Pacers Force Game 5 With Celtics

The Boston Celtics stopped Chuck Person cold Wednesday night, but they didn’t break his spirit.

The sharpshooting forward, held to six points in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series, boasted that the Celtics couldn’t stop him again. Then, he proved it.

Person scored 12 consecutive points for the Indiana Pacers in the closing minutes at Indianapolis, and they rallied to tie the series at two games each with a 116-113 victory.

The deciding game of the best-of-five series will be played Sunday at Boston.

Person, who scored 39 points in Game 2, was held to six Wednesday night when the Celtics took a 2-1 series lead.

Kevin McHale scored 24 points to pace the Celtics. He helped build a 13-point lead, and Boston led after three quarters, 95-85.

Person started his spree with 4:42 remaining, making a jump shot to cut the deficit to 105-102. With a little more than three minutes left, he put Indiana ahead, 109-107. But Kevin McHale tied it for the last time.

With 2:06 remaining, Person, who had a playoff-record seven three-point baskets Sunday in Game 2, stole the ball and made a three-pointer to give Indiana the lead for good, 112-109.

His rebound after a miss by the Celtic set up LaSalle Thompson for the basket that made it 114-109 with 1:24 remaining.

“I had a long talk with him yesterday,” Coach Bob Hill said of Person. “You have to go out there and be aggressive. That’s what he did. He stayed in the game. He hit big shots. He got rebounds.”

Before his streak, Person had 18 points. His finish drew praise from Larry Bird. Until Person took charge, it appeared that Bird, still suffering from a sore back, was going to lead the Celtics to the clinching victory.

“Chuck played excellent down the stretch,” said Bird, who had 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists. “When you get hot, you get hot. He made the big plays.”

Reggie Miller scored 27 points for the Pacers, who were 29 for 30 at the free-throw line.

The Celtics made 25 of 39 field goal attempts in the first half, but, despite shooting 64%, led only 69-64.

Boston has failed to get through the first round the last two seasons.