Victor Oladipo capped a wild finish with a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining Saturday night, delivering the host Indiana Pacers a 102-101 victory over the Boston Celtics.
After sweeping two games at Indiana last season, the Celtics appeared headed for another road success when Kyrie Irving hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final 1:08, the second putting Boston up 101-97 with just 38.1 seconds remaining.
But after Oladipo cut the deficit in half with two free throws with 29.2 seconds left, the Pacers got a shot at the win after Irving couldn't complete a drive with 11.7 seconds to go.
Oladipo got the defensive rebound and, a few seconds later, connected from 27 feet for the game-winner.
The Celtics had one final possession, but Oladipo stole a pass from Gordon Hayward and ran out the clock.
Oladipo finished with game highs in points (24) and rebounds (12) for the Pacers, who won their third straight in the opener of a three-game homestand.
Tyreke Evans (17 points), Bojan Bogdanovic (16), Myles Turner (12) and Domantas Sabonis (12) also scored in double figures for the Pacers.
Marcus Morris had 23 points and Irving 18 for the Celtics, who were seeking a fifth straight win in the opener of a five-game trip.
Jayson Tatum and Al Horford added 14 points apiece for Boston, while Jaylen Brown had 12.
Morris, Irving and Tatum each hit four 3-pointers and the Celtics had 19 in all, outscoring the Pacers 57-33 from beyond the arc.
Until the final seconds, neither team led by more than three points in a fourth quarter that featured 11 lead changes and three ties.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Indiana | |
Marcus Morris 23 | Scoring | Victor Oladipo 24 |
Marcus Smart 9 | Assists | Domantas Sabonis 5 |
Jaylen Brown 7 | Rebounds | Victor Oladipo 12 |
Kyrie Irving 2 | Free Throws Made | Victor Oladipo 8 |
Marcus Smart 3 | Steals | Bojan Bogdanovic 3 |
Jaylen Brown 2 | Blocks | Tyreke Evans 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Boston | 101 | 43.2 | 19-46 | 6-9 | 23 | 45 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
Indiana | 102 | 41.9 | 11-32 | 19-25 | 23 | 45 | 2 | 10 | 13 |