Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics accepts the The Larry Bird Trophy earning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP after winning Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 27, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. | Dylan Buell/Getty Images/AFP
INDIANAPOLIS — 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.
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 go 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.
Boston will await the winner of the Dallas-Minnesota series in the west, with the Mavericks a game away from also sweeping their series.
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