Derrick White’s tie-breaking 3-pointer with 43 seconds left gave Boston the lead and the Celtics closed out a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers 105-102 on Monday night to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.
White finished with 16 points. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 29 points while Jayson Tatum added 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to help erase a nine-point second-half deficit. Brown was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his efforts.
Boston swept the Pacers after rallying from a 3-0 deficit in last year’s conference finals to force a seventh game.
Indiana, which again played without two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, lost its second straight at home — both in the final minute after giving up leads. Andrew Nembhard had 24 points, 10 assists and six rebounds but missed a potentially tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds and the Pacers never got the ball again.
Pascal Siakam added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana while T.J. McConnell had 15 points and Aaron Nesmith had 14.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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