With 15 games left in the regular season, it’s a little late to get creative with the rotation.
But that’s where Celtics coach Brad Stevens found himself against Indiana even before Kyrie Irving stayed in the locker room after halftime when his sore left knee flared up. The concussed Jaylen Brown was not available, while Al Horford was sidelined with a fever and also watched from home.
The offensive drain subsequently showed and, despite some near game-breaking moments from Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics fell for only the second time in their last eight tipoffs with a 99-97 loss to the Indiana Pacers at the Garden.