Watching the Celtics knock off the Suns Thursday night in Phoenix felt like old times.
Back when come-from-behind victories were the norm but never got old. Whether it was those feisty Celtics teams that were led by Isaiah Thomas or last year's underdog group that would erase double-digit deficits while Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward looked on from the bench, in the end, Brad Stevens always seemed to put his team in position to win no matter how big of a deficit they faced.
For a team struggling to find its identity, Brad Stevens forced his guys to dig deep, stay focused and keep fighting. Easier said than done, considering how the first half -- where all starters not named Kyrie Irving (3-of-10) went scoreless on 0-of-15 attempts -- played its self out.
For the first time this season, the Celtics were the underdog again. Sure, they were facing the Suns, a team destined to finish in the upper echelon of next year's draft lottery but after Boston dug itself into a 15-point hole heading into the final frame, it was a daunting task for an offense that was completely out of sync.
However, that didn't stop Irving from taking matters into his own hands on both ends of the floor. His defensive stops disrupted the Suns, while his shooting made all the difference for him and the rest of the Celtics.
Irving led the way with 39 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime. He was clearly the most important Celtics player of the night but it was Boston's head coach that set the stage for Irving and his guys.
Staring down the second half of a back-to-back set that ends in Utah Friday night, most coaches would have waved the white flag facing a 14-point hole with only 3:45 left in the final frame. Instead, Stevens saw an opportunity for the Celtics to prosper in the face of adversity.