Jayson Tatum had quite the All-Star Weekend after putting on a masterful performance for Team Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Boston Celtics have a bright future ahead of them with this superstar by their side. With the top seed in the Eastern Conference secured, Boston has very little to be worried about once they clinch a playoff spot.
The Indiana Pacers on the other hand are going to have to put in the work in order to get a chance to compete in the playoffs. They are the 11th seed in the East meaning they have to reach past the 10th spot to participate in the play-in tournament or get a direct ticket to the playoffs. With at least 20 games left in the season for teams to make one final push, the Pacers have a solid chance as well.
Jayson Tatum is available for the Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers game tonight
Celtics fans are lucky to have a fully functional roster for the most part. They have all their main starters involved which is a great sign coming into the second half of the season. Jayson Tatum will suit up for his team along with Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Al Horford.
The same goes for the Indiana Pacers too, with Tyrese Haliburton freshly coming off a good All-Star Game. Buddy Hield and Myles Turner will also be joining him on the court in one epic showdown. Here are the injury reports and lineups for the game.
Boston Celtics Injury Report
- Danilo Gallinari – (out)
Boston Celtics Expected Roster
- Marcus Smart
- Jaylen Brown
- Jayson Tatum
- Al Horford
- Robert Williams III
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
- Kendall Brown (Day-to-day)
Indiana Pacers Expected Roster
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Andrew Nembhard
- Buddy Hield
- Aaron Nesmith
- Myles Turner
This matchup will see a few of the best players in certain categories. Jayson Tatum is expected to come out with blazing guns due to his record-breaking performance at the All-Star Game. He has got JB on his side as well who out-played his own teammate, Tatum during the ASG. For the Pacers, Haliburton will work his special moves and Turner is expected to tear down the Celtics’ offenses.
Will the Pacers take down the No.1 seeded Celtics?
When you look at the stats on paper, most teams are pretty close to each other. Both teams have very good defensive ratings. The Celtics rank top five in points differential and the Pacers are among the top three in the league for blocks per game.
The biggest advantage here is that the Celtics have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown together on their roster. Both players have perfect chemistry and take equal responsibility for the team’s offense. In addition to this, they have some of the strongest defensive pieces in the league as well, not to mention Marcus Smart. The ball seems to be in Boston’s court.