O'Neal shouldering his share of the load

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal's ailing shoulder is healing, and the Celtics are feeling the pain.

O'Neal's determination to fight the discomfort of his shoulder -- he used a heating pad when he was not playing last night -- helped the Pacers gain the upper hand in their first-round playoff series.

O'Neal, who returned from the injured list April 17 after missing 22 games with a sprained right shoulder, had 21 points and 11 rebounds to help Indiana record a 99-76 victory and take a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series. For the second consecutive game, Indiana got a major boost from Reggie Miller, who had 33 points and six rebounds.

''He's doing what he's done for 18 years. He's a legend," O'Neal said of the 39-year-old Miller, who will retire at the end of the season.

The capacity crowd of 18,345 at Conseco Fieldhouse called for defense and the Pacers responded, holding the Celtics to their season-low point total for a second consecutive game.

Indiana challenged nearly every shot, inside and outside, en route to a 55-38 lead at halftime after building an 18-point advantage. The Celtics were held to 41.7 percent shooting in the first half, and the starters were 9 for 23.

Boston rallied to cut its deficit to 7 early in the third quarter, but Indiana responded with 7 consecutive points to regain control and the Celtics never drew closer than 9, shooting 38 percent in the third quarter and 39.7 overall.

The teams exchanged the lead six times in the first quarter, but the Celtics never led by more than a point. O'Neal had 16 points in the first half and Miller had 15.

The Pacers' decisive 13-1 run in the second quarter came as the Celtics were missing seven consecutive shots. A Kendrick Perkins tip-in left Boston trailing, 31-27, with 8:19 left in the half. Miller ignited Indiana's run by hitting a free throw after the Celtics were called for a defensive three-second violation.

A 12-foot fadeaway by O'Neal and a 3-point play by Miller gave Indiana its first double-digit lead at 37-27. The Pacers built their advantage to 16 before Paul Pierce hit two free throws and Ricky Davis recorded Boston's first field goal in more than five minutes to bring the Celtics to within 12.

Boston, which limited Indiana to 38 percent shooting in splitting the first two games, saw the Pacers shoot 51.3 percent in the first half and 47.1 percent overall.

As usual, Miller did his damage from outside. O'Neal, meanwhile, ignored constant physical pressure to lead all players in rebounding.

Boston fouled him frequently and O'Neal made them pay by hitting 9 of 13 free throws.

''I knew I was going to start feeling better. If I can get to 90 percent, I can be as effective as if I'm at 100 percent," said O'Neal, who boasted that at 6 feet 11 inches and a sturdy 260 pounds, he welcomes a physical game.

''Nobody wants to give any ground," he said. ''We're men. It's a weakness, but I'm being focused. They keep making hard fouls on me. I'm going to keep getting up. They were going for more, but I'm not taking it personally. I'm not going to be angry. If you're angry, you lose your focus.

''The guy has a lot of heart," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. ''Right now, not everybody is playing 100 percent healthy. Everybody is banged up a bit.

''(O'Neal) has taken responsibility to raise his game and we really needed it. It was important for him to play in Games 1 and 2 to get back into the feel of the game and I know with tonight, he's feeling a bit better."

''Jermaine got involved early and that opened up a lot for us," Miller said.