BOSTON — When Jaylen Brown signed his supermax contract in the summer of 2023, he voiced his desire for the Celtics to get back to their defensive roots. The comments set the tone for a title run last season when Boston was consistently elite defensively.

The Boston Celtics have lost four of their last six games. During this most recent stretch, many of the Celtics' defeats have come from inconsistency on defense as the team's unit has ranked 15th in the league.

In another defeat, 123-114, to Indiana on Sunday following what looked like a get right game on Friday, the Pacers outscored their transition total from the first game by halftime, dominated the