By PHILLIP B. WILSON Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, including the decisive 7-foot bank shot with 6.1 seconds remaining, and the Indiana Pacers won three straight games for the first time this season, beating the Boston Celtics 98-96 on Monday night.
Boston’s Derrick White missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt in the final seconds. He had tied the game at 96-all on a driving layup with 28.6 seconds remaining.
Siakam pump-faked and stepped inside the foul line for the high-arcing leaner that banked through in the final seconds. He also had eight rebounds and six assists.
The Pacers began the night with the NBA’s worst record but improved to 9-31, one-half game better than the New Orleans Pelicans. They were without forward Bennedict Mathurin (17.8 points per game), sidelined by a thumb injury for a fifth consecutive game.
Jay Huff had 20 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Pacers.
Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists. White had 18 points and Anfernee Simons 16.
The Celtics didn’t have leading scorer Jaylen Brown, who sat out with lower back spasms and earlier Monday was fined $35,000 for criticizing referees. Brown’s 29.5-point average ranks sixth in the NBA.
This was the start of a four-game trip for the Celtics, who are third in the Eastern Conference at 24-15.
Up next
Celtics: At Miami on Thursday.
Pacers: Host Toronto on Wednesday.
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