INDIANAPOLIS — Jrue Holiday overcame an illness to convert the go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds left, then make the game-saving steal to help the Boston Celtics rally from an 18-point deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 114-111 on Saturday night for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Boston can clinch its second NBA Finals trip in three seasons with a Game 4 win Monday in Indianapolis.
Jayson Tatum had 36 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Jaylen Brown added 24 points and Al Horford had 23 points and seven 3-pointers as the Celtics won their sixth straight playoff game and stayed unbeaten on the road this postseason.
Horford’s seven open 3-point makes are tied for the most by any player in a playoff game in the past 10 postseasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Holiday played despite being listed as questionable with an illness unrelated to COVID-19.
Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with a career-high 32 points before Holiday stole the ball from him with 3.3 seconds remaining. T.J. McConnell finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, while Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam each had 22 points.
Indiana played without All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton — who sat out with a left hamstring injury — and certainly missed him as Boston closed the game on a 13-2 run. It’s the first loss in seven postseason home games for the Pacers.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Source : ESPN
