Bradley redeemed himself Wednesday by deflecting the ball away from Irving on a crucial fourth-quarter possession during the Celtics' 93-90 win. Extended minutes haven't lessened the second-year guard's energy on the defensive end.
When Rondo returns, the Celtics will have two tough defenders with different styles to throw at opposing ballhandlers. Bradley is a ballhawk while Rondo expertly plays the passing lanes, having earned first team All-NBA Defensive honors the past two seasons.
The youngsters in the backcourt never seem to get fatigued, but it's the older men down low whose work has been truly impressive this season. Fighting sore knees and just plain old age, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal have built a long list of big men who have had some of their worst games against Boston, with Dwight Howard and Roy Hibbert topping the list.
