The Boston Celtics are in search of consistency as they begin a four-game road trip against the suddenly hot Indiana Pacers on Monday in Indianapolis.
Boston has dropped two of three, most recently matching a season low in scoring in its 100-95 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
It’s not just the offensive production that Celtics star Jaylen Brown wants to see corrected ahead of Monday, it’s the officiating. Boston attempted just four free throws in the loss, resulting in a rant from the group’s leader.
“I feel like honestly, (San Antonio) just got away with a lot,” Brown said. “I’m tired of the inconsistency. I’ll accept the fine at this point. They’re a good defensive team, but they ain’t that damn good. … It’s extremely frustrating. We play hard. We’re outplaying our expectations. … I’m irate with how they officiated the game.”
Behind Derrick White’s 29 points and Brown’s 27, the Celtics received an unexpected jolt from reserve Baylor Scheierman, who scored 10 points in the loss. The second-year man out of Creighton averages just 2.8 points per game, but Scheierman has remained ready for head coach Joe Mazzulla’s team.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play (Saturday) or not. That’s kind of just how it is,” Scheierman said. “My job is to be ready when my number is called and just try to go out there and impact the game in any way I can.”
Brown’s 29.5 ppg and White’s 18.6 clip lead the Celtics, who are hoping to earn their third win in as many tries against the Pacers this season.
Indiana owns the league’s worst record at 8-31 and is on pace to record the worst winning percentage (.205) in franchise history. The Pacers, though, have won two straight following a 13-game losing streak. A win on Monday would mark the team’s first three-game winning streak of the season.
“It was good to be back in front of a friendly crowd,” Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle said after the Pacers’ 123-99 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday — the team’s first home win since Dec. 8. “I thought our guys kept the fans into it (Saturday), which we needed to do.”
In an injury-plagued season that’s seen the Pacers play 24 players, the familiar face of Andrew Nembhard has been a steady force. Nembhard, a key member of last year’s Eastern Conference championship team, is averaging career highs of 17.6 points and seven assists per game.
“I think we’ve been a confident group, but it’s nice to get wins,” Nembhard said. “I don’t remember the last time we got two in a row, so it’s nice.”
Another returner from last year, Pascal Siakam leads the team with 23.6 points per game, while Bennedict Mathurin chips in 17.8. However, Mathurin has missed the Pacers’ last four games with a thumb injury and was ruled out for Monday. Nembhard (lower back soreness) is considered questionable.
