Rajon Rondo had a way of sneaking up on the 76ers. 

At first, it seemed like the Celtics' 96-86 win over Philadelphia Friday night would be a shooters’ match between Ray Allen and Elton Brand. The veterans jumped out to hot starts -- Brand scored 12 points in the first quarter and Allen was right behind with 11. 

However it was the player who had one of the coldest starts that turned the heat up. Rondo did not score until 3:45 in the third quarter. But once he got going, he didn’t stop. 

Rondo scored 14 points in a span of eight minutes after hitting his first basket. He tied the game at 52 apiece and helped put the Celtics up 74-67 heading into the fourth. By the end of the game, Rondo had recorded his 31st double-double of the season with 16 points, 11 assists. (He grabbed six rebounds, too.)

This game wasn’t all Rondo, though. Every player on the court for the Celtics got on the board. Kevin Garnett scored a team-high 22 points as he continued to find his rhythm (8-11 FG, 6-6 FT); Allen ended up with 16 points after his early groove, and Glen Davis added 12 off the bench. 

The total team effort made up for struggling offensive performance by Paul Pierce. After scoring 27 points on Wednesday against the Bobcats, he shot a dismal 1-for-9 from the field and finished with nine points. Kendrick Perkins also scored a quiet six points. 

But that’s the foundation of the Celtics -- winning with team basketball, not individual performances. Here are three things we learned from this collaborative victory:

BIG GAME FOR BIG BABY

There are a lot of things Glen Davis would probably like to forget about this season. Friday night was not one of them.

Davis put together his most efficient performance of the season against the 76ers. He scored 12 points off of 5-for-8 shooting in just 16 minutes. (On Tuesday against the Pistons, it took him 14 attempts to score as many points.)  He is averaging just under six points this season. 

Davis also grabbed six rebounds, the most in his last six games. The Celtics were a team-high plus-10 with him on the court.

Of course this isn’t all about Davis’ stat line. His reliability has a bigger impact on the team than just boosting his season averages. Every healthy body is important down the stretch as Doc Rivers will have to juggle managing the starters minutes while still winning enough games to secure home court advantage. 

Davis has the potential to be a dependable role player -- he has done it in the past. Now it is just a matter of doing it consistently with the minutes he is given. 

SIXERS SEASON WRAP

With a win on Friday night, the Celtics took the regular season series, 3-1 against the 76ers. Here is a look back at their previous match ups:

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Blogs

• Irish Coffee: Bulls consider Celtics ‘dangerous team’
• Chris Wilcox and JaJuan Johnson may not be Kareem Abdul-Jabar but they were pretty good Sunday

Audio on Demand

• JaJuan Johnson with Grande & Max post-win
• Grande & Max with Doris Burke

Columns

• The Rajon Rondo conundrum
• Sun begins to set on Celtics, Lakers

Tickets

02/15/2012

Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons - TD Garden, Boston, MA
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02/29/2012

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks - TD Garden, Boston, MA
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03/2/2012

Boston Celtics vs New Jersey Nets - TD Garden, Boston, MA
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November 3: Celtics 105 -  76ers 74

The Celtics improved to 5-0 with this early season victory over the Sixers. Rasheed Wallace scored 20 points (7-10 FG), including six treys, in front of his hometown crowd. That game would be the peak of Wallace’s long-range prowess this season. He shot 12-for-63 (19% 3PG) over 12 games the rest of the month. 

November 25: Celtics 113 - 76ers 110

The Celtics fought back in the fourth quarter to outscore the 76ers 34-25 in the final 12 minutes and clinch the win. Rondo scored three critical consecutive baskets in the fourth, and the Celtics were led by 27 points from Pierce. In spite of the win, the Celtics shot a disappointing 7-for-27 from 3-point range. There were 14 ties and 12 lead changes in the game. 

December 18, 2009: 76ers 98 - Celtics 97

When asked when the Celtics began struggling to hold on to late leads, Rondo pointed to this game. The 76ers snapped the C’s 11-game winning streak off of an Elton Brand tip-in with 7.7 seconds left. The Celtics blew a 15-point third quarter lead and were outscored 56-44 in the second half. This loss would be the beginning of a trend in which the Celtics let the game slip away in the third and fourth quarters. 

CELTICS AWAITING FINLEY

Michael Finley is expected to participate in his first practice with the Celtics on Saturday. What the team doesn’t is how he will fit into their rotation. But what they do know outweighs the uncertainty. 

“He's a veteran who can spread the floor and shoot pretty well," Paul Pierce told reporters in Philadelphia. "He brings a lot of experience. He's a veteran who has been around the block a few times. I'm sure he'll find his way, and he's played in a lot of big games during his career. He knows how to approach them and play in them. Experience can always help in tight situations."

It isn’t just Finley’s experience that attracted the Celtics, either. He is known for being a great locker room presence, a key component to a championship-contending team. That positive reputation is enough to please Doc Rivers.

"He's got high character," said Rivers. "He's another shooter. We don't know where we're going to fit him in, but adding a veteran can never hurt. Adding a guy who can make open shots can never hurt. Adding a guy who's been through the wars can never hurt. That's how we looked at it."

Finley will turn 37 on Saturday.