The fouls mounted quickly, two in the first quarter alone. That hampered Brandon Bass’s effectiveness, took him off the boards, sent him into the realm of inconsistency that has been so consistent for him this season.

By the end of the first half of Wednesday night’s game, Bass had missed all three of his shots, though he had managed four defensive rebounds, as he added a third foul. It took him out of the game, limiting him and the Celtics.