All because the young inexperienced team pulled an old playground gimmick on the wise and experienced Celtics – and it worked.

“After we got those technical fouls, we did go on a [13-2] run,” (Elton) Brand later said standing alone at his locker.

Brand smiled. He was asked if the Celtics “unraveled.” He didn’t want to say that, he replied, but he kept smiling, leaving unspoken the notion that Boston had done exactly that.

“We had to muck it up,” he said. “We had a lot of bodies to bring and that worked to our advantage.”

This, of course, would not be the first time (Kevin) Garnett has reacted poorly to rough and physical play. At times he is a 6-foot-11 stick of dynamite ready to explode at the slightest spark from an elbow or official’s call. He didn’t retaliate against Brand for the technical, but his exaggerated attempts to stay away from a conflict showed he was well in its center.

via Les Carpenter of Yahoo! Sports