Seeking vengeance from their fourth quarter collapse on Christmas Day in Orlando, the Celtics took on the Magic at the Garden. In what was one of the best games of the season, the C's were able to edge the Magic when Paul Pierce up-faked Jason Richardson, drew the foul, hit the shot and then the free throw to essentially end the game. Kevin Garnett's return was highlighted no brighter than when he made a huge steal to seal the game.
Dwight Howard dominated the scoring and rebounding for Orlando, and the Magic were finally able to get their trademark 3-point shooting going against the Celtics. At one point early in the second quarter, Ryan Anderson (wearing #33) was doing his best Larry Bird impersonation by drilling threes all over the place. It was a solid win against a tough opponent and there were several great plays to take from it. Check the GreenLights below for the better parts of the game.
Q1: The game gets underway with TNT's nice Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute introduction followed by Shaquille O'Neal winning the opening tip, then getting the lay-up off a nice bounce pass from Ray Allen. Other highlights include:
- Ray with good post defense on Richardson, then Pierce flying in for the board
- KG with the nice low-post pass to a back door cutting Ray for the lay-up
- Shaq bothering Howard enough to miss on the sweeping lay-up attempt
- Pierce driving and dishing to the cutting Shaq who lays it in, draws the foul on Brandon Bass… Shaq would make the free throw after a lane violation was called
- KG keeping a missed shot alive, then Rajon Rondo drives and dishes to KG who lays it in
- Rondo with the step-back jumper over Jameer Nelson
- Rondo working the high post, hitting another step back jumper to beat the shot clock buzzer
- Rondo to KG for the up-and-under reverse lay-up
- KG finding Shaq for the two-handed Shaq-Fu jam
- Active defense forcing the missed Bass jumper
- Ray picking off a transition pass
- KG with the strong box-out and rebound against Howard
- Pierce slashing to the hoop and drawing the foul… He would make 1 of 2 free throws
- Big Baby with the baseline jumper that snuggles in
- Pierce with good defense on Hedo Tukoglu, forcing the bad pass that Rondo picks off and executes a good two on one fast break, dishing to Ray for the lay-up
- Rondo penetrating the lane and finding Pierce for the loud two-handed slam
- Rondo to Ray for three off the "Floppy" play
- Big Baby with good one-on-one post defense on Howard
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-pm_B-KDXQ&w=445&h=275]
Q2: The second quarter begins with Nate Robinson knocking down a straight away jumper. Other highlights include:
- Nate banking in a left-wing jumper
- Pierce stealing the inbound pass then flying in for the dunk
- Luke Harangody grabbing the offensive rebound off the Big Baby missed jumper, gets fouled, then makes 1 of 2 free throws
- Marquis Daniels 'doin work in the post on JJ Redick, scoring in the lane
- Pierce finding Harangody who knocks down the jumper
- KG with the good defense and steal, starting the fast break… he gets it to Rondo who alley-oops it to Quis for the lay-up
- Ray with the steal in the post
- Pierce taking Turkoglu in the lane for the jumper that rolls in
- Rondo handing off to Pierce from the high post, who gets fouled and makes both free throws
- Pierce with the good defense on a driving Richardson, creating the turnover, starting the Rondo fast break who finds Ray who gets fouled and makes both free throws
- Big Baby taking Nelson in the post with the finger-roll
- Big Baby with another solid one-on-one effort on Howard in the post, forcing the missed jump hook… KG got fouled on the rebound and made 1 of 2 free throws
- Big Baby with the good denial in the post, causing the deflection
- Rondo finding a back door cutting Big Baby for the lay-up
- Big Baby again with solid one-on-one post defense on Howard, forcing the miss
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_tzFPBeQYk&w=445&h=275]
Q3: The third quarter begins with a KG turn-around jumper in the lane over Bass for two. Other highlights include:
- Howard tossing the ball to the Celtics bench for the turnover
- From the high post, Rondo gives it to Ray off the "Floppy" play, who swings it to Pierce who drains the baseline jumper
- Rondo finds KG for the jumper
- Shaq takes Howard in the post for the lay-up
- KG and Turkoglu getting into it a little bit
- Rondo getting the offensive rebound and laying it in
- Rondo finding KG for another baseline jumper
- Rondo with the gambling poke-away steal on Nelson then breaking away for the lay-up
- KG getting Bass to bite on the pump-fake, drawing the foul and making both free throws
- Pierce getting the left hand on Turkoglu's three, helping to force the miss that Ray rebounds
- Ray with the amazing body control knocking down the floater in the lane
- KG getting the friendly bounce on the rim to beat the shot clock with the jumper
- Big Baby spinning to the hoop, drawing the foul and making 1 of 2 free throws
- Big Baby with the up-and-under reverse lay-up
- Gilbert Arenas gets the offensive rebound but Nate strips the ball and steals it
- On the ensuing possession, Quis hits a nice turn around jumper down low
- Shaq getting a hand up on Howard's shot to help force the miss at the buzzer
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dztTqKVC0a0&w=445&h=275]
Q4: The final quarter begins with Big Baby putting back the Ray miss for two down low. Other highlights include:
- Nate to Shaq off the pick-and-roll for two and a foul… Shaq made the free throw
- Ray hitting a tough baseline jumper to beat the shot clock
- Quis with the good defense on Turkoglu, going over the Howard screen and forcing the deep miss
- Ray hitting another tough floater for two
- Big Baby with the spin move in the post off of Anderson for two
- Shaq guarding Howard in the post again, helping him to miss a running hook
- Ray rattling in a three
- Rondo driving and finding a cutting Glen Davis who gets fouled and makes 1 of 2 free throws
- Pierce with solid one-on-one defense on Turkoglu forcing the miss, but he also executes good help defense on Howard as well on the play… Well done by Pierce
- Ray to Davis who touch passes to KG for two underneath
- Ray drilling the huge baseline three in front of Orlando's bench
- Solid team defense in the post on Howard after giving up an offensive rebound
- Howard and KG getting into it a little bit
- KG getting fouled while setting a screen, then making both free throws
- Nelson hitting the jumper to tie the game
- Pierce getting Richardson to bite on the fake, drawing the foul, knocking down the jumper and the free throw as well
- Great team defense despite giving up another offensive rebound, eventually leading to KG's huge steal
- KG gets it ahead to Ray who gets fouled and hits both free throws
- Pierce blocking Richardson's jumper
- Howard gets fouled, makes both free throws, but KG fires the long ball to Davis off the inbounds pass to let the clock expire… exhale
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f-GASXFb6k&w=445&h=275]
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