“Playing together more, not just on the offensive end but on the defensive end,” said Hill, who scored 10 points. “We have been helping each other and communicating a lot better and being there for one another. As long as we do that, we will be a pretty solid team.”

George had 26 points and 10 rebounds, Jordan Hill added 16 points and 10 boards, and Indiana beat the Boston Celtics 100-98 on Wednesday night.

Monta Ellis made two free throws with 13.7 seconds left to snap a 98-all tie after he was fouled by Avery Bradley.

“We drew a play up that Paul (George) was going to fake the screen and slip out and he was coming full steam and got caught up in a bad position,” Ellis said.

Bradley then missed a potential winning 3-point attempt for the Celtics (1-3).

“They forced us out of the play we were trying to run and Isaiah (Thomas) still made a great play,” Bradley said. “He drove and they double-teamed him and I tried to shoot a last-minute 3 up and George Hill played great defense.”

George, who recorded his second double-double of the season, felt he needed to get some more shooting in and arrived at the arena around 2:30 p.m. He said he took a few hundred shots to get back into a better shooting rhythm.

The workout translated to his best performance of the season, shooting 8 of 18 from the field, including 5 of 11 from beyond the arc.

Indiana had led by as much as 10 points in the first half, but Boston slowly chipped away and overtook the Pacers at 62-61 on Jared Sullinger’s 3-pointer with 4:52 to play in the third quarter.

Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, while Bradley added 21 points.

George found his shooting stroke and scored six points during an 8-0 run by the Pacers in the first quarter just as the Celtics missed seven straight. The Indiana lead was 19-11.

Boston’s shooting improved as the game went on and the Celtics utilized a 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to take an 82-78 lead, their largest of the game.

The Pacers immediately responded with an 11-2 run, capped by Hill’s jumper.

TIP-INS:

Celtics: Boston started Amir Johnson, Sullinger and Thomas in place of David Lee, Tyler Zeller and Marcus Smart, who was out with a mysterious left big toe injury. R.J. Hunter scored his first professional basket with 5:16 to play in the second quarter. His father, Ron, was in attendance. He coached Pacers guard George Hill at IUPUI.

Pacers: Glenn Robinson III saw his first action of the season. The second-year forward totaled 10 points and a pair of rebounds in his 19:12 minutes of action. Jordan Hill started in place of the injured C.J Miles for the second time this season.

POUNDING THE BOARDS

For the first time this season, Indiana out-rebounded its opponent, finishing with a 53-49 advantage. The Pacers had a 24-11 edge in second-chance points.

REMEMBERING SLIM

Members of both the Pacers and Celtics honored Pacers great Mel Daniels, who passed away on Friday, by donning white shoot-around shirts with SLIM 34 on the front and his statistical accomplishments on the back. Daniels was twice named the ABA MVP, three-time ABA champion and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.