Indiana Pacers-Boston Celtics Final Injury Report: Key players' status revealed

The final word on who's in and who's out for Monday's Eastern Conference face-off

May 23, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots the ball against Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) in the first half during game two of the eastern conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have announced that guard T.J. McConnell will not play in tonight's game against the Boston Celtics, as he deals with left knee soreness, while second-year guard Johnny Furphy will suit up after dealing with a left ankle sprain.

For the Celtics, star forward Jaylen Brown will be available after missing last game with an illness, while second-year forward Jordan Walsh will miss his second straight game, also with an illness.

Here's the rest of the injury report and game preview.

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INJURY REPORT

PACERS

T.J. McConnell: Out - Knee

Johnny Furphy: Available - Ankle

Ben Sheppard: Out - Calf

Tyrese Haliburton: Out - Achilles

Aaron Nesmith: Out - Knee

Obi Toppin: Out - Foot

CELTICS

Jaylen Brown: Available - Illness

Jordan Walsh: Out - Illness

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Game date, time and location: Monday, Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m. EST, TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, NBC Sports Boston

Radio: 93.5 FM/107.5 FM The Fan (Indiana), 98.5 FM The Sports Hub (Boston)

VITALS: The Indiana Pacers (6-22) and Boston Celtics (17-11) meet for the first of four regular season matchups. The two teams met three times last season, with two resulting in wins for the Pacers. The Pacers are 87-110 all-time versus the Pacers during the regular season, including 58-41 in home games and 29-69 in road games.

PROJECTED STARTERS

PACERS

G Andrew Nembhard

G Quenton Jackson

C Jay Huff

F Bennedict Mathurin

F Pascal Siakam

CELTICS

G Payton Pritchard

G Derrick White

C Neeimas Queta

F Jaylen Brown

F Sam Hauser

Betting Lines (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Spread: Pacers +11.5 (-106), Celtics -10.5 (-114)

Moneyline: Pacers +450, Celtics -600

Total points scored: 225.5 (over -112, under -108)

QUOTABLE

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle: "We missed 12 layups at the rim in this game and they were ill-timed bc those misses often times turned into threes, baskets, or and-ones. It was uncanny the way it was happening, but that's not an excuse, it's just a fact. It just goes to show you how important those swing plays are and so, we got to win more of our share of them."

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Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Indiana Pacers On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Miami Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket