2015 NBA scores: The Celtics are rising thanks to consistency

The Celtics are finding themselves, the wild playoff race out west and everything else from Sunday in the NBA.

Dec 28, 2015, 1:00 PM UTC

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

It's been difficult to put a finger on just how good the Boston Celtics are this season. Only one week ago they had lost three straight games and were a mere game over a .500 record. But after beating the New York Knicks 100-91 on Sunday to finish this week with four straight wins -- their first winning streak of more than three games this season -- the Celtics, now 18-13, look like a team that could beat anyone in the East.

Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 21 points and Evan Turner added 19 as Boston held the Knicks to 4-of-19 shooting from deep. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points and 10 rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis had 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, but it was the Boston defense that held the Knicks at bay.

And if one thing has been consistent for the Celtics, it’s their stifling, pressure defense. It was on full display against the Knicks, especially through the first three quarters. The Knicks scored only 18 points in the first quarter because they were 7-of-26 from the field. The Celtics held them to two buckets outside of the paint in the first half. They’re a swarming bunch who contest every shot possible. And it leads to buckets, too.

(via @NBA)

The defense is the reason to believe the Celtics are going to be a threat in the East. They're tied with the Golden State Warriors for the second-best rated defense in the NBA, giving up 97.4 points per 100 possessions. The Spurs lead the league with a defensive rating of 92.8.

Because of the defense, the Celtics can hang with anyone. And they’ve been great in December. Even with the aforementioned three-game losing streak, the Celtics are 8-5 this month.

Their losses have come against the Spurs, Warriors, Cavaliers, Pistons and Hawks. Three of those teams are legitimate title threats and two look like they'll be in the postseason.

The Celtics haven’t been as inconsistent as it seemed. They have consistently played great defense -- it’s finally starting to pay off in the win column.

3 other things we learned

The West playoff race is going to be fun.

There are six teams within two games of one another for the eighth playoff spot in the West. Every team except for the Lakers, and let's face it, the Suns, is in the playoff race. And while you could look at it and say the West isn't as good this year and it's not as fun to watch, you could also be pumped that a game between the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers actually means something.

The Kings had 22 turnovers, but Rajon Rondo dished out 15 assists and DeMarcus Cousins poured in 36 points while grabbing six rebounds. The Kings have talent, and so do the Blazers. C.J. McCollum had a huge night with 35 points, nine assists and 11 rebounds for the Blazers without Damian Lillard a night after pounding the Cavaliers. Both teams traded buckets down the stretch, but McCollum couldn't miss and the Blazers wouldn't lose. At 13-20, they're 1.5 games out of the eighth playoff spot, but in the West this year, anything is possible.

But it might not be too bad if Rondo is in the playoffs again.

Get this man in the All-Star game. Rajon Rondo #NBAVote https://t.co/s9cfD3URDC
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) December 28, 2015

The Oklahoma City Thunder are winning games, but there is still work to do.

Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds and Kevin Durant added 26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds as the Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 122-112, but it was another incomplete game for the winning squad. Sure, the Thunder look great when Westbrook and Durant are scoring and dishing out assists, but they trailed by eight at the half because they are struggling to play consistently on both sides of the ball. This play in the third quarter is a perfect example:

Watch Russ run to the corner, then never get back. Forces Ibaka to try to pick up Russ' man + his own, leads to dunk pic.twitter.com/GakuFXFdi0
— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) December 28, 2015

Plays like this happen. People get lazy at points on defense, but it’s an effort like this that teams like the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs thrive against. The Thunder have the talent, but they have to find a way to play at full throttle consistently.

The Los Angeles Lakers are lucky the Philadelphia 76ers are so bad, because coach Byron Scott has no idea what he's doing.

The Lakers lost again -- their 12th loss in 15 games -- this time to the Memphis Grizzlies. At 5-26, they're having a miserable season, but it's going somewhat unnoticed because of the 2-30 Sixers.

Lakers coach Byron Scott is at a loss for what to do with his lineups. Against the Grizzlies, he played Kobe Bryant the entire first quarter, rested him the second, and then played him the entire third. Bryant is nursing a sore knee, but he wanted to play for the fans, Bryant told reporters after the game. Even so, that's the kind of roster move an elementary school coach makes so everyone can get equal playing time.

Scott seems to have no feel for the game or is holding grudges against his young players he decided would be coming off the bench -- see: D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. Russell in particular seemed to give the Lakers a jolt on Sunday, but he only played 24 minutes. The Lakers aren't great, but that doesn't mean the young guys shouldn't be getting minutes. Scott is only making matters worse for the hapless Lakers.