Boston ? Jermaine O’Neal broke into a smile when asked about returning to the scene of the ugly brawl that nearly ruined the Indiana Pacers’ season.

“It’s only right,” he said. “It’s what I wanted. I wanted to see that team, and I’m pretty sure Detroit is wanting to see us, too.”

He got his wish Saturday night when the Pacers beat the Boston Celtics, 97-70, in the deciding game of their first-round series and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pistons. They did it with the slow pace they prefer, keeping alive the 18-year career of Reggie Miller.

The Game 7 rout was so complete that Boston coach Doc Rivers began clearing his bench with 4:32 left. And Larry Bird, the former Celtics great and now the Pacers president of basketball operations, left his seat behind the Indiana bench with 3:31 to go.

“I don’t know if the leprechauns took the day off,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “All I know is we had No. 33 sitting on our side of the building. I’ve got to believe that makes a little difference when you’re here for a Game 7.”

Now the team that has overcome suspensions, injuries and disharmony moves on to a meeting with its biggest rival beginning Monday night.

It’ll be a rematch between teams that took part in a melee that spilled into the stands during an early-season game at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., leading to the seasonlong suspension of Ron Artest.

Miller, who plans to end his 18-year career after this season, took just five shots and scored five points. But Miller didn’t have to do much with Jackson scoring 24 points, Fred Jones 16 and O’Neal 15.

Indiana's Reggie Miller, right, passes the ball around Boston's Gary Payton. The Pacers beat the Celtics, 97-70, Saturday in Boston.

“I’ve had a great career, regardless of what happened tonight,” Miller said. “These guys need to win it for themselves. I’m just glad I had the chance to play with them.”

The Celtics were led by Antoine Walker with 20 points and Paul Pierce with 19, but both were out of the game with 4:20 left and Indiana ahead 86-62.

“They kept playing, and we stopped to take a look” in the second half, Rivers said.