It was "Seats for Soldiers" night last night at the Garden as season ticket holders had the opportunity to donate their seats to members of the service. The Celtics were led by Shaquille O'Neal who turned back the clock with his performance while turning up the clock in terms of minutes played. Rajon Rondo also nearly registered another triple double, picking apart the Charlotte defense like a ninja.
The game was close throughout the night until Ray Allen acted like the assassin he is and drilled back-to-back threes halfway through the fourth quarter. The Bobcats never really recovered as the Celtics earned their 30th victory of the season. Check out the GreenLights below for all of the action:
Q1: We get a look at some soldiers who are excited to be in attendance, followed by Shaq winning the tip and Rondo hitting a baseline jumper to beat the initial 24-second shot clock. Other highlights include:
- Rondo finding Ray for a baseline jumper
- Some solid early defense, forcing the Kwame Brown miss
- Rondo to Shaq for the alley-oop
- Paul Pierce with the nice pivot and step-back lane jumper over Gerald Wallace
- After DJ Augustin makes a sweeping lay-up he lands on the officials ankle
- Shaq with the near up-and-under lay-up
- Rondo with the change-of-hands lay-in
- Rondo to Pierce for the right elbow jumper
- Rondo kicking it out to Pierce for the three
- Rondo with the baseline pass to Ray for three
- Big Baby backing down Boris Diaw then hitting the fade-away jumper in the lane
- Ray getting in the passing lane and stealing the Wallace pass
- Big Baby backing down Diaw again, spinning and drawing the foul… he would make both free throws
- Augustin firing the ball off of Nate Robinson's head
- Shaq backing down Nazr Mohammed and hitting the jump hook in the lane
- Luke Harangody with the strong rebound
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UPQt4sO9A8&w=445&h=275]
Q2: The second quarter begins with Army Lt. David Dicrezcenso telling a funny story about standing next to Shaq, followed by Shaq backing down Mohammed again for the jump hook in the lane. Other highlights include:
- Harangody again working the boards off the Shaun Livingston miss
- Shaq tipping in the Marquis Daniels miss
- Luke again with the rebound
- Quis with the nice pass to lead Shaq for the lay-up
- A solid 24 seconds of defense forcing the bad shot by Wallace
- Ray Ray drilling the left wing three
- Pierce knocking away a pass, forcing Gerald Henderson to air ball a three trying to beat the shot clock
- Big Baby rebounding the Tyrus Thomas miss
- Rondo with the bullet bounce pass to the back door cutting Pierce for the loud two-handed slam
- Rondo with the sweeping right-handed floater for two
- Shaq with the left handed block on Brown
- Another good 24 seconds of defense, this time not allowing Augustin to get a shot off
- Rondo driving and dishing to Big Baby for the baseline jumper
- Shaq swallowing up Wallace's driving attempt
- Rondo with another sweeping right handed floater this time, off the glass
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcF_pINM1Fs&w=445&h=275]
Q3: The third quarter begins with some nice defense eventually leading to a Pierce transitional three. Other highlights include:
- Pierce slashing to the hoop for a lefty lay-up
- Shaq with the nice help defense to deflect Stephen Jackson's lay-up attempt
- Rondo faking the behind the back pass to Ray, then dishing to Shaq for the lay-in
- Night at the Roxbury starring Nate Robinson
- Rondo slicing into the lane then dishing to Shaq for the two handed slam
- Rondo again slicing his way to the lane this time snaking a lay-up around Augustin
- Shaq guarding Augustin on the perimeter, eventually forcing a bad, deep shot by Jackson that misses
- On the ensuing possession, Pierce drains a straight away three
- Shaq with the touch pass to Big Baby for the lay-up and 1… He missed the free throw
- Rondo going over and under screens, sticking with Augustin, and Shaq shows hard, hedging out to block the shot by Augustin… Shaq gets out ahead on the break and misses another up and under lay-up attempt
- Shaq pinning Brown for the three count
- Quis drilling a deep jumper in the corner just beating the shot clock
- Rondo to Big Baby for the lay-up
- Rondo with the quick left-handed underhand pass to Quis who gets fouled and misses both free throws
- Nate getting fouled shooting a three, making all three free throws
- Harangody with the aggressive rebound
- Shaq comes back in for Semih Erden who picks up two quick fouls… Shaq has a few words for him
- Quis with the strong baseline move for two
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9FWNApHgLk&w=445&h=275]
Q4: The final quarter begins with a nice Quis bullet post entry pass to Shaq for two and a foul. Shaq would make the free throw after the Bobcats commit a lane violation giving him another shot. Other highlights include:
- Harangody drawing the charge on Henderson
- Nate slashing to the paint for a finger-roll
- Thomas goal tending Shaq's jump hook
- Shaq abusing Mohammed again in the post with a spinning jump hook
- Rondo with a nice denial and steal on Jackson
- Off two different screen plays, Ray drains back-to-back threes
- Rondo drilling a straight away three
- Rondo jumping high for his sixth rebound
- Rondo driving and kicking it out to Ray who gets fouled shooting a three… Ray makes 2 of 3 free throws and screams at missing the last one
- Shaq blocking Jackson's lay-up attempt
- Rondo turns it over by attempting a between-the-legs fast break pass
- Shaq blocking Wallace's driving attempt
- Rondo hitting the left elbow jumper
- Big Baby blocking Thomas' dunk attempt with a little LSU on LSU hate
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unddQBSadNk&w=445&h=275]
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