The Celtics went up as many as 15 in the first half. Kendrick Perkins nearly had a double-double in the first quarter. Tony Allen seemed like he was everywhere at once. But once the lead got comfortable, so did the Celtics.
“You almost hate to go up [big],’’ said Ray Allen, “because your human nature has you settling and getting comfortable.’’
There’s a swagger that comes with a winning streak. And having done so and then come out and run up a large lead, Celtics coach Doc Rivers, said his team had a false sense of it.
“We played with this swagger - the losing swagger,’’ Rivers said. “It’s one thing to have the winning swagger and you go out and you feel great about your team, and you go out and play. And then there’s another thing when you just show up and you think the other team’s going to lay over and fall because you’re the Celtics.’’
Instead, the Sixers got a stimulus package from the bench in Elton Brand’s 23-point, eight-rebound effort along with 17 points from Marreese Speights.
After shooting 32 percent in the first half, the Sixers outscored the Celtics, 30-23, in the third quarter, fueled by Brand, Willie Green, and Andre Iguodala. With Rajon Rondo on the floor alongside Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen, and Shelden Williams, the Sixers went to a zone.
“I think it kind of froze us up a little bit,’’ said Rondo. “We knew it was coming. We just didn’t run our sets or execute well against their zone. They made big plays, they got and-1 after and-1 and they got the rebounds and we didn’t.’’
Adding to the frustration was a self-inflicted wound.
Rasheed Wallace was ejected for the first time in a Celtics uniform. He picked up his first of two technicals for barking at official Leroy Richardson. He kept it up coming out of a timeout, and was tossed by Bill Kennedy.
Meanwhile, the Sixers were climbing out of the grave.
Rivers had warned his team before the game that the Sixers played in spurts, and down 76-72 going into the fourth, they went on their most critical burst.
