Boston Celtics

Celtics 52, Pacers 52 (half)

By Gary Dzen

1 minute to read

Forced to go small by the absence of Paul Pierce, Delonte West, and Wally Szczerbiak, Doc Rivers went very small and had some success in the first half. Rivers used Sebastian Telfair, Rajon Rondo, Allan Ray, and Tony Allen in various three-guard lineups in the half. The Celtics pressed more than usual and forced Indiana into seven turnovers. The Celtics also pushed the pace and had 10 turnovers of their own.

Before the game, Rivers said he would use a bigger rotation with Ryan Gomes at small forward, but so far that has not happened.

  • Good line for Rajon Rondo: six points, three rebounds, and two assists in the first half.
  • Szczerbiak, West, and Theo Ratliff were all on the Celtics bench wearing street clothes during the half.
  • There was a Jonathan Papelbon sighting on the high-def scoreboard with 8:09 remaining in the half. Sitting courtside for the game, Papelbon did not reveal whether he would be a starter or a closer this season during his 15 seconds on screen.

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