The Boston Celtics didn’t have their full lineup and didn’t have their best shooting touch early - and it still didn’t matter.

Boston leaned on defense, depth, and a dominant second half Tuesday night to roll past the Phoenix Suns 97-81, staying perfect on their Western Conference road trip and improving to 38-19 on the season.

Even without Jaylen Brown, the Celtics flipped a sluggish first half into another double-digit win, showing once again how sturdy their formula has become as the postseason push ramps up.

Phoenix, meanwhile, fell to 33-26 while missing key pieces of its own, including Devin Booker, and simply couldn’t keep up once Boston found its rhythm.

Here are some takeaways from yet another impressive win for Boston:

For much of the first half, the Celtics looked stuck in mud offensively.

The threes weren’t falling, possessions dragged, and Phoenix held the edge.

But Boston’s defense kept the game within reach - and then completely seized control.

The Celtics closed the half on a 20-5 run, holding the Suns to just 5 points over the final 6:41 before halftime.

That momentum carried into a decisive third quarter where Boston outscored Phoenix 30-11, effectively ending the game.

The Suns managed just 35 points in the entire second half, and shot 36.7% for the night, a credit to Boston’s physicality, switching, and ability to win the possession battle.

Even on an inefficient shooting night, the Celtics attempted 95 field goals to Phoenix’s 79 thanks to offensive rebounding and defensive stops.

With Brown sidelined, the Celtics needed a steady hand - and Derrick White delivered across the board.

White finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, controlling tempo and making the right play repeatedly as Boston worked through its early struggles.

His ability to orchestrate the offense and stay disruptive defensively set the tone for the turnaround.

He wasn’t alone either.

Neemias Queta posted a strong double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Baylor Scheierman added 11 points and 11 boards as Boston’s depth showed up in a big way.

With Brown out, Ron Harper Jr. drew just his second start of the season, and made the most of the extended run.

Harper finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds in 30 minutes, providing energy on the glass and a key hustle block that sparked a transition bucket.

The shot wasn’t always there (3 for 10 overall, 2 for 7 from deep), but the impact plays and activity level stood out.

It was another example of Boston’s ability to plug in role players and still maintain structure - something that’s become a defining trait during this stretch.

The Celtics are now 3-0 on this four-game Western swing, winning each game by double digits and continuing to build momentum coming out of the All-Star break.

Their toughest challenge still awaits, though, as Boston wraps the trip Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets (36-22) on the second night of a back-to-back.

Regardless of what happens in Denver, the Celtics have already reinforced a key truth over the past week: even when shots aren’t falling and stars are sidelined, their defense and depth give them a high floor - and increasingly, a championship-level feel.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.