BOSTON — Kelly Olynyk did his best impression of Rocky Balboa on Wednesday night.
His left eye swollen shut after he was cut on the eyelid, you could almost hear the Boston Celtics forward yell, “Cut me, Mickey.”
However, like the fictional boxer, Olynyk forged forward. He wound up leading his team to an important 100-87 win over the Indiana Pacers.
“It didn’t affect me a lot except I couldn’t see that well from that eye,” Olynyk said after coming off the bench to score 19 points in Boston’s second consecutive win.
Olynyk was injured in an afternoon one-on-one game with Boston forward Shavlik Randolph. Before the game, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said the eye “exploded” and that it was “very unlikely Olynyk would be able to play.”
Oh, he played. He shot 7-for-10 from the floor as Boston kept pace in the battle for one of the last two Eastern Conference playoff spots.
Olynyk said he needed four stitches to close the cut on the lid, adding, “It’s kind of like if you’re wearing sunglasses — I can see out of the bottom third maybe. There’s a lot of things that if you put your mind to, you can do that you don’t think you can.”
And Olynyk, now 18-for-31 from the floor over the past three games, knew he was needed in this game.
He said he thought about not playing but added, “I remember two days ago I was teasing (Boston Bruins defenseman) Dougie Hamilton and he told me he broke his ribs and he’s trying to come back before the playoffs and I was like, ‘Man, I can’t sit out, he’s going to rip me.’ … All those hockey guys would have killed me, so I had to do it.”
The win — Boston’s third in four games against Indiana this season — allowed the Celtics (34-41) to remain a half-game behind both the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets.
The Pacers, losers of nine of their last 11, dropped into 11th place, 2 1/2 games off the pace, after defeats against both Brooklyn and Boston.
“We’re certainly disappointed,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “They’re big games, but we have to focus on the seven we have left and try to make a run at it.”
Boston guard Evan Turner recorded his third triple-double in just over a month and the third of his career with 13 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Center Tyler Zeller also scored 19 points, and forward Jae Crowder came off the bench to contribute 13.
“He’s been huge,” Olynyk said of Turner. “He’s been really leading us and getting us going offensively and defensively.”
Guard George Hill shot 9-for-11 from the floor and led the Pacers with 21 points. Rodney Stuckey, who, like fellow guard C.J. Miles, was playing hurt, came off the bench to score 16. Forward David West had 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Celtics drove the Pacers crazy with their smaller lineup.
“It’s been tough … we want to win these games,” said Indiana center Roy Hibbert, who had a dreadful night with seven points and three rebounds in just 19 minutes. “We know they’re head-to-head matchups, so … yeah (it’s tough).”
Said Vogel: “We scrapped and clawed and did our best to make it a game, but they made more shots, they made more plays, they were quicker to the ball throughout the whole game, not just in the second half. They beat us in transition too many times. Their style of play won out.”
After the Pacers got an 18-point lead down to six after the third quarter, Olynyk, who logged 22 minutes, hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth as Boston maintained control. He then helped cap a 6-0 run with a rebound and long pass to Crowder for a slam.
The Celtics won despite shooting just 6-for-27 from 3-point range. The Pacers, 6-for-15 from behind the arc, were just 13-for-23 from the foul line, while Boston was 16-for-18.
NOTES: Celtics coach Brad Stevens, asked to comment on reports the University of Texas wanted him for its vacant coaching job, said, “I’ll be in Boston.” … Indiana coach Frank Vogel said there was no update on a possible return of G Paul George, out all season with a broken leg. … Vogel, on whether it is better for his team to squeeze into the playoffs: “It would mean a lot … we’re all about winning. My boss (Larry Bird) is all about winning, as you all know very well.” … Vogel, asked about the surprising Celtics and Stevens, said, “I think the players are playing well, but he’s not doing a very good job coaching the team. I think if he was a better coach they’d have a better record. Obviously, I’m joking. He’s done a sensational job.”