The Associated Press

BOSTON - The Indiana Pacers showed again why they're the top team in the Eastern Conference.

A strong bench, led by 19 points from Al Harrington and Jonathan Bender, and dominant rebounding led Indiana to a 108-85 win and a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in the first-round playoff series.

It was the worst home playoff loss in the Celtics' history, a span of 261 postseason games since 1948.

The top-seeded Pacers can complete the sweep of the best-of-seven series against eighth-seeded Boston on Sunday.

Indiana, which won the first two games by 16 and 13 points at home, led 52-32 late in the first half Friday and stayed ahead. The Pacers led by as many as 25 points.

Ron Artest, who returned from a one-game suspension for leaving the bench when Boston's Brandon Hunter threw Jermaine O'Neal to the floor in the opener, scored 15 points and played outstanding defense on Paul Pierce.

Pierce scored just nine points, shooting 4-of-17 from the field. For the series, he is 16-for-53 with 56 points.

Boston still had a chance when it trailed 79-67 with 9:27 left. But Indiana went on a 15-2 run - with substitutes Bender scoring six points and Fred Jones adding five - and took its biggest lead, 94-69 with 5:55 remaining.

INDIANA (108)-O'Neal 6-12 2-4 14, Artest 6-17 2-2 15, Foster 3-4 1-1 7, Tinsley 3-9 0-0 7, Miller 2-4 2-2 7, Harrington 9-14 1-5 19, F.Jones 2-5 0-0 5, Johnson 2-4 0-0 6, Croshere 1-3 2-2 4, Bender 6-12 5-5 19, Pollard 0-1 1-2 1, K.Anderson 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 42-89 16-23 108.

BOSTON (85)-McCarty 5-11 0-0 11, Welsch 2-4 6-6 11, Blount 5-10 1-4 11, Atkins 4-7 4-4 12, Pierce 4-17 1-1 9, Davis 5-12 6-8 16, Banks 2-3 0-0 5, Ju.Jones 2-5 0-0 4, Mihm 3-7 0-0 6, Hunter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-76 18-23 85.

Indiana	23	30	26	29-108
Boston	20	20	23	22-85

3-Point Goals-Indiana 8-22 (Johnson 2-2, Bender 2-3, F.Jones 1-2, Miller 1-3, Tinsley 1-4, Artest 1-6, Croshere 0-1, O'Neal 0-1), Boston 3-14 (Welsch 1-1, Banks 1-2, McCarty 1-6, Ju.Jones 0-1, Pierce 0-2, Atkins 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Indiana 54 (Harrington 9), Boston 49 (Blount 8). Assists-Indiana 27 (Miller, Artest 5), Boston 20 (Davis 7). Total fouls-Indiana 21, Boston 19. Technicals-Boston Defensive Three Second 2. A-17,680 (18,624).

Rockets 102, Lakers 91

HOUSTON - The Houston Rockets somehow found a way to make Shaquille O'Neal a non-factor for half of the game, and a pair of late acrobatic baskets by Steve Francis clinched things after O'Neal finally got aggressive again.

The Rockets defeated the Lakers and cut Los Angeles' lead to 2-1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series.

Francis had 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Cuttino Mobley added 21 points, Yao Ming scored 18 and Maurice Taylor came off the bench to add 16 as the Rockets thrilled their fans in the first playoff game in Houston since 1999.

The series resumes with Game 4 on Sunday.

O'Neal scored 25 points, 11 coming in the first few minutes and 10 more coming in the fourth quarter. Kobe Bryant scored 21 and Karl Malone 18.