Clippers routed by Celtics

These were not the Boston Celtics of yesterday. They were more akin to the Celtics of yesteryear, in all their mystique.

Greeting them were the Clippers of present day, in their depleted state.

It didn’t resemble an even matchup beforehand and, methodically, but surely, the discrepancy was hammered home firmly, with the Clippers belted, 104-76, by the revamped Celtics on Monday at Staples Center in their worst loss of the season.

Two games after winning two games in a row for the first time since November, the Clippers resettled into a well-worn and accustomed streak. A losing one.

“I can’t figure it out. I can’t tell what they’ve done,” Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said, feigning ignorance on the source of the Celtics’ restoration from last to first in the Atlantic Division.

It could be some of that renewed mystique brought by Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, mixed in with some Paul Pierce.

This night, the big three did not have to pave the way. Garnett and Pierce combined for 28 points before sitting out the fourth quarter. Allen finished with 15 points before also sitting down.

James Posey scored 17 of the Celtics’ 46 points off the bench.

“They have guys who are scorers,” Clippers forward Tim Thomas said. “Not only Ray, KG and Paul, but they have guys who can come in and catch fire.”

A second quarter sub-in summed up the disparity.

On one side sat Garnett and Pierce, ready to reenter the game. On the other, point guard Brevin Knight.

Knight started in place of Sam Cassell, who did not play because of a sprained right calf. He joined Chris Kaman, sidelined because of a sore back.

“That’s been the story of our season,” said Thomas, who scored a team-high 15 points.

Cassell arrived at the home locker room, an occurrence that may not happen too many more times. He and the Clippers will probably try to work out a buyout of his contract in the next few days.

They could have used his jump shot.

The Clippers (19-35) did not top more than 20 points in three of the four quarters. And Corey Maggette came somewhat off his current hot streak, ending with 11 points on four-for-12 shooting.

“It was an extremely tough game for us,” Dunleavy said. “We didn’t play well. Starting out the game, there probably wasn’t one matchup that was in our favor, as far as size is concerned.”

The Celtics stumbled out of the gate on their West Coast swing, losing the first three games.

They rebounded with wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Clippers on consecutive days, improving to 43-12.

“At the end of the day, whoever wins it is going to earn it,” Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said when asked about the difference in the level of play between the Western and Eastern conferences.

“There’s not going to be anything given away. We don’t care. Detroit doesn’t care. Cleveland doesn’t care.”

Boston now washes its hands of Los Angeles for the season, unless, by chance, they meet the Lakers in the finals, a potential dream matchup that has the league salivating.

“It kind of gives people the sense that you can have an old rivalry revamped,” Knight said. “It’s great, especially for those parts of the country to keep basketball alive.”

Basketball is alive and well, at least when it comes to attendance, when the Clippers play at Staples Center. It’s just more so when there is an attractive team coming to town.

After playing as the home team in a loss to the Lakers on Saturday, the Clippers arrived Monday to find an audience of 19,328 -- many dressed in green.

“They are one of the historic franchises with the Lakers. For years, it was strange not seeing the Celtics in the playoffs,” said Cassell, who could be joining them there soon.

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jonathan.abrams@latimes.com