INDIANAPOLIS, April 2 (Ticker) -- Reserves Walter McCarty and Rodney Rogers led a huge fourth-quarter run that gave the Boston Celtics an unlikely 105-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The Celtics trailed by 18 points with four minutes left in the third quarter, but used a 22-2 run, capped by a free throw by McCarty to take a 97-88 lead with 40 seconds left.

McCarty scored 10 of his 18 points in the burst while Rogers, who finished with 14, drained a pair of 3-pointers as Boston moved two games ahead of fourth-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference.

"We've been in situations like that before, even worse," McCarty said. "But we don't get our heads down or get discouraged. We just stick it out, hang in there and keep playing hard."

NBA TV highlights from Celtics-Pacers: 56k | 300k E.piphany of the Day: 56k | 300k Pierce in the Crunch: 56k | 300k When Boston needed a lift, Walter McCarty elevated his game. Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty Images

Reggie Miller scored 26 points and Jermaine O'Neal added 18 for Indiana, which gave away a game it could ill afford to lose.

"We've got nine games left and we can still do it but we've got to play smart in every game," Indiana's Ron Artest said.

The Pacers are now only one game ahead of ninth-place Toronto for the final playoff spot in the East.

Indiana took control in the second quarter and built a 55-47 lead at halftime after shooting 53 percent (20-of-38) over the first two quarters.

"We weren't disciplined enough to stick to the game plan," Indiana coach Isiah Thomas said. "We stopped throwing the ball to Reggie and Jermaine. We had a good basketball game going... I would say it was a lack of discipline."

After Paul Pierce cut the deficit to five in the opening minute of the third, the Pacers scored 12 of the next 14 points to take a 67-52 lead on Artest's eight-footer with 7:10 left.

Pierce had a game-high 28 points and Erick Strickland, who continued to play well in place of injured point guard Kenny Anderson, added 22 for Boston, which shot just 42 percent (28-of-66) from the floor but 44 percent (12-of-27) from 3-point range.

Artest, who narrowly missed a quadruple-double in Sunday's win against Miami, recorded 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

O'Neal's jumper gave the Pacers their biggest lead, 76-58, with 4:01 left, but it was all Celtics thereafter.

Trailing 86-75 after Artest's finger roll 3:10 into the fourth, Boston charged back behind Rogers and McCarty. After Strickland sank two free throws to get the run going, Rogers sank a 3-pointer and McCarty scored five straight points.

With 5:27 left, Rogers gave the Celtics their first lead of the second half, 88-86, with his fourth and final 3-pointer.

O'Neal dunked for the tie, but Boston scored the next nine points to decide the issue.

Pierce and Strickland each netted eight points and McCarty pulled down six of his 12 rebounds as the Celtics outscored the Pacers, 36-14, in the final quarter.

"It hurts, it hurts bad," Indiana point guard Jamaal Tinsley said. "But there can be a tomorrow and will be a tomorrow."

Tinsley scored 11 points and reserve Austin Croshere added 10 for the Pacers, who shot 46 percent (37-of-80) from the floor.

Jonathan Bender, who has been a key contributor off the bench for Indiana, was held to six points -- none in the final quarter.