Walker, Celts top Pacers

BOSTON — Kemba Walker made two late free throws and scored a season-high 32 points to help the Boston Celtics snap a three-game losing streak with a 118-112 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. Daniel Theis added 17 points and Jaylen Brown finished with 15.

Indiana led by as many as 14 points in the first half, but never led in the final 24 minutes in losing for the third time in four games.

Domantas Sabonis led the Pacers with 24 points and nine assists. Justin Holiday added 19 points and five rebounds.

A 12-4 run by the Celtics, capped by a driving layup by Walker, gave Boston a 110-101 cushion in the fourth quarter.

Indiana pulled within 112-109 on a layup by Sabonis with 1:23 to play. A turnover by Jaylen Brown then gave the ball back to Indiana.

Holiday missed a 3pointer from the corner and Theis hit one on the other end. But on Indiana's next possession Sabonis got a friendly bounce off the top of the backboard on a deep 3 that trimmed Boston's lead to 115-112.

The Celtics nearly got an 8-second violation, but Walker hustled the ball up the court and was fouled, and connected on his two ensuing free throws with 11.6 seconds remaining to help seal it.

The Pacers started fast, scoring the game's first 12 points, which included a pair of 3-pointers and a three-point play by Myles

Turner. Indiana's lead grew as high as 18-4, but Boston responded by closing the quarter on a 28-13 run to take a 32-31 lead.

Sabonis named All-Star sub:

Kevin Durant will be out through the All-Star break because of a hamstring injury, sidelining the Brooklyn Nets star from a game for which he was chosen to serve as a captain.

Indiana's Domantas Sabonis was chosen by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace Durant, with Boston's Jayson Tatum elevated to the pool of starters for the March 7 game in Atlanta.

Sabonis is averaging career highs of 21.5 points and 5.7 assists while ranking fifth in the NBA with 11.7 rebounds per game.