76ers vs. Celtics: Brandon Bass Delivers as Boston Downs Philadelphia

It was about midway through the third quarter, and the Boston Celtics were having trouble generating any kind of offense. The ball wasn't moving, shots weren't falling, and it seemed as if the Celtics were playing right into the hands of the upstart Philadelphia 76ers.

Then, Brandon Bass took over.

On a series of dunks, free throws and jumpers, Bass, who scored a playoff career-high 27, scored an inhuman 18 points in the third quarter. He went on a 6-0 run all by himself (part of a 10-0 run overall by Boston) at one point, and he capped that run with an emphatic two-hand slam and a scream at the top of his lungs.

The Celtics never looked back. They outscored the 76ers 54-35 in the second half to take Game 5 101-85 and seize a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Monday night's game was another prime example of the "switch" that Boston has. The C's looked very stagnant for much of the first half and for the first six minutes of the third quarter. But then, suddenly, they flipped the "switch," completely turning the tables on Philadelphia and clearly rattling the young team.

Boston played lockdown defense, forced turnovers, got out on the break and scored in transition, and got to the free-throw line at will. After being out-shot from the charity stripe 39 to 19 in Game 4, the Celtics "out free-throwed" the Sixers 33 to 16 in Game 5. It was the exact style of play you need to have to beat the 76ers since, as much as they like to run, they tend to get flustered when you give them a taste of their own medicine.

So, where does Bass' performance rank in terms of big-time Boston playoff performances in recent years? I'd say it has to be pretty high up the chart. Without his monster effort in Game 5, there is a very good chance that the C's could have found themselves down 3-2 by the night's end. Bass lit the fuse for Doc Rivers' squad in that decisive third period.

When you take into consideration that Paul Pierce only attempted seven shots and that Kevin Garnett, even though he scored 20, was never able to get into any kind of consistent rhythm, Bass' big game looks that much more vital.

What I just do not understand about this Celtics team is why they don't play like this all the time.

Despite the fact that they won by 16, they just did not execute very well in the first half. Somehow, they went into halftime only down by three. I'm still wondering how that happened, as Boston's offense had no fluidity, and the 76ers were able to hit a plethora of contested jump shots en route to shooting 55 percent over the first 24 minutes.

The C's were being out-hustled and outworked in the first half, and it wasn't until Rivers gave a speech about playing together during a timeout in the third quarter that they turned it on. Obviously, this team is capable of great things, but they just do not perform consistently enough.

That said, this is how Boston plays. To be honest, this has been the case ever since the "Big Three" was first assembled back in 2007. Remember those playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers? There was absolutely no reason why either of those two series should have gone to seven games, yet they did.

This is just how the Celtics operate, and any C's fan, diehard or casual, should know this by now.

An interesting statistic: Since Garnett and Ray Allen joined Pierce in 2007, Boston is 8-0 in Game 5s when the series is tied 2-2. That should tell you something about this team—it knows how to win games when its back is against the wall. That is why you just cannot ever doubt this team.

Look at what happened on Monday night. The Celtics trailed at the half and came out rather flat in the third quarter, but did any of you in your heart of hearts doubt for a second that they were going to win this game?

If you did, then you just haven't been watching this team enough over the past several years, because this is Boston's modus operandi. This is what it does.

Now, Boston has a 3-2 lead and a chance to close out Philadelphia in Game 6 on Wednesday. Will the Celtics end it that night? Who knows. I have given up on trying to predict wins such as that for this team, as you never know what you are going to get in situations where the C's don't necessarily "have" to win.

However, I sincerely believe that, regardless of what happens in Game 6, Boston won the series on Monday night. It is not going to lose two games in a row to the 76ers.

The C's will make you sweat, make you pace back and forth and make you turn prematurely gray, but then someone like Bass will step in a big spot and ignite the team. Rajon Rondo will start forcing turnovers and leading the break. Garnett will shut down the paint defensively. Pierce will drain back-breaking shots like the jumper he nailed at the end of the third to give the Celtics a nine-point lead heading into the fourth.

These are your beloved Boston Celtics.