In the aftermath of consecutive blowout losses to Denver and Washington in early November, Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas lamented his team's lack of an identity.

"We're not ourselves," Thomas said. "We need to be the Celtic team that I've been a part of the last year and a half."

The Celtics, playing without Al Horford and Jae Crowder at that time, did not use their health woes as a crutch. Boston's struggles, including losing four of its first seven games, ran deeper than who was available, but players couldn't help but wonder what was possible when the team had all its horses.

If the past four games are any indication, the Celtics -- in the words of Dennis Green -- are who we thought they were.

Jumping on Thomas' back again in the fourth quarter Thursday night, the Celtics fended off the Indiana Pacers and won 109-102 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Boston has now won a season-high four straight games and sits third in the Eastern Conference behind only Cleveland and Toronto.

Since Nov. 11, the Celtics are 14-8 and own a defensive rating of 100.9, the third-best mark in the league in that span. If Boston lost its identity early in the season, consider this recent stretch a lost-and-found bin.

Since Thomas returned from a groin injury last week, giving Boston its preferred starting five, the Celtics have not lost. For the season, the starting lineup of Thomas, Avery Bradley, Crowder, Amir Johnson and Horford is 11-3.

Isaiah Thomas had 28 points and nine assists in the Celtics' win over the Pacers. Ron Hoskins/NBA/Getty Images

Of the 26 lineups that have played at least 150 minutes this season, Boston's starting five ranks sixth in the NBA with a net rating of plus-9.5. Horford, sidelined for much of November because of a concussion, clearly makes his teammates better when he's on the floor. Crowder, sidelined by an ankle injury in November, finally seems healthy and on Thursday turned in one of his best efforts of the season, including spearheading a 17-0 run in the second quarter while playing with a reserve lineup.

Just like it was prudent not to overreact to Boston's early struggles, these Celtics are trying not to get overly excited about this recent stretch.

"We talked about it [earlier in the season]: When we get healthy, that was going to be helpful," coach Brad Stevens told reporters in Indiana. "We're still not as good as we need to be, that's for sure. We gotta make more strides."

It's scary to think about Thomas potentially elevating his play. Over the past four games, the 5-foot-9 point guard is averaging 30.3 points on 50.7 percent shooting. Backcourt partner Bradley has stepped up his defensive effort, including late-game assignments on Memphis' Mike Conley and Indiana's Paul George the past two games.

Things don't ease up as the Celtics return home Friday night with a visit from Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Christmas holiday sends them back on the road to New York to play the Knicks, and there's a visit to Cleveland soon after.

But the Celtics can look at their remaining schedule and see that 30 of their final 53 games are at home. After living out of a suitcase for most of December, the Celtics will sleep in their beds for much of January. There is a quiet hope among players that Boston can play even better basketball.

BOSTON CELTICS Check out the team site for more game coverage INDIANA PACERS Check out the team site for more game coverage

The Celtics still have to show they can consistently beat good teams. Tuesday's win in Memphis was a rare triumph against a team over .500. With a crowded pack behind them in the East, the Celtics must maintain their success in a quest for a good playoff seeding.

But it seems fair to say Boston looks a lot more like the team that many projected before the season to push the Cavaliers in the East. There have been small glimpses of what this team is capable of, though the Celtics have rarely put together a full 48-minute effort even during this brief winning streak.

But considering where the Celtics were six weeks ago, there has been progress. And health has been a big factor. The Celtics have rediscovered their identity, and now it's time for them to figure out exactly how good they can be.