By ,
Published May 02, 2016
Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - David West hit two free throws with 31.2 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Indiana Pacers to a 107-103 win over a Boston Celtics team that continued shuffling its roster on Friday.
The Celtics played without leading scorer Jeff Green amid reports that the forward will be traded to Memphis in exchange for veteran Tayshaun Prince and a future first-round draft pick. Boston did deal Brandan Wright just prior to tip-off, sending the reserve center to Phoenix for a protected 2015 first- round choice.
Despite their absences, the Celtics fought back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime on Avery Bradley's triple with 4.3 seconds to go in regulation.
Roy Hibbert shook off a sprained ankle to lead the Pacers with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while C.J. Miles tallied 17 points off the bench and C.J. Watson finished with 15 along with eight boards.
Bradley scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, but his efforts weren't enough to prevent Boston's eighth loss in 10 games.
"It was a tough day. A unique day," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens remarked. "We came out and battled."
After allowing the Celtics to make 12-of-18 shots during their fourth-quarter rally, Indiana tightened its defense in the extra session. Boston went just 4- of-14 in overtime, including four straight misses while clinging to a 103-102 lead.
West, who failed to convert an easy layup in transition just moments earlier, atoned for the miscue by drawing a foul from Brandon Bass with time winding down and sinking both attempts to send the Pacers back in front.
Boston's Evan Turner penetrated the lane on the ensuing possession and drew contact but no call, then threw up an errant off-balance shot that landed out of bounds to the Pacers. Miles followed with two successful free throws to put Indiana up by three, and the Pacers held on when Kelly Olynyk and Bradley both missed 3-point tries in the final seconds.
"I expected to compete to win. That's (the players') expectation," Stevens said. "You're all affected by (the trades), but the sanctuary for most of us is that court."
A triple by Indiana's Donald Sloan had the Celtics down 77-64 with 8 1/2 minutes to play in regulation, but Boston closed the gap by putting forth a 15-4 run. Bass, who finished with 17 points, began the surge with a 3-point play and later finished it with a beyond-the-arc basket that pulled the Celtics within 81-79 with 5:33 left.
Jared Sullinger's trey with 1:27 to go gave Boston its first lead since the game's initial stages at 90-89. Watson countered with a clutch step-back jumper on the other end, and Miles later made 1-of-2 from the line for a 92-90 advantage with 22.3 seconds showing.
Turner was fouled on Boston's next trip down the court, but missed the front end before making the second. After two West free throws sent Indiana back ahead by three, Bradley drilled a 23-footer with Rodney Stuckey's hand in his face to bring on extra time.
"We opted to play solid defense (instead of calling a timeout)," said Pacers head coach Frank Vogel on Bradley's shot. "Stay solid, stay on our guys. We got a good contest on the 3, and he made a tough shot."
The Pacers missed eight of their first 10 shots, but regrouped to put together a 14-4 run to open up a 20-11 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Hibbert tallied 11 points for the opening frame, in which Indiana led by as many as a dozen.
Boston was able to whittle the deficit down to five on an Olynyk 3-pointer midway through the second quarter. However, Miles buried back-to-back treys to spark an 8-2 stretch that gave the Pacers a 42-31 advantage with four minutes to go in the half.
Indiana took a 46-37 lead into the break.
The Celtics stayed within striking distance during a third quarter in which they trailed 65-60 at period's end, but Indiana began the fourth on a 12-4 tear.
Game Notes
Turner compiled 15 rebounds and dished out seven assists, but shot just 3- of-15 to finish with nine points ... Hibbert, who played just six minutes before exiting Wednesday's game at Golden State with his ankle injury, recorded five blocks ... Stevens was born in Indianapolis and had a successful six-year run at nearby Butler University before taking the Celtics' job last season ... Boston, which leads the East with an average of 46.4 points in the paint coming in, outscored Indiana 42-30 in that area.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/pacers-edge-short-handed-celtics-in-ot