Disappearing act

Garnett filed it away until last night, at TD Garden, when the Wizards returned. Blatche’s numbers (10 points, three rebounds) didn’t tell the story as much as one play in the third quarter when Garnett grabbed a pass along the baseline, spun off Blatche and hoisted up a shot.

All Blatche could do to restrain Garnett was tug at his shorts.

Garnett scored 18 points (on 9-of-11 shooting), grabbed seven rebounds, and the Celtics dominated the Wizards, 114-83, before a sellout crowd of 18,624.

Blatche? Check.

“This team gave us problems last year, and we haven’t forgotten that — I haven’t forgotten that,’’ Garnett said. “All night I could hear [Wizards assistant] Sam Cassell’s voice about how they’re young and how they’re going to come at us and all that stuff. This team gave us problems last year and we made note of it.’’

Garnett, though, had Blatche on his radar. Along with Chicago’s Joakim Noah, Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut, and Detroit’s Charlie Villanueva, he has become a target for younger forwards, and he’s more than aware of it.

“My mentality is to play each person in front of me the same,’’ Garnett said. “I’m not trying to be your buddy. I’m not trying to be your friend. I’m very to the point. I couldn’t care less about what type of name you’re trying to make off of me. That’s what it is. It’s competition. If you’re not out here trying to defeat me, I’m figuring why are you out here. I’m understanding that.’’

Last night’s beating was almost a foregone conclusion. The Celtics were coming off three days’ rest after an ego-boosting four-game road trip, they were getting Delonte West back from a 10-game suspension, and the Wizards were playing their second game in two nights without No. 1 draft pick John Wall.

The Celtics put all five starters in double figures, and only Rajon Rondo played more than 30 minutes with the game well in hand in the fourth quarter.