A team with so much uncertainty two weeks ago, bogged down by trade rumors and players unsure of their roles, the Celtics have quickly become locked in. And it coincides with the return of Avery Bradley.

Not only does Bradley generally defend the opposing team’s most prolific scorer, such as Houston’s James Harden, but his presence has enabled players such as Courtney Lee and Jason Terry to settle into their reserve roles. In turn the bench has been more effective, like Friday when it produced 40 points on 17-for-28 shooting with 19 rebounds and 10 assists.

“For whatever reason it’s taken a while but now they’ve kind of bought in,” (Celtics Doc coach) Rivers said.

via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe