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 matched his playoff career high with 36 points and had 10 rebounds and eight 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.
Holiday played despite being listed as questionable with an illness unrelated to COVID-19.
Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with a career-high 30 points before Holiday stole the ball from him with 3.3 seconds remaining. T.J. McConnell finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and six 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.
Boston 114, Indiana 111
BOSTON (114) — J.Brown 10-18 3-4 24, Tatum 12-23 7-11 36, Horford 8-14 0-0 23, Holiday 4-10 5-5 14, White 3-11 5-6 13, Hauser 0-3 0-0 0, Tillman 1-1 0-0 2, Brissett 0-0 0-0 0, Pritchard 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 39-83 20-26 114.
INDIANA (111) — Nesmith 2-4 0-0 4, Siakam 9-18 4-4 22, Turner 9-16 4-4 22, Nembhard 12-21 4-4 32, Sheppard 0-4 0-0 0, Jackson 1-4 0-0 2, McDermott 1-1 0-0 2, Toppin 2-6 0-0 4, McConnell 10-17 2-2 23. Totals 46-91 14-14 111.
Boston 32 25 24 33 — 114
Indiana 31 38 21 21 — 111
3-Point Goals—Boston 16-46 (Horford 7-12, Tatum 5-10, White 2-8, J.Brown 1-5, Holiday 1-6, Pritchard 0-2, Hauser 0-3), Indiana 5-22 (Nembhard 4-7, McConnell 1-4, Nesmith 0-2, Sheppard 0-3, Siakam 0-3, Turner 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Boston 36 (Tatum 10), Indiana 43 (Turner 10). Assists—Boston 24 (Tatum 8), Indiana 32 (Nembhard 9). Total Fouls—Boston 18, Indiana 21. A—17,274 (20,000).