Celtics Hold Off Pacers' Rally to Secure 129-124 Victory

Despite a strong performance from Aaron Nesmith, the Pacers fall short against the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics.

The Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 129-124, improving their season record to 37-11 while the Pacers fell to 27-21.
The Pacers rallied back from a 20-point first-half deficit to take the lead and were within three points with less than a minute to go.
The Celtics' starting five, arguably the best in the NBA, proved too much for the Pacers, with all five Boston starters scoring in double figures.
Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton, in his second attempt at a return from a strained hamstring, was on a minutes restriction and ended the night early.
Aaron Nesmith of the Pacers, motivated by his previous time with the Celtics, scored 26 points on 11 of 17 shooting, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, 12 rebounds and seven assists against zero turnovers.