Healthy and rested after a few nights off, the Celtics and Pacers meet again. Boston traveled to Indiana for the second matchup this week with an opportunity to extend their winning streak to four straight. Monday’s 103-95 victory was a tale of two halves with the Celtics outscored 61-43 in the first half, then responding with a 60-34 second half. With several key rotation players still unavailable for the Pacers, and the Celtics looking to maintain their position in the standings, here are three big questions heading into tonight’s rematch.
Can Jaylen Brown Continue a Historic December?
Jaylen Brown has been a usage monster this season, and he’s putting together a dominant December. Through seven games, he’s averaging 32 points, seven rebounds, and five assists with 52-42-81 shooting splits. Monday marked his seventh consecutive 30-point game, putting him just two games away from Larry Bird’s Celtics record of nine.
Brown had a nine-point first quarter against the Pacers, but his best work came in the fourth as his 14 points helped them slam the door shut. There was no answer for his rim pressure as he powered through or past every defender Indiana threw at him.
Indiana simply doesn’t have the personnel to match Brown’s physicality on the wing, especially with their rotation thinned out. Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam can compete, but neither offers the kind of one-on-one resistance that should slow Brown’s downhill attacks without help.
Brown is going to put points on the board, but the Pacers will look for ways to force him into tougher decision-making earlier in possessions. If they show bodies in his driving lanes and make him a passer, Boston’s supporting cast has to be ready. If Rick Carlisle can’t push the right buttons, Brown may put himself one step closer to history, cruising to another 30-point evening.
How Does the Bench Look with Jordan Walsh Back?
Monday’s comeback win forced Joe Mazzulla to get creative, and he landed on the right combinations to provide a spark and shift momentum.
Brown, White, Pritchard, and Queta left the game, replaced by Simons, Scheierman, Hauser, and Garza alongside Hugo Gonzalez. That group inherited a 20-point deficit (69–49) and chopped it down to 10 (80–70). From there, Brown returned to take control of the scoring and complete the turnaround.
For Boston, the absence of Jordan Walsh was noticeable early — particularly in their ability to match the Pacers’ pace and physicality. Walsh has consistently provided an instant boost of athleticism, energy, and defensive activity when he’s on the floor. On Monday, it was Gonzalez and Garza who filled that role instead, changing the tone of the game with their effort and presence.
Gonzalez played a team and season-high 36 minutes, finishing as a +21 and reaching double-digit rebounds for the second straight game. Over his last four games, he’s averaging eight points and eight rebounds with a steal and a block per night. Garza, meanwhile, helped stabilize the bench unit with his screening and rebounding, giving Boston a lift when small-ball wasn’t the solution.
With Walsh sidelined by illness, Gonzalez absorbed many of those energy minutes. Now that Walsh is available, the rotation is due for an adjustment. It’s not necessarily Walsh versus Gonzalez — they can complement each other — but with Garza fighting to earn his spot back, some minutes will have to shift.
That’s what makes tonight interesting. If the Pacers get off to a quick start, does Mazzulla reward Gonzalez and Garza with another extended look, or does Walsh’s return pull the rotation back toward its familiar shape?
Can Boston Avoid Another Slow Start?
While the Celtics eventually put the Pacers away, the first half really wasn’t pretty. Monday’s opening 24 minutes were a defensive nightmare, as Indiana—the league’s worst 3-point shooting team—exploded for 61 first-half points. Boston looked a step slow, allowing the Pacers to build up their lead without much resistance.
The Celtics gave up a number of open looks, over-helping and failing to rotate in time. They also had difficulty bothering Siakam, who scored 23 in the first half.
That changed quickly when the defense locked in, holding Indiana to just 34 points in the entire second half and forcing them into a miserable 1-of-20 performance from beyond the arc after the break. Siakam managed just two more points as well.
This isn’t the same Pacers team that Boston is used to, and their 6-24 record reflects that. Indiana has dropped six straight games, and they haven’t tasted victory since December 8th. Without Tyrese Haliburton, it’s clear the franchise has its sights set on the draft in this transitional year.
But they are still a well-coached group that won’t go down easy, and the team is looking to secure Rick Carlisle’s 1,000th career victory. That’s a good recipe for a trap game.
The Celtics need to come out of the gates strong to squash that idea before it turns into confidence. While benching the starters on Monday turned into a stroke of brilliance for Mazzulla, it should be a one-time lesson for that unit rather than the norm. They don’t want to make it a habit of playing behind against worse opponents, and tonight they won’t have the boost of the Garden crowd.
If Boston dictates the terms from the jump, they can keep Carlisle waiting for that milestone and cruise to their fourth straight win.
