You Can Never Count Out The Comeback Celtics
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Never, ever count out the Boston Celtics. Just don't do it.
Throughout the regular season, Boston's calling card has been a team that could dig themselves out of just about any hole. Double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter? No biggie. They would scratch and claw until the end, unwilling to just roll over and accept any defeat.
But that was when they had Kyrie Irving, whom they could usually count on to hit a number of big baskets and play a big part of any comeback. That's not a luxury they have this postseason, but that doesn't seem to matter.
Nothing these Celtics do should really surprise us anymore.
They were up to their comeback tricks again during Thursday night's 108-103 Game 2 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, erasing a 22-point deficit with a furious run in the second quarter. Following a lethargic start that nearly buried them, Boston shook it off and erupted for a game-defining 26-8 run. They outscored Philly 18-3 over the final 6:41 of the first half, and the deficit was down to just five points, 56-51, when the teams went into the locker room.
All the momentum had shifted back to the Celtics when halftime hit, and they once again looked like the dominant team that blew out Philadelphia in Game 1.
Boston's lineup as they eradicated the Philadelphia lead made the run all the more surprising. They did it with a makeshift squad of Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Greg Monroe, with Marcus Morris making a late appearance as well. Brown came off the bench as he returned from a hamstring injury that sidelined him in Game 1, and Monroe was playing for the first time in a week. Everyone on the floor contributed.
Five Celtics scored during the run, with Rozier leading the way with eight points. He knocked down a pair of threes in the final 1:42 of the half that nearly blew the roof off the TD Garden. He added three assists during the run, accounting for 16 of Boston's points during the stretch.
"Coach was saying whoever brings the fight and whoever the tougher team is going to win," Rozier said after the win. "They definitely punched us in the mouth in the beginning of the game and we just had to bounce back and get things together."
Smart threw the first retaliatory punch for Boston with with a deep jumper with 6:20 left. It was initially called a three on the floor but changed at halftime. But that didn't matter, as Smart's shot ignited Boston's flurry of points ahead of half. He accounted for five points during the run and helped force four Philadelphia turnovers, which Boston turned into six points.
Brown had six points of his own during the run, finishing things off with a nice dunk on a feed from Morris in transition. With Philadelphia's lead down to just five, the Celtics were alive and so were their fans.
"Man, I've never seen TD Garden like it was tonight," Brown said. "I think I'll remember that game forever. The way the crowd got behind us before the half — that last five minutes, man. The energy was insane. I don't think I'll ever forget that."
The defense locked down during the stretch, forcing Philadelphia to take six of their 10 shots from downtown. They only made three of those attempts as they desperately tried to limp into the half with a double-digit advantage, but the Celtics weren't going to let that happen.
That run wouldn't have meant much if the Celtics didn't keep it going in the second half, and they didn't disappoint on that front either. They stretched it out to a 50-20 run into the third quarter, and eventually took an eight-point lead before the 76ers made a comeback of their own. It set up a thrilling back-and-fourth final frame that saw four lead changes.
Boston never trailed after a Morris three with 4:13 left put them on top 96-95. Rozier made a huge three and a nice driving layup past Joel Embiid in the final minutes, finishing with another 20-point game. Al Horford sealed the game with a driving layup of his own with with 8.3 seconds left. The Celtics never took their foot off the gas, and now they own a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to Philadelphia. History is on their side, as 94 percent of the teams who start a series with two home wins end up winning the best-of-seven set. Throughout their lengthy history the Celtics have never lost a series when they've gone up 2-0. On the flip side, the 76ers have never won when falling into an 0-2 series hole.
The Celtics' season has been defined by insane runs and ridiculous comebacks, so why would the playoffs be any different? It doesn't matter who is -- or isn't -- on the floor, you can never count these Celtics out.