The Celtics continued their tough road trip with a matchup in Dallas against the Mavericks. The Mavs were coming off a home loss against the Denver Nuggets while the C's were playing the second night of a back-to-back, winning the previous night with an impressive win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not surprisingly, the C's started off sluggish and sloppy, missing a ton of shots early on.
They turned on the proverbial switch in the second half, but couldn't score a basket in the final two minutes of the game. They let this one slip away, but there's nothing to hang their heads over a 6-2 start. Rajon Rondo missed a wide open three to take the lead, but he needs to take that shot to further continue his development. Here are some of the "GreenLights" below:
Q1: The game begins with the Celtics winning the tap, then Pierce backing in for a turnaround jumper to get things going. Other highlights include:
- Kevin Garnett with a rebound, getting it to Rondo who drills the pull-up jumper in transition
- Jermaine O'Neal with the nice block on a Caron Butler drive
- Rondo with the hesitation dribble-drive to the hoop for two
- KG and Paul Pierce with some activity under the hoop to gain possession of the ball
- Excellent hustle on the offensive glass
- Rondo to KG for the alley-oop
- Big Baby with the steal, leading to a Pierce lay-up
- Rondo stealing Dirk's money, then jamming it home
- KG with a jumper that swishes so loud it nearly destroys the microphone on the hoop
- Rondo says "NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!" to Jason Kidd
- Big Baby with some solid post defense on Dirk
- Big Baby knocking down the jumper one the C's final possession
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2t7XJyn8yA&w=445&h=275]
Q2: The ugly second quarter begins with a nice night shot of Dallas, followed by Quis finding Semih Erden underneath for the slam. Other highlights include:
- A smooth Ray Allen elbow jumper
- Nate Robinson knocking down a three
- Gumby making a road appearance
- Semih rebounding
- Quis knocking down the jumper off a broken play
- Pierce with the jumper
- JO with a nice left-handed lay-in
- Another smooth Ray Allen jumper
- Pierce taking it to the basket, drawing the foul on Tyson Chandler
- Big Baby drawing another charge, Caron Butler is his victim this time
- Pierce with the runner to end the half, then Rondo steals the inbounds pass and nearly tosses in a circus shot
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o258E-T9It8&w=445&h=275]
Q3:The third quarter begins with Pierce rattling in a three. Other highlights include:
- KG with a loud rebound
- KG 'doin work in the post on Chandler
- KG to Rondo to Big Baby for two
- Ray not giving up after getting his lay-up blocked, then scores
- Rondo with an amazing left-handed pass to Pierce for the lay-up
- Some high energy defense leading to an eventual Pierce transitional lay-up
- Solid defense forcing Kidd to launch a deep three that is missed
- KG drilling a jumper
- The C's defense forcing a rare 5-second violation on the inbounds pass
- Pierce with the pull-up jumper
- Another glorious Rondo to KG alley-oop
- Contrasting two UConn players: Butler bricking a three, then Ray immediately swishes home his own three for a 6-point swing
- KG with a viscious jab-step jumper over Chandler
- Pierce raining down a three
- Big Baby with the jumper to beat the shot clock
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAnXcEyOvho&w=445&h=275]
Q4: The final quarter begins with Nate blocking a Jose Juan Barea jumper, leading to a fast break. Other highlights include:
- KG backing down Jason Terry and nailing the jumper over him
- KG drilling a jumper as the shot-clock expires
- A poke-away steal by Rondo leading to a Marquis lay-up
- Yet another Rondo to KG alley-oop
- C's D forcing a 24-second shot clock violation
- Rondo breaking out for an and 1
- Rondo stepping into a jumper
- C's forcing Kidd to toss the ball away and turning it over
- Pierce with the jumper at the top of the key
- Jason Terry's clutch three
- KG's missed lay-up
- Dirk's jumper over Big Baby
- Rondo's missed three
- KG's missed turnaround jumper to seal the loss
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xZ9zuxA1q0&w=445&h=275]
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