Boston Celtics: Why the C's Defense Can Carry Them to 2012 NBA Title

Forget about Paul Pierce's drives, Ray Allen's corner threes, Kevin Garnett's 18-foot jumpers and Rajon Rondo's dazzling dimes.

When push comes to shove, the fate of the Boston Celtics in the 2012 NBA playoffs will be decided on the defensive end, as they demonstrated in a 101-85 beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.

Some of the raw numbers don't necessarily corroborate that story at first glance. The Sixers shot a respectable 46.8 percent from the field and out-rebounded the supposedly bigger, tougher Celtics by a margin of 37-31.

Look closer, though, and you'll see an effort that was all about the C's D shutting down the Sixers in the second half. Philly's 16 free throws (against 33 for Boston) were only partially indicative of the Celtics' ability to defend without fouling.

After all, the Sixers were dead last in the NBA, with 18.2 free throws attempted per game during the regular season.

Consider, instead, that the Sixers scrounged up all of 35 points on 37.1 percent shooting in the second half after scoring 50 points on 54.8 percent shooting in the first 24 minutes.

Consider that Philly's perimeter quartet of Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday combined for 38 points on 15-of-39 from the field after ripping the Celtics apart for 58 points in Game 4.

Consider that the C's forced 15 Sixers turnovers and converted them into 18 points on their own end.

All without the services of Avery Bradley, who's emerged as a Tony Allen-type ace defender for Doc Rivers this season. 

Of course, the Celtics' defensive success isn't and has never been predicated on the presence of one player, much less a sensational sophomore who's tougher to shake than an early-morning craving for Dunkin' Donuts.

It's about the Big Ticket protecting the rim and playing with passion in the paint. It's about Paul Pierce pestering some of the NBA's most lethal wing scorers—from Joe Johnson in Round 1 to LeBron James or Danny Granger in the Eastern Conference Finals. It's about Rajon Rondo ruffling feathers at the point of attack and freelancing for fits of thievery when the situation calls for it.

Most of all, it's about five players collaborating and communicating in unison, helping out when one man is over-matched and thereby effectively suffocating the opposition from a previously disadvantaged position.

Just as has been the case since Danny Ainge first brought this group together back in the summer of 2007.

Boston has led the NBA in field-goal percentage defense three times in the intervening five years, including the 2007-08 season (when they won the title) and this current campaign.

That's not to say that great defense will necessarily guarantee the C's one last championship before this glorious experiment potentially goes kablooey this summer. The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers are both younger than the aging Celtics, and both happen to hang their respective hats on defense, as well.

The same goes for the Oklahoma City Thunder, assuming they don't get steamrolled by the red-hot San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

Those same Spurs, by the way, have been firing on all cylinders since mid-April.

But, if there's any team that can play team defense well enough to overcome its potential opponents' advantages in youth and depth, as well as its own physical shortcomings, it's the Celtics.

Need proof? Just look at what they did to the Sixers in the second half of Game 5 to earn a 3-2 series lead in Boston.

Look closer, and you'll see a team whose last hurrah may prove to be its finest hour.

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