BOSTON -- When the Celtics convened Friday morning in Waltham to watch film from their grisly loss to Memphis on Wednesday, coach Doc Rivers pulled out a recent newspaper article and recited it to his team.

"It talked about how [the team] lost focus, how there's no sense of urgency, and how there's no way you can return to the Finals the way [they're] playing," said Rivers, setting up the big reveal. "Then I told them it was the L.A. Times and it was Phil Jackson, Lamar Odom, [and] Kobe Bryant, their comments.

"And they all laughed because they all thought it was them. I even asked them, 'Do you remember saying that?' And guys were saying, 'Yeah, I said that.' And it was somebody else."

Schadenfreude? Not quite. More like a simple reminder that every team endures ups and downs in an 82-game season. Rivers could have just as easily picked an article from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer after the Cavaliers endured a three-game losing streak last month.

And while neither the Lakers' nor Cavaliers' recent struggles have been quite as pronounced as Boston's -- the Celtics were a mere 17-18 over the past 35 games entering Friday's action -- the larger point was that the Celtics needn't think they're the only contender being skewered for their lackluster play.

As Kendrick Perkins put it: "I thought he was talking about us at first, but he was talking about the Lakers. I said, 'Shoot, we're not the only team getting murdered, I guess.'"

Two nights after Boston's seesaw season reached another low with a 20-point loss to the Grizzlies, it rose again as the Celtics opened a 20-point halftime advantage Friday night against the Indiana Pacers and breezed to a 122-103 triumph at the TD Garden.

In the grand scheme of things -- as Rivers warned his team after the game -- one win will do little to alleviate the panic that seemingly engulfs the Celtics everywhere but in their own locker room, particularly if it's not followed by at least a competitive showing (and more likely a win) Sunday in Cleveland.

But for at least one night, Boston played to its potential again and, as we prepare to turn the clocks ahead this weekend, hope springs eternal.

"We got our butts kicked the other night," said Rivers. "So I thought everybody had a sense of urgency, and you could see that on both ends. But listen, like I told them, 'One game doesn't fix anything.' But it's good that they know what they can do. I know that, but it was good to see."

Click HERE to read the full story.