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Boston Celtics win Game 3 against Indiana Pacers

The NBA Finals begin on June 6 in Boston.

OK, the finals definitely start on June 6. The Boston part is early.

If you're not sure if the Celtics will advance to the Eastern Conference finals after taking a 3-0 lead over the weakened Indiana Pacers, you should at least include them in your plans.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series in the NBA playoffs, and of the 154 times a team has trailed 3-0, they have only had to force a Game 7 four times.

Not only are the odds stacked against the Pacers, but reality is also stacked against them. The Celtics are the best team in the East and have the most talented roster of the four teams in the conference finals.

That doesn't guarantee the Celtics another title. There are certainly questions, and Saturday's come-from-behind win raised an eyebrow among Celtics skeptics.

But their second final appearance in three seasons is just one win away.

The Celtics beat the Pacers 114-111 in Game 3, and the Pacers were without All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a left thigh injury in Game 2. His ability to play in Game 4 also remains a question mark.

The Pacers' chances of keeping the series close faded after they missed a chance to steal Game 1 and then simply were no match for the Celtics in Game 2. They played well in Game 3, especially without Haliburton, but Boston's defensive pressure and talent became too much toward the end of the game.

With a 3-0 lead, the Celtics can complete the sweep on Monday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2).

With 38.9 seconds left, Jrue Holiday made a three-point play to give Boston its first lead since the second quarter, making it 112-111. Holiday, who was named to the All-Defensive Team this season, stole the ball with 3.3 seconds left to deny Indiana a lead shot. His two free throws with 1.7 seconds left were crucial in the final score.

Indiana's Aaron Nesmith, a former Celtic player, missed a 3-point attempt as the final buzzer sounded.

Jayson Tatum scored the game's most points with 36 and had 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks, and Jaylen Brown continued his strong play with 24 points. Al Hoford added 23 points, giving the Celtics their third straight game against the Pacers with three players scoring at least 20 points. Holiday contributed 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Derrick White, another Celtics player on the All-Defensive team, had 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four blocks as Boston's starting five all played at least 36 minutes and wore down the Pacers.

It wasn't a convincing win for the Celtics on Saturday. The Pacers led for most of the game, but their 18-point third-quarter lead shrank to 93-90 with 8:31 left in the fourth quarter. They couldn't hold off the Celtics.

Boston didn't capitalize on the chance to beat Indiana early in the game, and while that story – they don't have that knockout mentality – bothers the Celtics and their fans, it will stick with them until Boston wins a title with this group led by Tatum and Brown. It's in these games where focus wanes and performance is inconsistent that doubts start to emerge about Boston's ability to win a title.

The Celtics and their No. 2 defense conceded 40 points to 68 in the penalty box and allowed 69 points in the first half, showing how much they miss Kristaps Porzingis, who is nearing his return from a calf injury.

Andrew Nembhard of the Pacers scored 32 points, TJ McConnell had 23 points and Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner added 22 each.

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