Brand plays through pain as Sixers fade

BOSTON – Long after the locker room had cleared and his teammates had taken the floor at TD Garden on Monday, Elton Brand sat on the trainer's table, receiving extended treatment on some nagging injuries and hoping that this would be the night his body would follow the marching orders his mind was delivering.

And for a while it looked as though Brand might be the hero in Game 5, finishing with a team-high 19 points – 12 of them in the first half. But Boston overpowered the Sixers in the second half on the way to a 101-85 rout.

For Brand, these playoffs have been rough. After not playing more than 17 minutes, 49 seconds in any of the first four games of the series, Brand looked spry enough in the first half for the Sixers to play him 18 minutes.

Brand shrugged off the notion that his injuries are slowing him down. Instead, he chose to focus on what another nice game from him would mean for the Sixers.

"It is what it is," Brand said of his injuries. "A lot of guys are playing with a lot of ailments right now so I can't complain. I know a lot of guys are playing with more aches and pains than me, I'm sure.

"Hopefully," Brand continued, "there will be some carryover into the next game with confidence from my teammates and the coaches. Hopefully they will say, 'OK, he's ready.' Our backs are against the wall, but all season long we have played well and stepped up to that occasion."

In the first half Brand was able to summon some of the moves that have been in his arsenal since the Bulls made him the top pick in the 1999 draft. Brand unpacked his mid-range jumper. He went 6-for-8 from the field in the first half and the other Sixers fed off it. The team shot almost 55 percent from the field in the first half.

For at least a half, Brand appeared to have found his shooting touch, especially from beyond the free-throw line, a favorite spot of his.

Unfortunately for the Sixers and Brand, the Celtics completely turned the game around in the second half. They shot the ball much better and their defense caused the Sixers big problems, Brand included.

Brand sees Boston point guard Rajon Rondo as the Sixers' major difficulty.

If the Sixers are going to win Game 6 and force a Game 7, according to Brand, they must start slowing Rondo down. Rondo finished with his fourth double-double of the series (14 points, 13 assists).

"It starts with Rondo. You have to stop Rondo," Brand said. "When he's being aggressive and getting into the paint it leaves Kevin Garnett open for a jumper, it leaves Bass open for a jumper or drive. [Bass] got a lot of layups and free throws."