NBA Playoffs: Celtics erase 18-point lead to break shorthanded Pacers’ hearts, take 3-0 lead

D’Angelo Russell

The task was much tougher than expected, but the Boston Celtics walked out of Game 4 Saturday night with a 3-0 lead over the shorthanded Indiana Pacers.

Led by Jayson Tatum with 36 points, the East’s top seed erased an 18-point deficit to break the Pacers’ hearts with a 114-111 win in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 4 is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

No team has come back from being down 3-0 in a series in NBA history.

The Pacers entered the game without Tyrese Haliburton, who exited Game 3 with a hamstring injury and was ruled out hours before Game 4. He was capably replaced by Andrew Nembhard, who posted a Haliburton-esque night with a career-high 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting and nine assists.

That, combined with 20-plus points from Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and bench hero T.J. McConnell, looked like it would be enough.

The Celtics have a 3-0 series lead, and this loss was the most painful yet for the Pacers. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Instead, the Celtics steadily chipped away throughout the s
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