No Tyrese Haliburton?

No problem for the Boston Celtics? Well, there was a lot of problems, but the Celtics found a way to pull out a thrilling 114-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers and a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Haliburton, the All-NBA guard and Indiana’s best player, wasn’t able to play in Game 3 due to a hamstring strain. And he’s no lock to play in Game 4 on Monday night, either.

But the Pacers put up a big fight and it weren’t for Al Horford – who drained seven 3-pointers – and Jrue Holiday, the Celtics would likely have lost. Holiday came up with a huge late steal and made two free throws with 1.7 seconds left to put the C’s up three.

The Pacers had their backs against the wall entering Game 3. After two straight losses in Boston, the Celtics arrived in Indianapolis with history strongly on its side – the franchise is 42-1 in playoff series when leading 2-0.

The Celtics trailed 90-81 entering the fourth quarter after picking up the defensive intensity late in the third. Boston trailed by 18 at one point and the Pacers looked on the verge of running away with the game.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 36 points and Horford poured in 23.

After a strong start to the game, in which the Celtics grabbed a nine-point lead, Boston couldn’t slow down Indiana’s attack. Leading 32-31 after one quarter, the C’s fell apart in the second, allowing 38 points to the Pacers and point guard Andrew Newbhard, who drained a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to finish with 21 at the half.

An unheralded second-round pick out of Gonzaga in 2022, Newbhard was 8-for-10 from the floor and 3-for-3 from 3-point land. Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam added 15 points each.

For the Celtics, they shot 10-for-24 from 3-point range in the opening half and still trailed 69-57. Tatum had a team-high 20 points, while Jaylen Brown and Al Horford had 14 and 12, respectively.

Indiana shot 63.6 percent from the floor in the first half and scored 42 points in the paint, the most the Celtics have allowed in a half all season.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives past Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)