Last night was the 21st game of the season for the Boston Celtics. However, after exemplifying their historically patented toughness and bravado on both sides of the ball for a full 48-minutes, something we hadn't seen all year, one can argue that it was their first game.
Simply put, this is how they should’ve played all year.
It may not have looked it, but last night was a true test for the Celtics. Sure, the New Orleans Pelicans aren't exactly the Golden State Warriors, but after losing to teams Boston would normally run through, nothing has been a given.