Paul Pierce scored 20 points and Jeff Green added 19 off the bench as the Boston Celtics moved back into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with a 92-80 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Nenad Krstic added 11 points and seven rebounds while Ray Allen scored 12 for the Celtics (48-18), who had dropped three of four to fall behind Chicago.

Boston controlled the middle of the game, outscoring the Pacers 59-40 in the second and third quarters to gain the advantage. Green took over in the second, pouring in 13 points as the Celtics grabbed a 47-40 lead at the break.

It was Pierce’s turn in the third, as the All-Star swingman went off for 10 points in the frame to help push the lead to 74-60 heading into the final 12 minutes. Green’s jumper with 5:41 left made it 86-68 and allowed the Celtics to coast to the finish.

Josh McRoberts collected 14 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana (29-39), which dropped back into a tie for eighth in the East with Charlotte.