Pacers hold off Celtics to tie series 1-1
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-26 11:01

Reggie Miller still had a big shot left in his 39-year-old body. Miller hit a 13-footer for Indiana's last basket, capping his 28-point game and leading the Pacers to an 82-79 win over the Boston Celtics that tied their playoff series at one game each Monday night.

Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller pumps his fist as he looks up a the scoreboard after the Pacers beat the Celtics 82-79 in Game 2 their NBA first-round playoff series in Boston, Monday April 25, 2005. Miller scored 28 points in the game. [AP]

It was quite a comeback for the Pacers and Miller, who hit just one of seven shots and scored seven points in Boston's 102-82 opening win Saturday night.

After Miller, who plans to retire after the season, gave the Pacers the three-point lead, Ricky Davis missed a jumper with 31 seconds to go and Jermaine O'Neal rebounded for Indiana. Anthony Johnson then missed from the left corner with 6 seconds remaining and Paul Pierce rebounded for Boston.

But Pierce, who led the Celtics with 33 points, missed a very long 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds to go. Johnson rebounded again and kept the ball until time expired.

The best-of-seven series shifts to Indiana on Thursday night for Game 3.

Boston had taken its biggest lead, 75-68, on Davis' basket with 8:21 remaining. But Indiana outscored the Celtics 18-10 in the fourth quarter, which began with Boston leading 69-64.

Antoine Walker's layup had put Boston ahead 78-74 with 2:41 left. Johnson's short jumper in the lane cut the lead to two and Indiana tied the game on Stephen Jackson's dunk with 1:41 to go. Then Johnson drove the open lane for a layup and Pierce made one of two free throws, leaving Indiana ahead 80-79 with 56 seconds remaining.

Walker scored 19 for Boston and Jackson had 20 for Indiana, but just four after the first quarter.

Indiana led 30-22 after one quarter behind Jackson's 16 points. The Pacers made nine of their first 10 shots, taking a 24-15 lead on the ninth basket, a dunk by O'Neal. During that stretch, Jackson hit all three of his 3-pointers and Miller went 2-for-2 on his.

Pierce also got off to a good start by making his first shot, a 23-foot jumper just 1:27 into the game. In the first game, he didn't sink his first field goal until just 7:56 remained.

Early in the second quarter, the Pacers controlled the Celtics' young backups much better than they did in the first game, when that group turned a two-point deficit after one quarter into a 15-point lead midway through the second.

Indiana led 37-30 when three Boston starters returned to the lineup. Just 3:30 later, the Celtics took their first lead, 42-40, on Pierce's 3-pointer. But the Pacers got the last seven points for a 47-42 lead at intermission on James Jones' 3-pointer at the buzzer.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attended the game. ... Raef LaFrentz scored just three points after leading Boston in Game 1 with 21 points and making all five of his 3-point attempts. ... The Pacers are 0-13 in series in which they lose the opener. ... Indiana's Jamaal Tinsley sat out his second straight playoff game after missing the last 29 in the regular season with a bruised left foot.

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