Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Prediction, 12/4/2023 Preview and Pick

Game: Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers

Date: Monday, December 4, 2023

Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (-5)

Gainbridge Fieldhouse is the location where the Indiana Pacers (10-8) will take on the Boston Celtics (15-4) on Monday in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament. Indiana opens as 5-point underdogs from oddsmakers. The over/under has been set at 238.

The Celtics played the 76ers and took home the win by a score of 125-119 in their last contest. Boston finished the contest having earned a 50.6% field goal percentage (39 of 77) and converted 16 of their 33 three-point attempts. At the free throw line, the Celtics made 31 of 36 attempts for a percentage of 86.1%. When talking about rebounding, they compiled a total of 46 with 10 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 25 assists in the matchup while forcing 16 turnovers and getting 10 steals. In terms of the defense, Boston allowed the other team to shoot 45.7% from the floor on 43 out of 94 shooting. Philadelphia doled out 16 assists and had 16 steals for this contest. On top of that, Philadelphia pulled down 42 rebounds (15 offensive, 27 defensive) and had 8 blocks. Philadelphia finished shooting 73.9% when shooting free throws by converting 17 of their 23 tries. They knocked down 16 of their 35 attempts from 3-point range. In reference to fouls, the Celtics finished with 18 and the 76ers recorded 24 fouls.

Jayson Tatum is a player who played a role in this matchup. He accumulated 21 points on 6 of 9 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 27 mins and snagged 7 boards. Tatum finished shooting 66.7% from the floor and earned 4 assists.

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Boston comes into this game with a record of 15-4 on the season. They turn it over 13.9 times per contest and as a group they commit 17.7 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Boston is snagging 47.1 boards per game and has accounted for 472 dimes on the year, which has them ranked 25th in basketball in terms of passing the rock. The Celtics are connecting on 36.5% on 3-point shots (297 of 813) and 79.3% from the free throw line. They have an average of 116.7 points per game (8th in the NBA) while hitting 47.3% from the field.

On defense, the Celtics are forcing their opponents into 12.5 turnovers per game and they draw 18.6 fouls. They are 2nd in the league in allowing assists to their opponents with 442 relinquished this season. The Celtics are giving up a shooting percentage of 44.0% (764 of 1,738) and they concede 43.4 rebounds per contest as a unit. They are surrendering 35.6% from beyond the arc while they are 4th in basketball in points per game allowed (107.4).

When they last played, the Pacers went home victorious with a score of 144-129 against the Heat. The Pacers collected 29 defensive boards and 3 offensive rebounds for a total of 32 for this contest. They also gave up possession of the ball 9 times, while earning 4 steals for this contest. The Heat committed 22 fouls for the contest which got the Pacers to the free throw line for a total of 20 shots. They were able to convert 16 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 80.0%. In reference to shots from beyond the perimeter, Indiana made 16 of their 32 attempts (50.0%). When all was said and done, the Pacers finished the game shooting 56 out of 85 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 65.9%. The Pacers allowed the Heat to make 48 of 89 tries from the floor which had them at 53.9% for this contest. They wrapped up this game 48.0% from 3-point land by going 12 out of 25 and ended up going 21 of 24 from the free throw line (87.5%). In the matter of rebounding, Indiana allowed Miami to get 28 overall (6 on the offensive glass).

Bruce Brown ended up being important for the Pacers for the matchup. Brown accumulated 30 points in his 37 mins on the hardwood and totaled 2 assists for the game. He knocked down 11 out of 16 in the matchup giving him a field goal percentage of 68.8%, and totaled 4 rebounds.

Indiana has a mark of 10-8 on the season. As an offensive team, the Pacers are connecting on 51.1% from the floor, which is ranked 1st in the league. Indiana has totaled 2,318 pts this season (128.8 per contest) and they pull down 39.4 rebounds per contest. They are assisting teammates 30.3 times per game (1st in the league) and they are turning it over 13.1 times per contest. The Pacers are committing 22.8 fouls every game and they hit 78.8% from the charity stripe.

The Indiana defense concedes 40.0% on 3-point shots (180 of 450) and opponents are making 84.8% of their foul shots. They surrender 24.8 assists and 42.9 boards on a nightly basis, which is ranked 7th and 10th in the NBA. The Pacers are ranked 30th in the NBA in points given up per game with 125.9. They have forced 14.1 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 50.4% from the field (30th in the league).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Boston (-5)

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