Pacers lose, fall behind 3-1

BOSTON -- The 24-second clock was winding down as Paul Pierce dribbled calmly in place, talking trash to defender Al Harrington.\n"He said, 'I hope you're ready, because I'm ready to bring it,'" Harrington recalled.\nBring it he did.\nPierce made a 3-pointer over the taller Harrington with 3.6 seconds left in the third quarter of Boston's 102-92 win over the Pacers on Sunday, giving him 21 of his 37 points in that period.\nThe Celtics lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven playoff series, which resumes Tuesday in Indiana.\n"We don't want to prolong the series," Pierce said. "We don't want to give them any breathing room."\nThe basket put Boston ahead 73-62 as Pierce scored the last 11 points of the quarter, which began with Indiana leading 48-36.\nPierce couldn't remember what he said to Harrington as the two stared each other down.\n"I was caught up in the moment," Pierce said. "That's what playoff basketball is all about, two guys competing at the highest level."\nAnd Sunday was Pierce's day.\nHis 32 points in the second half set a team playoff record for one half. The old mark of 30 was set by John Havlicek on April 1, 1973 and matched by Larry Bird on April 30, 1985.\n"In the first half I was really passive, trying to get others involved," Pierce said. "Then I hit two or three in a row and I kind of fed off the crowd. The adrenaline got going."\nIn Game 1 in Indiana, Pierce had 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics came back from a 13-point deficit in the last 7 1/2 minutes for a 103-100 win.\n"He had the ability to take over (Sunday) because we started getting defensive stops," Boston coach Jim O'Brien said. "If you don't and you walk the ball up, then they have three people on Paul."\nThe Pacers used various tactics to harass Pierce -- from a taller player jumping at him on long shots to double-teaming when he went inside -- but couldn't stop him. They fouled him four times in the third quarter and he sank all seven shots.\n"We couldn't get him under control," Indiana coach Isiah Thomas said. "He's a shotmaker and he made shots. I don't think (Ron) Artest could have been any closer to him" on defense.\nJermaine O'Neal's 25 points and 19 rebounds were enough for the Pacers, who looked poised to even the series after a strong first half.\n"We just tried to get the ball into Jermaine the whole time, and that does not work," Artest said.\nReggie Miller, 0-for-7 from the field in the third game, was 1-for-3 in 17 minutes Sunday with his only basket, a 3-pointer, coming with 42 seconds left.\n"Hopefully, in the next couple of days I can find my rhythm," he said. "I still feel I can compete at a high level."\nThe Pacers scored the first four points if the third quarter for a 52-36 lead, but the Celtics outscored them 37-10 the rest of the period.\nIndiana cut the margin to 81-76 on Brad Miller's layup with 5:34 left in the game. But the Pacers came no closer as Antoine Walker hit two straight baskets for an 85-76 lead.\nIndiana fouled the Celtics six times in the last minute, and Boston made 10 of 12 free throws. Pierce hit five of them and had 11 points in the fourth quarter.\nTony Delk had 21 points for Boston, and Walker added 17. For Indiana, Brad Miller scored 21 and Jamaal Tinsley had 13 assists.\nAfter Indiana took its 52-36 lead early in the third, Boston scored the next 15 points -- starting with Walter McCarty's 3-pointer and ending with Pierce's field goal that gave him eight points in the run.\nThat made it 52-51 with 7:10 left in the third. The Pacers extended that to 58-53 before Boston scored the next nine points -- seven by Walker and two by Pierce -- for a 62-58 lead.\nBaskets by O'Neal and Harrington tied the game with 3:13 to go in the third. Pierce then scored the last 11 points of the period.\nO'Neal had an outstanding first half with 12 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and one steal. Celtics shooters went 12-for-41 (29.3 percent).\nPierce and Walker combined for 11 points on 4-for-16 shooting in the half.\nThe Celtics did cut the lead to 40-35 on Pierce's long jumper with 4:17 left in the second quarter. But the Pacers outscored them 8-1 the rest of the half.\nO'Neal reached a double-double with 3:40 left in the first half when he got his 10th rebound. He already had 10 points.