That was Celtics basketball: great defense leading to a 20+ point lead, a letdown after halftime,

Save for that general malaise in the third quarter (by both teams), Boston couldn't have played better. Green remained aggressive in the iso-Jeff sets and cutting for thunder dunks (16 points in 23 minutes), Courtney Lee hit a three, Chris Wilcox ran the floor and finished at the rim, Sullinger cleaned the glass with 9 rebounds, and Rondo flirted with back-to-back triple doubles with a 7-9-11line. Oh, and somehow, KG didn't pull down a single rebound, but shot 9-11 and finished with 19 points. It was one of those games that showcased all the strengths of every single player on the team.

Jst talked to a friend who sits courtside every gm who said that the C's defensive communication is better&louder than he's seen all season.

— Molly McGrath (@MollyAMcGrath) December 9, 2012

However, the MVP of the game was the team's defense. They held the Sixers to 79 points and 39.2% shooting. Over the last three games, you can see the rotations getting tighter and the weak side help consistently in the right place. So many times, Philly was double teamed in the corners, tried to make the cross court pass, but a Celtic was there to pick it off. The team now has three days off before the Dallas Mavericks come to TD Garden on Wednesday.

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