BOSTON Going as far back as grade school, Avery Bradley always saw himself as a good defender.
But somewhere along the playgrounds of his youth, Bradley developed an offensive game that made him one of the most sought-after high school players in the country.
On Wednesday, Celtics Nation got a chance to see both sides of Bradley's game as the C's shook off a rusty start before pulling away for an 89-70 win.
Maybe no sequence of events better explains just how well-balanced Bradley's play was on Wednesday, than a 21-second sequence in the third quarter.
After checking into the game for Rajon Rondo, Bradley drilled a 3-pointer.
But that wasn't the best part.
On the ensuing defensive series, Bradley's suffocating defense was among the factors to contribute to Jordan Farmer losing the ball.
Boston Celtics
"He came in like a bloodhound; nose over the ball," said Boston's Kevin Garnett. "He was on their guards from the jump; from the minute he came into the game from the time the horn went off."
And it was fitting that Bradley's breakout game (4-for-8, 11 points, 2 assists, 2 steals) began with his play defensively.
"As a young guy, you don't really know what your role is and especially it's the beginning of the year," Bradley said. "But now I understand what my role is and I'm going to continue to come in and do whatever I need to do for my team to win."