Celtics Switch Up Al Horford's Rest Pattern for Back-to-Back

Friday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics aim to tie their franchise record for their best start to a season at home. The C's are 16-0 on their parquet.

It's also the first half of a back-to-back. Traditionally, Al Horford plays in that game and sits out the second tilt. However, with Boston hosting the Utah Jazz before squaring off with the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the 16-year veteran is inactive for Friday's matchup as he rests up for Saturday's.

The Celtics are 1-1 against Indiana, beating them 155-104 in an early November contest Tyrese Haliburton did not take part in and losing 122-112 in the In-Season Tournament.

The Pacers enter Friday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks having won five games in a row, including sweeping a mini-series with the Milwaukee Bucks.

They'll now have a chance to do so against Boston, with these two teams facing each other in Indiana again on Monday.

The Celtics, who at 26-7 sit atop the NBA standings, rearranging Horford's rest pattern lets you know how seriously they're taking this mini-series against a Pacers team that's 19-14 and fifth in the Eastern Conference.