Indiana @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 9, 2018 ) Indiana 97, Boston 91

The Boston Celtics have suffered only a three-point loss at Western Conference-leading Houston since the All-Star break, winning their other six games in that stretch by an average of 14 points. They will look to stay hot and keep close in the race for the top spot in the East when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

In a game marred by the scary incident with Celtics guard Jaylen Brown - who is sidelined while in concussion protocol after falling on his head at the tail end of a dunk - Boston got past Minnesota on the road 117-109 on Thursday to clinch a playoff spot. "That's one of the goals," guard Kyrie Irving - who returned from a one-game absence to score 23 points - told reporters. "Just glad we got it out of the way pretty early." Boston is 2 1/2 games behind first-place Toronto and comfortably ahead of a six-team pack fighting for the rest of the playoff spots, a group that includes the Pacers, who have their sights set on the No. 3 seed. After a 112-87 rout of Atlanta on Friday at home, Indiana sat a half-game behind the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, NBCS Boston

ABOUT THE PACERS (38-28): Indiana plays 10 of its final 16 games on the road and the remaining home games include dates with Toronto and Golden State, both of whom also pop up on the road slate. They've solidified the point guard position ahead of the brutal stretch run, as Cory Joseph (18 points, seven rebounds against the Hawks) has played well of late filling in for Darren Collison, who returned Friday after missing 11 games due to knee surgery to produce 17 points in 21 minutes. "If you hope for something, you hope for what he did tonight," coach Nate McMillan told reporters of Collison. "He didn't miss a beat coming back. It was good to have him on the floor."

ABOUT THE CELTICS (46-20): Boston's campaign began with Gordon Hayward crippled in the lane early in the season-opener at Cleveland, and many members of the team had to have some flashbacks after Brown's frightening fall. "It was a nasty, scary fall," Hayward told reporters Friday. "I haven't had a chance to speak with him yet -- he didn't come into the facility this morning -- but very blessed that nothing happened so far. It seems like he thinks he's OK; he was able to walk off. You have scary moments like that when you're in the air." Marcus Smart started in place of Brown five times throughout the season, including Nov. 25 at Indiana, when he scored 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers SG Victor Oladipo has been held under 20 points for a season-high three straight games, although he shot 7-of-9 from the floor in a 17-point effort against Atlanta.

2. Irving averages 24.8 points on 54.5 percent shooting, 6.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds since the All-Star break.

3. The road team won each of the first three meetings, with Oladipo going for 35 points and 10 boards in a 97-91 victory at Boston last month.

PREDICTION: Celtics 111, Pacers 105