Celtics force Game 7 with OT road victory

In the wildest game yet of a series headed to a Game 7, the Celtics overcame the late ejection of Paul Pierce and sent their first-round matchup with the Indiana Pacers back to Boston.

Antoine Walker scored 24 points Thursday night, including a go-ahead 3-pointer early in overtime and the clinching basket with a minute to go, in Boston's 92-89 victory.

Boston came back from an early 11-point deficit, took the lead late in the second quarter and stayed in front until the closing seconds of regulation, when Pierce was ejected for his second technical foul.

Boston led 84-83 at the time, and Pierce had just been intentionally fouled by Tinsley as the Pacers tried to stop the clock. Tinsley hit Pierce in the neck while fouling him, and Pierce appeared to swing his elbow in anger.

Referee Steve Javie did not immediately make a call. But after huddling with the other two officials, Pierce was assessed his second technical foul of the game -- an automatic ejection.

Reggie Miller hit the technical foul shot to tie the game, and the Pacers got to choose which Celtics player would replace Pierce at the foul line. They selected Kendrick Perkins, a 64 percent foul shooter, and he missed both attempts.

The Pacers then had a chance to win, but Miller shot an airball from well behind the 3-point line, sending the game to overtime.

Jefferson scored the first basket of the extra period, and there was one more tie before Walker's 3-pointer put the Celtics ahead to stay. His next basket made it 91-87 before Tinsley scored, and Indiana got the ball back with 15 seconds left.

O'Neal then missed a 16-foot turnaround and the ball went out of bounds over the backboard. Delonte West hit one of two free throws to finish the scoring for Boston, and Indiana's Anthony Johnson missed a 3-pointer after Indiana inbounded with 0.7 seconds left.

Davis had a playoff career-high 22 points and Pierce added 20 for Boston.

O'Neal led Indiana with 26 points.

The winner of Game 7 on Saturday will open the Eastern Conference semifinals at defending NBA champion Detroit.

Walker had 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, but it was Boston's bench that initially put the Celtics in position to win.

Led by Davis and Jefferson, who finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds, the Celtics' bench outscored the starters in the first half to overcome Indiana's early lead.

The Pacers scored the first 10 points of the game, and a basket and free throw by Miller gave Indiana its biggest lead, 19-8, before Pierce scored his first points on a pair of free throws.

Boston cut it to 27-20 at the end of the period on Raef LaFrentz's buzzer-beater, and the Celtics continued their comeback while the Pacers went cold in the second quarter. A rebound basket by O'Neal put Indiana up 31-27, but the Pacers missed their next seven shots and managed just five free throws over the next six minutes.

A 3-pointer by Davis gave the Celtics their first lead, 37-36. Jefferson then dunked off an assist by Pierce, Pierce hit two more free throws and Gary Payton scored on a fast break following an Indiana turnover to complete a 14-1 run for a 43-36 lead.

The Celtics led 49-43 at the half and 70-62 after three quarters before consecutive 3-pointers by Indiana's James Jones and Fred Jones started the frantic fourth quarter.

Indiana pulled within one but failed on three straight possessions to tie or take the lead. Johnson hit one of two free throws with 27 seconds to go, making it 84-83, before the foul on Tinsley and Pierce's ejection.

Notes: Miller, who had 12 points, needs 27 points to pass former Celtics player Sam Jones (2,909) for 18th in playoff career scoring. ... The last time Boston won a playoff series after trailing 3-2 was in 1988 against Atlanta. ... Former Players Walt Frazier, George Gervin and Dominique Wilkins attended the game as part of the NBA Legends Tour.