Pacers Take Pivotal Matchup

The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers found themselves in a playoff atmosphere on Friday night. It was a much more comfortable situation for Indiana.

“There gets to be a point in the game where the playoff experience, or the veteran leadership takes over,� said Austin Croshere, who made the game-winning three-point shot with 38 seconds remaining to lead the Pacers to a 92-87 victory over the Celtics at Boston.

Croshere scored a career-high 32 points, adding 10 rebounds to help pull the Pacers even with the Celtics at 33-39 in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Each team has 10 games remaining, including a rematch April 13 in Indianapolis.

“We blew a golden opportunity to go up two games,� said Boston forward Paul Pierce, who had 23 points and nine rebounds. “But we’re still tied for the eighth spot. There’s no need to panic.�

Indiana scored seven consecutive points to take an 86-83 lead. Pierce made two free throws and Boston briefly went ahead when Antoine Walker followed up Pierce’s air ball, but Croshere made a three-pointer to give the Pacers the lead for good.

Pierce missed a three-pointer that could have won it. The Celtics got the rebound, but Walker missed on Boston’s final chance.

Sacramento 110, Minnesota 98--Chris Webber scored 22 points and Scot Pollard had 18 points and 13 rebounds at Sacramento as the Kings clinched a playoff berth.

Sacramento won its third game in four days while remaining in front of the Lakers for the Pacific Division lead and moving closer to their first division title in 22 years. Doug Christie added 18 points for the Kings.

Portland 96, New York 79--Rasheed Wallace scored 30 points at Portland, Ore., as the Trail Blazers handed the Knicks their third defeat in a row. Latrell Sprewell had 21 points to lead New York, which fell to fourth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind idle Miami.

Utah 95, Cleveland 88--Karl Malone scored 33 points at Salt Lake City, helping the Jazz end a three-game losing streak.

Malone made 11 of 19 shots from the field and 11 of 16 from the line and delivered a pair of crucial baskets in the last four minutes when the Cavaliers closed within five points.

Philadelphia 102, Golden State 89--Allen Iverson had 35 points and a career-high 11 rebounds and nine assists, leaving him one short of his first triple-double at Philadelphia.

Antawn Jamison led the Warriors with 32 points.

Denver 103, Charlotte 96--Nick Van Exel returned from a two-game absence to score 41 points to lift the Nuggets at Charlotte, N.C. The Hornets blew a 21-point lead while dropping their fourth in a row.

Van Exel, who was sidelined by a back injury, stepped up after forward Antonio McDyess left the game in the second quarter because of a knee injury.

Toronto 110, New Jersey 99--Vince Carter scored 27 points and Alvin Williams added a career-high 23 at Toronto against the injury-plagued Nets to help extend the Raptors’ winning streak to four games.

Detroit 100, Orlando 97--Jerry Stackhouse scored 31 points and Ben Wallace added 14 points and 21 rebounds for the Pistons at Auburn Hills, Mich.