds for the Celtics. Kyrie Irving has averaged 16 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 30.8 percent over the last 10 games for Boston.
Domantas Sabonis leads the Pacers with 9.3 rebounds and averages 14.1 points. Bogdanovic has averaged 17.4 points and added 3.8 rebounds while shooting 42.9 percent over the last 10 games for Indiana.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 4-6, averaging 108.7 points, 43.3 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.2 points on 45.3 percent shooting.
Celtics: 6-4, averaging 110.2 points, 44.4 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.7 points on 45.2 percent shooting.
Celtics Injuries: Al Horford: day to day (left knee soreness), Aron Baynes: day to day (ankle), Marcus Smart: out (oblique), Jayson Tatum: day to day (shin), Gordon Hayward: day to day (left ankle soreness), Kyrie Irving: day to day (knee), Marcus Morris: day to day (right patellar tendinopathy).
Pacers Injuries: Wesley Matthews: day to day (toe), Myles Turner: day to day (undisclosed), Thaddeus Young: day to day (undisclosed), Bojan Bogdanovic: day to day (undisclosed), Victor Oladipo: out for season (ruptured right quadricep tendon).
