The NBA In-Season Tournament is underway, and the Boston Celtics face the Indiana Pacers (in Indiana) tonight in the one-loss-and-gone Quarter Finals.
Two stars - one from each team - are listed as "OUT" The Celtics Kristaps Porzingis will not play due to a strained calf muscle. The Pacers Tyrese Haliburton is out (or "questionable") with either a knee issue or illness.
Haliburton does everything for Indiana, and his loss for this contest is huge. This season, he is averaging 27.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 11.8 APG and 1.1 SPG. Did I mention he does everything?
The game would normally be considered defense (Celtics with 2nd place in Defensive Rating) versus offense (Pacers 1st in Offensive Rating), but Haliburton's near-12-assists per game will be missed. Boston holds first place in Net Rating, while Indiana is in 10th place.
The odds are in Boston's favor, but The Green often get complacent against "inferior" teams. At least one NBA analyst has tagged the Pacers as the "Cinderella Story" of the In-Season Tournament. We will see who that "Glass Sneaker" fits.
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