You wouldn't have thought the Celtics were a defense-first team if you were watching Kobe's farewell game at TD Garden on Wednesday night. For 3.5 quarters, the Cs allowed the Lakers to do pretty much whatever they felt like doing. As if defense wasn't required against that kind of team.
It looked like the Green had peeked at LA's season record and decided they could win this one by just showing up. (That is SO wrong in so many ways...) So the vaunted Cs D only showed up late in the 4th quarter — and, as often happens when hubris replaces hustle, it was too-little-too-late.