Pacers 90, Celtics 75

BOSTON (AP) — Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers got the break they needed in their NBA title chase.

The 38-year-old Miller hit four 3-pointers to help the Pacers beat Boston 90-75 on Sunday and sweep the Celtics in the best-of-seven series. Indiana will have more than a week off before the Eastern Conference semifinals.

”The longer the New Orleans-Miami series goes, we get to rest,” Miller said. ”Time has shown that the team that has the freshest legs as time goes on usually prevails.”

Defending champion San Antonio and runner-up New Jersey also completed sweeps Sunday. San Antonio beat Memphis 110-97, and New Jersey topped New York 100-94. Also Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers beat Houston 92-88 in overtime to take a 3-1 series lead.

Ron Artest scored 22 points, and Jermaine O'Neal had 18 for the Pacers, who had been eliminated in the first round in each of the past three years. They hadn't won a playoff series since making the NBA Finals in 2000, when Larry Bird was the coach.

Bird stepped down after that season, but he came back this year as president of basketball operations. The Celtics' Hall of Famer was just the good luck charm Indiana needed to get over its first-round troubles.

”This was one of our goals: to get out of the first round. And we did that,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. ”We're the first team to advance, so we're very proud of that.”

Miller was 4-for-8 from 3-point range for 14 points, hitting a pair of 3s early in the third quarter to help the Pacers open a 17-point lead.

”I have the opportunity for so many years to fight for a ring,” the 25-year-old O'Neal said. ”But I know Reggie is coming to the end of his (career). He was a Hall of Famer and definitely deserves the opportunity to get the ring.”

Paul Pierce had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Mark Blount added 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who went away meekly for the third time in the series.

”I really have a bad taste in my mouth,” Pierce said, noting that the Celtics were swept in the second round last year by New Jersey. ”This is really not a fun feeling.”

The loss — just the third four-game sweep in Boston's playoff history — could signal the end for interim coach John Carroll, who took over when Jim O'Brien resigned Jan. 27. Carroll lost 12 of his first 13 games, but earned the last playoff spot in the East despite a record that was 10 games under .500.

”I've been a coach my whole life, and when you are a coach you understand that coaching is a very precarious job,” Carroll said. ”I hope I have represented this franchise and the city of Boston over the last 40 games and the players in the way they should be.”

Celtics basketball boss Danny Ainge declined to comment on the coaching situation but conceded that it was a difficult atmosphere for Carroll to work in. Taking over a team that went to the conference semifinals last year, Ainge traded Antoine Walker nine days before the season and made several other roster-shaking trades that led O'Brien to walk out midseason.

Asked if he could understand why players would be upset, Ainge said, ”Absolutely.”

”I can understand that. I can't care,” he said. ”I do care, obviously. But I can't let a player's frustrations make my decisions for me.”

The attendance was announced at 16,389 — about 1,000 short of a sellout — but it appeared to be closer to 12,000 and many fewer were left by the time it ended; more than half of the luxury suites were dark. Those who stayed home or left early were able to catch the Red Sox and Yankees wrapping up their series in New York.

Nets 100, Knicks 94

At New York, Kenyon Martin scored 36 points — 13 in the fourth quarter — to lead New Jersey to its third straight sweep in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Martin also grabbed 13 rebounds, and Jason Kidd had 20 points and seven assists for the Nets, who have won 14 consecutive postseason games against Eastern opponents.

Stephon Marbury had 31 points for the Knicks.

New Jersey will face the Milwaukee-Detroit winner in the second round. Detroit leads that series 2-1.

Spurs 110, Grizzlies 97

At Memphis, Tenn., Tony Parker matched his career high with 29 points and had a postseason-best 13 assists to help San Antonio sweep the first-round series.

Tim Duncan scored 26 points on his 28th birthday for the Spurs, who have won 15 straight regular-season and playoff games. San Antonio will play the Lakers-Rockets winner in the second round.

Pau Gasol led the Grizzlies with 22 points.

Lakers 92, Rockets 88, OT

At Houston, Karl Malone had 30 points and 13 rebounds to help Los Angeles take a 3-1 series lead.

Kobe Bryant scored six of his 18 points in overtime, including a three-point play that put the Lakers ahead with 40 seconds left.

Houston's Steve Francis hit a 21-footer to tie it at 81 with 39 seconds left in regulation. He finished with 17 points.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.