Thon Maker's insertion into the rotation has proved a catalyst of a turnaround, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to knot affairs at 2-2 and head back to the TD Garden with a chance to steal home court with great momentum after defending their home court.

In only two games, the Australian second-year forward has racked up 10 blocks on his own, granted the blessing of a combined 55 minutes of action through Games 3 and 4 after mustering only seconds of playing time in the first two games of the series.

“I think Thon’s mental toughness is underrated,’’ said Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, according to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. “When you talk about toughness and grit, Thon is the definition of that.”

“He’s stayed locked in. He hasn’t played a lot this season, but he’s been able to come into the playoffs and play really well. There’s not many guys in the NBA who could have done that.’’

“I think he’s been the X-factor for us.’’

His impact has also been noticed by his competition, as his counterpart; Marcus Morris, has seen his impact at both ends first-hand.

“He has been playing well,” Morris said of Maker. “He’s really altering shots at the rim. He’s also been making the open 3-pointer.’’

Maker followed a 14-point, five-rebound, five-block effort in Game 3 with eight points and five rejections in Game 4, many of them coming through a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter, as the Boston Celtics rallied back furiously.

His defensive presence has helped the Bucks to gain another dimension and give Brad Stevens yet another problem to address at both ends of the court.