addByline("Taylor C. Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");
Here are five things to watch out for when the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers meet at 7 p.m. tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
C’s Riding Huge Momentum Wave to Indy
The Celtics have arrived in Indiana with soaring confidence, as they are fresh off of their most impressive win of the 2016-17 season.
Boston’s 112-109 comeback, overtime victory Tuesday night in Memphis was so impressive that it may turn out to be a season-altering win, according to Isaiah Thomas.
“This might turn the season around [for us], for real,” Thomas told CSNNE after scoring a career-high 44 points and helping Boston to overcome a 17-point, second-half deficit against the Grizzlies.
The Celtics currently hold the third-best record in the East with a 16-12 tally, but only four games separate teams three through 12 in the conference. Boston has been looking to pull away from that competition.
The C’s had needed a signature win against a top-notch opponent, and that’s exactly what they got against Memphis, the top defensive team in the league, on its home court.
Boston could have left Memphis demoralized, after trailing 45-31 at the half, but instead the Celtics pulled out the win and will enter Thursday’s game in Indy with incredible momentum.
Boston’s Long Road of Success
There is no team in the Eastern Conference that has played more – or won more – games on the road this season than the Celtics. Boston has played 17 of its first 27 games away from TD Garden this season and has won 10 of those contests.
While the C’s have experienced great success on the road, they’ll be happy to know that Thursday’s game in Indiana will cap off its final multi-game road trip until mid-February when the team travels West for a four-game slate.
Boston has won eight of its 11 road matchups since Nov. 19, and has won both of its contests away from home this week with Ws over Miami and Memphis.
If they win again tonight, it would mark the C’s second complete sweep of a three-plus game road trip of the season, which is a feat that the team had accomplished only once during its previous five seasons combined.
Indy Cashing In at Bankers Life
Wins in Indiana are hard to come by, however, if you’re not donning navy blue and gold.
While the Pacers have struggled on the road with a 4-11 record, they have been dominant at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indy’s 11-4 home record is second-best in the East behind the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, who are a league-best 14-2 at home.
The driving factor behind Indiana’s success at home has been its defense; the Pacers have a 99.4 defensive rating at the Fieldhouse, which is the third-best home mark in the NBA. On the road, that number jumps all the way up to 109.9, which ranks 27th in the league.
Pacers’ Pesky Defense vs. C’s Superb Ball Control
Indiana’s defensive prowess is defined by its tenacious on-ball defense.
The Pacers force 15.8 turnovers per game, which is the second-highest mark in the NBA behind Washington (16.2). That number jumps to a league-best 16.7 forced turnovers per game when Indiana plays at home.
The Celtics, however, have proven to be incredibly secure when handling the ball this season, as they turn the rock over just 12.4 times per game (fifth-lowest in the NBA).
Boston’s ball control is even better on the road, where it coughs up the ball just 11.7 times per game (third-lowest in the NBA).
That being said, the C’s tonight must constantly be aware of the presences of Jeff Teague and Paul George, who both rank among the top 10 in steals this season.
Turner’s Troublesome Post Presence
One player who was an extreme – and unexpected – pest in the steals department the last time these two teams met was Myles Turner.
The second-year center snagged a career-high four steals against Boston on Nov. 12 at Bankers Life Field House.
The Celtics, however, should be far more concerned about Turner’s shot-blocking ability tonight as opposed to his ball-hawking skills.
The 6-foot-11 big man has been far-and-away the best shot-swatter in the league over the last two weeks. Turner has blocked four or more shots four times during his last six games, including nine swats over his last two contests.
The 20-year-old blocked three of Boston’s shot attempts when the two teams faced off last month in Indy, to go along with 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals.