Celtics vs. Pacers – Injury Bug hits Boston

The defending champion Boston Celtics are at home tonight to face the Indiana Pacers and will do so with some injuries to key players.  Kevin Garnett has missed a week with a knee injury and will miss at least one more, and now Paul Pierce has dislocated his thumb and may have to miss time.  Down the depth chart a little bit, the recent starter for Garnett, Brian Scalabrine strained his neck and will be out.  If Paul Pierce does play he will not be at 100% and with KG already out the Boston Celtics depth will be tested against the Pacers.  Since Stephon Marbury negotiated a buy-out with the Kincks, sources indicate he will be signed to add depth to an aging Boston team.

Indiana is getting 25 points per game and 1.5 blocks out of the freaky athletic Danny Granger.  Granger is having an All-Star season, but he’s recently been bitten by the injury bug, suffering a tendon tear in his foot forcing him to miss 4 straight games and possibly the next month or so.  Mike Dunleavy will miss the next couple of months with a knee injury, so the outlook on the rest of the year for the Pacers is bleak.  With an overall record of 25-35, including a 7-24 road record, Indiana will have there hands full with the defending champs who have a 24-4 home record. 

Boston has proved they can win without Garnett, playing well above .500 without him since he joined the team.  Celtics head coach Doc Rivers demands defense first from his team no matter who is on the floor, a big reason for their success playing through injuries, and a big reason why the raised the NBA championship trophy last season.  GM Danny Ainge should be given much of the credit for Boston’s recent success.  He stuck with head coach Doc Rivers through the losing seasons, not making a rash decision when trying to evaluate the many, many losses.  He utilized that young talent as trade bait when he pulled off blockbuster trades bringing in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  The rest is history, Double-P, KG and Jesus Shuttlesworth brought a championship to the city of Boston.

Indiana has not been the same team since Reggie Miller retired.  A decline in productivity from Jermaine O’Neal led to him being traded in the off-season for TJ Ford from the Toronto Raptors, and a few seasons earlier it was Ron Artest who was traded with no improvement to the squad.  Indiana will be looking to build around Danny Granger for the future and this year’s draft will be an important one for the Pacers. 

Boston has won 2 of 3 games head-to-head with the Pacers this season, and 5 of their past 6 dating back to 2007.  Go to BetOnline Sportsbook now to get in on Boston improving their already stellar home record.