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  • Ben Sheppard fails to score in spot start Saturday
    Ben Sheppard missed all four of his shot attempts in Saturday’s Game 3 loss to the Celtics, going scoreless with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 26 minutes.

    Advice: Sheppard was tabbed to fill the void left by Tyrese Haliburton, who sat with a left hamstring injury. The rookie guard didn’t provide much value in Game 3, as he was 0-of-3 from deep and failed to score. Sheppard might remain in the starting lineup for Monday’s Game 4, depending on what happens with Haliburton. If the Pacers are to extend a series they now trail 3-0, they will need more production from Sheppard. Rotoworld Today, 9:07 pm
     
  • T.J. McConnell posts 23/9/6/1 line in Game 3 loss
    T.J. McConnell finished Saturday’s loss to the Celtics with 23 points (10-of-17 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 29 minutes.

    Advice: While he wasn’t Rick Carlisle’s choice to replace the injured Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) in the starting lineup, McConnell was still in a position where he needed to step up. The veteran point guard came through, recording his first 20-point game since Game 6 of the Pacers’ first-round series against Milwaukee. The workload was also notable from Game 3, as the 29 minutes are the most T.J. has played in a game this postseason. Expect McConnell to take on a similar workload if Haliburton cannot play in Game 4 on Monday. Rotoworld Today, 9:04 pm
     
  • Myles Turner finishes Game 3 loss with 22 points
    Myles Turner logged 39 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Celtics, finishing with 22 points (9-of-16 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds, and one assist.

    Advice: While Turner shot the ball well from the field overall, there were some glaring deficiencies in his final stat line. The Pacers center missed all three of his 3-point attempts and failed to record a blocked shot for the second straight game. Indiana’s 3-point shooting is more concerning, as they were 5-of-22 in Game 3, and the Celtics outscored them by a 48-15 margin from deep. Not having Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) on the court impacted the quality of looks the Pacers could generate from three. And this could remain an issue in Game 4 if Haliburton cannot play. Turner will need to be more impactful on both ends if the Pacers are to extend this series. Rotoworld Today, 8:50 pm
     
  • Pascal Siakam accounts for 22 points, six assists
    Pascal Siakam shot 9-of-18 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line in Saturday’s 114-111 loss to the Celtics, scoring 22 points with three rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 36 minutes.

    Advice: The players who were supposed to step up in Tyrese Haliburton’s absence did so, with Siakam being one of four Pacers to score at least 22 points in Game 3. The issue was that no one else scored more than four points as Indiana let an 18-point lead slip away. Siakam could be in a similar spot on Monday for Game 4, as Haliburton (hamstring) isn’t a lock to be available. Regardless of the Pacers point guard’s health, Siakam will be heavily involved in the offensive attack as a scorer and playmaker. Rotoworld Today, 8:43 pm
     
  • Andrew Nembhard scores playoff career-high 32 PTS
    Andrew Nembhard was excellent in Saturday’s 114-111 loss to the Celtics, recording a line of 32 points (12-of-21 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, nine assists, and four 3-pointers in 39 minutes.

    Advice: The Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) for Game 3, and there were questions about who would step up offensively. Nembhard was one of the answers, as he established a new playoff career-high with 32 points. The second-year guard was also responsible for nine assists and just two turnovers, but the last may linger for a while. Nembhard’s pocket was picked by Jrue Holiday in the final seconds, with the Celtics leading by one. While Indiana did get a final opportunity to force overtime, that’s a play Nembhard will likely want back. Game 4 is on Monday, and the Pacers could again be without Haliburton. If so, Nembhard will make for an attractive play in DFS tournaments. Rotoworld Today, 8:37 pm
     
  • Derrick White blocks four shots in Game 3 victory
    Derrick White shot 3-of-11 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over the Pacers, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists, four blocks, and two 3-pointers in 35 minutes.

    Advice: Neither White nor Jrue Holiday (illness) shot the ball well in Game 3, but both came up big on the defensive end of the floor. While the latter was responsible for three steals, including one in the final seconds, the former racked up four blocked shots. White has accumulated six blocked shots and three steals for the series, more than making up for the inconsistent shooting. As for Holiday, he supplemented his three steals with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one block, and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes. Boston will look to close out the series on Monday night. Rotoworld Today, 8:32 pm
     
  • Jaylen Brown tallies 24 points, full line Saturday
    Jaylen Brown accumulated 24 points (10-of-18 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer in 37 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Pacers.

    Advice: Boston now holds a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they erased an 18-point deficit on Saturday night. Brown and Jayson Tatum combined to score 60 points on 22-of-41 shooting from the field, and Al Horford chipped in with 23 points of his own. JB7 has proven to be a tough matchup for Indiana, as he’s averaged 30.0 points per game on 52.3% shooting from the field in this series. Brown and the Celtics will look to close out the series on Monday. And based on Boston nearly climbing out of a 0-3 hole in last season’s conference finals, they’re unlikely to take their foot off the gas. Rotoworld Today, 8:25 pm
     
  • Al Horford hits playoff career-high seven triples
    Al Horford shot 8-of-14 from the field in Saturday’s 114-111 win over Indiana, tallying 23 points, five rebounds, one steal, three blocks, and seven 3-pointers in 34 minutes.

    Advice: After scoring 21 points in the series’ first two games, Horford was huge for the Celtics in Saturday’s Game 3. He established a new career-high with seven 3-pointers, and the veteran big man was also responsible for three of the Celtics’ 12 blocked shots. While it was reported before the series began that Kristaps Porzingis (right soleus strain) could return in time for Game 4, the Celtics’ 3-0 lead may influence the team’s thinking. And if the Unicorn cannot play on Monday, Boston has a more than suitable option to rely upon in Horford. Rotoworld Today, 8:20 pm
     
  • Jayson Tatum records 36/10/8/1/2 line in Game 3
    Jayson Tatum played 44 minutes in Saturday’s 114-111 win over the Pacers, accumulating 36 points (12-of-23 FGs, 7-of-11 FTs), 10 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, two blocks, and five 3-pointers.

    Advice: Tatum was outstanding in Game 3, as the Celtics rallied back from 18 down to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. He’s scored 36 points in two of the series’ first three games, but Saturday’s effort was the first this postseason in which Tatum also shot at least 50% from the field. Boston will look to close out the series on Monday night, and the Pacers could once again be without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring). Rotoworld Today, 8:13 pm