BOSTON – The shovels were out. The grave was dug.
And then the Celtics climbed out of it.
Championships are not won in January. Teams, all of them, inevitably go through funks. But entering Monday night's showdown against the Lakers, the Celtics were in a bonafide tailspin. Three straight losses. Six in the last eight. Juggernauts like Detroit and Phoenix had come to the Garden and tattooed them. Washington and Philadelphia clubbed them on the road.
LeBron James and the Lakers jetted into town ready to deliver a knockout blow.
Until the Celtics—at the risk of overextending the metaphor—punched back.