First, the good news. The Celtics beat the Pacers last night at the Garden, 94-75. The blowout win was a defensive clinic. Avery Bradley’s return has helped smooth out the rotations (Terry to the bench) and taken some pressure off of Rondo, defensively. Courtney Lee seems to realize his days are numbered, making him more aggressive last night (13 points on 6 of 9 shots). Rondo had his best game in recent memory, contributing in all aspects (18 points on 14 shots, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, plus 15 in the +/-). Maybe the hip feels better. Maybe the fact that Rondo could focus his energy on offense with Bradley back helped. Likely, both were factors.

Before we decide the Celtics are fully back, let’s look at who the Pacers are.