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Perfectly played: C’s steal a huge road win over Pacers 03.06.13 at 9:27 pm ET
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Jeff Green was the hero with 0.5 seconds left in the game, scoring the winning basket. (AP)

Jeff Green was the hero with 0.5 seconds left in the game, scoring the winning basket. (AP)

Jeff Green scored on a reverse lay-up on a bullet pass from Kevin Garnett with 0.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift the Celtics to an unlikely 83-81 road win over the Pacers, Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The brilliant play was drawn up by head coach Doc Rivers and executed by a team that appears to be hitting its stride.

Rivers called for Green to get free on the baseline on a back-pick set by Pierce, with Garnett at the top of the key. That’s exactly how the play unfolded as Green got free underneath, caught the ball under the basket and turned his body just in time to hit the layup off the glass.

Garnett finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley finished with 13 points apiece for the Celtics, who won their fourth straight and improved to a season-best six games over .500 at 33-27. They also improved to 12-4 without Rajon Rondo.

With the Celtics playing their second road game in 24 hours, the Pacers were predictably the stronger team out of the blocks, shooting out to a 27-19 lead after one.

The Celtics got a layup from Pierce right before the halftime buzzer as Boston cut Indiana’s lead to seven, 49-42, at the break.

Garnett made history with a defensive rebound in the first minute of the third quarter. It was his sixth of the game and No. 13,370 of his career, passing Wes Unseld for 10th all time in NBA history.

The Pacers went to their inside game to build the lead to 14, 63-49, midway through the third but the Celtics finished the quarter on a 9-5 run to close to within 10, 68-58, heading into the fourth.

The Celtics pulled to within one, 73-72, on a Jason Terry three with just over six minutes left, capping a 20-7 run. The Pacers then responded with the next eight points to build a nine-point lead.

As great as the play execution was for the Celtics, Boston was the beneficiary of some highly questionable play-calling on the part of the Pacers. Leading by 14 points and with Roy Hibbert taking it to the Celtics inside, Pacers fell in love with the three-point shot, finishing a miserable 6-of-27 from long range.

The Pacers had all five starters in double figures, led by Paul George with 16 points. David West had 11 points and 16 rebounds while Hibbert finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Celtics are off Thursday before returning to action Friday at home against Atlanta at TD Garden. For more, visit the Celtics team page at weei.com/celtics.

Read More: Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Jeff Green, Kevin Garnett Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • Yaz8

    Just got to say go Jeff Green!
    Way to steal one C’s.
    Sign of a good team that they don’t quit, they find a way to win.

  • Clutch

    No Granger but key win. Closed one out when they played behind all game.

  • Succinct

    ggggggggggggguuuuuuuuuuuuttttttttsssssssssssssyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy………………..

  • Bruinman86

    Great win.  Nice to see the C’s actually play well at the end of a close game.

    • Fab4ever

      And if the playoffs started today, they’d be playing the Pacers…..too bad they lost Sully….I’m still scratching my head about Rondo….I don’t know what to make of him….this team is not sucking….

      • Bruinman86

        I’m fine with trading him for another talented player with star potential or giving Danny a high draft pick to work with.

      • Ty

        Well you hit on something big there at the end–the team isn’t that bad even without Rondo or Sully.  There are a couple reasons for this, one being that the Celtics are a lot deeper than they were given credit for when they were struggling.  With a couple players hurt, it gives players like Green and Terry more opportunity to showcase their talent, whereas before, it wasn’t necessarily happening as much for them because there were other options at Doc’s disposal.

        Without Rondo, the assists are distributed much more evenly throughout the roster every game, making everyone more involved and not revolving around one player as much.  It’s about as good as if Rondo has one of his better games, but the perimeter defense is also improved, which showed in those 3 pt. shooting stats for Indiana last night.  If they can execute at the end of games like they did last night, they won’t miss Rondo’s play-making abilities that he creates at the end of games that much either.

  • Keebs

    Good comeback win & one hell of a play drawn up by Doc. I’m glad it wasn’t the typical pull up jumper at the buzzer. 

    • ken

      This team is building confidence down the stretch, all NBA defense AB, 6th man J. Green

  • Rob Clarkin

     What_A_Win :: Rajon ….Houdini ? I like this team, as currently configured, WAY MORE – -  would love to have, particularly, a healthy Sullinger . . . but folks, the sample is becoming a pattern is becoming an axiom of team chemistry * * * *

  • ChrisinDanvers

    Solid win. The team stayed closed for the most part, tightened the defense in the fourth quarter, and got the Pacers into playing away from their strengths….on the second night of a back to back no  less. Shows a lot about this team. And, it was great to see a last second play work that did not involve Rajon Rondo or Paul Pierce putting up the shot.

    They are playing stronger right now…at the right time.

  • Uncle Buck

    I tuned in with 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter.  I watched because it was on DVR and I could zip past time outs and ads.  5 minutes left and down by 9 points, on the road, part two of a back to back, against a good team……wow.  Very impressive.

  • gator34

    similar feeling to last year with no one giving them a chance to make some noise in the playoffs.  with the exception of miami, i’d take them in a 7 game series against anyone in the east right now.  vets and doc have the whole team believing in themselves.  fun team to watch.  they bring it every night.

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