In a season that's lacked such givens, there was a lot of "did what they're supposed to do" Wednesday night in the Celtics 132-96 blowout of the lowly Magic in Orlando.
Kemba Walker tied a season-high with 32 points coming back after a four-game injury absence to lead the road squad. That's kinda what's expected from a team's highest-paid player.
Jayson Tatum did his duty as Boston's top player by chipping in with 27 points on the way to the easy win.
And Payton Pritchard continued to shine as the Celtics top rookie and key bench option with 14 points on an efficient five-of-eight shooting.
But if the last couple games are an indication, Boston might be able to add Evan Fournier's name to the list of guys it expects to contribute significantly on a nightly basis as the Celtics – sitting at fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-31 record – round out the regular season.
In his first return to Orlando since the trade-deadline deal from the Magic to the Celtics, Fournier had a solid 18 points, five rebounds and four assists against his former squad. It was just the third time in a Boston uniform that Fournier has topped 18 points, but second in as many games after hitting for 21 in Sunday's loss to Portland.
Fournier has talked openly about dealing with the aftereffects of COVID, but lately the centerpiece to Boston's mid-season roster shakeup is starting to look like he could be a key piece as the team heads toward postseason action still trying to figure out it can be when it all comes together on the court.
It also may not have hurt Fournier on Wednesday night that the action came after Orlando paid tribute to its former scorer on the Amway Center video board.
"It was great. I really love the people here, you know?" Fournier said. "That's really what I'm going to miss the most, because for seven years we built relationships and you know, you're obviously happy to play each other and compete and so I always have a good time playing against those guys.
So I'm glad we got to win and that we won by 30."
Sure this was a game against an inferior team that blew its roster up at the trade deadline, including shipping Fournier to Boston. Sure the Celtics cruised, opening up a 17-point lead in the first quarter and never trailed.
If the Celtics are going to make a playoff run this spring against much better competition it will likely be because Walker is healthy and looks like an All-Star, as he did against Orlando. It will include Tatum doing his job as the team's superstar each game. And it will have Jaylen Brown in the mix doing his All-Star best, healthy after missing Wednesday night's game and the trip to Orlando with an ankle sprain.
But it might also be because Fournier gives Boston another scoring option in the starting lineup to add depth to the offense as a whole. The last couple games have certainly been a good sign in that direction.
"Six games to go in the regular season," Brad Stevens said. "We are what we are. We played hard tonight. We played well tonight. We played together tonight. Those are all good things."
Fournier, for one of the few times in his month-plus with the Celtics, was definitely one of those good things. And that could be a very good thing for Boston as the postseason draws near.
