The Indiana Pacers are one win away from an easy four-game sweep.

BOSTON (AP) – 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 Friday night and a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics.

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

The Pacers were 61-21 in the regular season while Boston went 36-46. The difference has been apparent throughout the one-sided series.

Indiana, which won the first two games by 16 and 13 points at home, led 52-32 late in the first half and stayed ahead. The Pacers led by as many as 26 in the game.

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, making 4-of-17 shots. For the series, he is 16-for-53 with 56 points.

The Celtics did have plenty of outstanding players at the game. Unfortunately for Boston, they retired years ago and sat in the stands.

Boston still had a chance when it trailed 79-67 with 9:27 left in the game. 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.

The Celtics had cut a 53-40 halftime deficit to 53-46.

Then the Pacers went on a 9-2 run. Jamaal Tinsley hit a 3-pointer Jermaine O’Neal made a three-point play and Reggie Miller sank another 3-pointer.

That put the Pacers ahead 62-48 with 8:13 left in the third quarter. With the lead down to 74-63, Anthony Johnson made a 3-pointer and O’Neal sank a jumper that ended the third quarter with Indiana leading 79-63. O’Neal finished with 14 points.

The Pacers built their 13-point halftime lead behind Harrington’s 15 points in 18 minutes on 7-for-10 shooting.

Notes: New England Patriots LB Rosevelt Colvin and OL Adrian Klemm sat in the front row across from the Celtics’ bench. Patriots S Rodney Harrison also attended. … Indiana coach Rick Carlisle and guard Kenny Anderson both played for the Celtics.