By the time the Celtics (26-16) and Pacers (10-34) take the floor Wednesday night at TD Garden, this matchup will already feel familiar - not because the teams are equals, but because their meetings this season have followed a revealing pattern.

Three games in, the Celtics and Pacers know each other well. They’ve traded momentum swings, weathered hot shooting nights, navigated injuries, and tested how thin Boston’s margin for error can be when execution slips.

Each meeting has told a slightly different story, but together they’ve painted a clear picture of why this matchup has been more instructive than the standings suggest.

The first meeting back in Boston was defined by urgency. Indiana stunned the Celtics early, raining threes and sprinting out to a 20-point lead that briefly turned TD Garden uneasy. The Pacers shot with freedom, moved the ball crisply, and exposed Boston’s defensive lethargy. What followed, though, was one of the Celtics’ most telling stretches of the season. Joe Mazzulla scrapped his starters, unleashed his bench, and watched the tone flip instantly. Energy turned into defense, defense turned into pace, and the comeback became inevitable. Boston’s ability to change a game without relying solely on its stars was the takeaway - and it lingered.

Game two reinforced that lesson with less drama. Another fast Indiana start threatened to snowball, but this time Boston cut it off early. The Celtics steadied themselves, took control in the second quarter, and never let go. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. It was authoritative. The kind of win good teams rack up when they understand who they are and trust that inevitability will do the work for them.

Then came the third meeting in Indiana, and with it, the reminder that none of this is automatic. Without Jaylen Brown and without shooting well, the Celtics still put themselves in position to win late - a credit to their defense, rebounding, and adaptability. But this time, the margin snapped. Pascal Siakam delivered the final blow, and Boston walked off with a narrow loss that felt heavier than it should have.

That’s what makes Wednesday night interesting.

This isn’t a revenge game. It’s not a measuring-stick matchup in the standings. It’s a test of focus, health, and execution - the kind contenders can’t afford to gloss over. The Celtics have controlled this season series more often than not, but Indiana has proven that if Boston drifts, hesitates, or leans too heavily on shooting variance, the door opens.

At TD Garden, with the season pressing forward, the question isn’t whether Boston knows how to beat the Pacers.

It’s whether they’ll bother to remind them again.

Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers Information

Game Date: January 21, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV Channel: NBC Sports Boston (Boston) & FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (Indianapolis)
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (Boston) & 93.5 / 107.5 The Fan (Indianapolis)
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Live Stream: Fubo & NBA League Pass

Missed any of Monday night’s loss to the Pistons? Here were some takeaways:

Detroit made Derrick White uncomfortable from the opening tip, consistently cutting off his preferred right-hand drives and forcing him into tough decisions. The result was one of the roughest shooting performances of his season.

White missed 10 of his 11 shots and went 0 for 6 from beyond the arc.

While he remained active as a passer and rebounder, the Celtics felt his absence as a scoring threat - especially in a game where points were at a premium.

Against a Pistons defense this physical and connected, Boston simply couldn’t afford for one of its most reliable offensive outlets to go cold.

Boston entered the night as one of the league’s best teams at taking care of the basketball, but Detroit disrupted that identity early.

The Celtics committed nine first-half turnovers compared to just two for the Pistons, a disparity that translated directly into a lopsided points-off-turnovers battle. Detroit turned those mistakes into 19 easy points, while Boston managed just six on the other end.

The Celtics cleaned things up after halftime, and briefly found offensive rhythm in the third quarter, but the early damage forced them to play from behind all night - a dangerous proposition against a team built to protect slim leads.

Luka Garza’s recent stretch of solid play didn’t matter much once the whistles started piling up.

Four fouls in just three first half minutes sent Joe Mazzulla scrambling, forcing Boston into some unfamiliar lineup looks during a critical stretch of the game.

Xavier Tillman logged his first meaningful minutes since late November, Baylor Scheierman spent time at center in small-ball units, and Neemias Queta was asked to absorb heavier minutes earlier than planned.

Garza returned to score 10 points in the second half, but his absence loomed large in the second quarter, when Boston was outscored 33-22 and briefly lost control of the game.

This performance underscored why the Celtics still need help at center come the trade deadline.

Hauser’s January shooting surge continued against one of the league’s best defenses.

He knocked down 4 of his 7 three-point attempts, capitalizing on Detroit’s tendency to pack the paint and daring Boston’s shooters to make them pay.

But when the game tightened late, Hauser became a non-factor.

He did not attempt a single shot during seven fourth quarter minutes, a quiet finish that stood out in a one-point loss.

Against elite defenses like Detroit’s, those windows don’t stay open long, and Boston never found him when it mattered most.

Boston finishes its road trip at 2-2 and returns home to face the Pacers on Wednesday night.

But the broader takeaway hasn’t changed.

If these two teams meet again in May, the Eastern Conference may well be decided in a series that looks exactly like Monday night - close, physical, and unforgiving.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.