The Celtics wrapped up their four game road trip with an overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies. For an "old" team, you would peg the final game of a long road trip as a loss that you'd expect. But the Celtics were surprisingly active throughout this game, getting a huge game from Shaq.
The C's had a chance to end it in regulation going up by four late in the game but two buckets by Rudy Gay followed up with a disastrous final possession led to the OT session. There, the Celtics scored the first seven points and despite Zach Randolph's take down of KG, they held on to go to 8-2 in their first 10 games. The next game (Wednesday vs the Wizards) marks the return of Delonte West which just adds yet another great option off the bench for Doc.
But first, let's review the Memphis game:
Q1: The C's get their offense going with KG posting up. Other highlights include:
- KG rebounding on the defensive glass
- Paul Pierce knocking down the shot
- Ray Allen coming off a curl, passing up the jumper to find Shaq underneath for the jam
- KG with the baseline jumper
- KG finding a cutting Ray for the lay-up
- Pierce with the lay-up and 1
- Pierce up-faking the three, spinning into the lane then dishing to Shaq for the slam
- Shaq rejecting Mike Conley's floater
- KG to Shaq for the slam
- Solid 24 second of defense, leading to a missed three by OJ Mayo
- Rondo to Ray to Big Baby for the lay-up and 1
- Pierce driving to the hoop for the underhanded lay-up
- Semih Erden boxing out for the rebound
- Pierce baiting Rudy Gay into a bad foul
- More swarming and clogging defense
Q2: The second quarter begins with some live shots of Memphis, including the BBQ ribs. The, Marquis Daniels steps into the passing lane for a steal, followed by Big Baby's hustle on the boards. Other highlights include:
- Daniels with the steal then slashing his way to the hoop for the lefty lay-in
- Marquis again with the defense, this time a block from behind
- Rondo finding Nate Robinson for the transitional corner three
- Rondo rebounding
- Shaq making two free throws while being distracted by a bikini-wearing grizzly bear
- Good defense forcing the turnover that leads to a Nate lay-up
- Rondo with the drive, scoring a lefty lay-up after goaltending on Hasheem Thabeet is called
- Rondo knocking down an elbow jumper
- Nate stealing it from Gay, then getting out on the break for a lay-in
- Pierce stripping the ball from Marc Gasol, which leads to a Shaq and 1
- Rondo, Shaq and KG running the 4-5 play that leads to a Rondo/Shaq alley-oop
- Pierce with an underhanded lay-in for two
- Shaq with the block, then leading the fast break which gets botched... then KG hustles back for the block but it was called a goaltending
- Big Baby drawing the charge
- Rondo keeping a possession alive with the offensive rebounding
- Then on said possession KG knocks down the jump hook
- Solid team defense to end the half
- Controversial foul call on Big Baby that looked like a clean block
Q3: The second half begin with KG drilling the opening elbow jumper. Other highlights include:
- Rondo with the hesitation drive, then laying it in
- Rondo to KG for the alley-oop, Memphis style
- Good post defense by Big Baby on Marc Gasol
- KG with the dflection
- KG with the excellent recovery post defense, leading to a blocked shot
- Pierce blowing by Rudy Gay for the baseline jam
- Pierce getting the baseline pass from Rondo, making a very difficult lay-up
- Two great defensive sets with great hustle. They don't get a basket, but the effort is remarkable
- Off the inbounding pass, Rondo nonchalantly bounces it to Pierce for the two-handed slam
- Big Baby with a staple of his offensive game now: the baseline jumper
- Another great lane-clogging, active defensive set
- Rondo to KG for the baseline jumper
- Pierce gets called for a charge, then looks puzzled with his headband sideways
- Rondo baits the rookie Grevis Vaszquez into fouling him while shooting a three as the shot clock expires
- More stifling defense in the lane, Grizzlies can't muster anything
Q4:The fourth quarter begins with a nice live shot of Beale St. in Memphis then cuts into Nate running the pick and roll with Shaq. Shaq comes in for a crash landing on Marc Gasol... ouch. Other highlights include:
- Nate driving to the hoop
- Nate drilling the three off the 4-5 Shaq/Big Baby screen
- Tony Allen steals it, then attempts to go coast-to-coast only to have Ray steal it back
- Quis feeding a cutting Nate who gives it to Shaq with a nice wrap-around pass for the two-handed slam
- Ray Allen doing his thing with the three
- KG doing his thing with the elbow jumper
- Pierce doing his thing with the pull-up elbow jumper
- Pierce faking the three, passing to Ray who drains the baseline three to tie it up
- Excellent 24-seconds of defense leading to the steal
- Rondo finding Pierce for the bomb
- Running the '3 man arc' play, Rondo drives to the basket while Pierce, Big Baby and Ray Allen give him three options to work with: Pierce stays, ready for three, Ray cuts to the corner ready for three, but it's the cutting Big Baby that gets the feed from Rondo for two
- Back-to-back-to-back great defensive sets
- Ray knocking down the curl off three
- Rudy Gay's back-to-back baskets to tie it
- The C's failed last two plays that sent the game into OT
OT: The OT session begins with the C's winning the tip, and Big Baby knocking down a tough fall-away jumper. Other highlights include:
- Gay's missed floater
- Ray Allen drilling another three
- Pierce clotheslining a driving Mike Conley
- Gay missing a jumper
- Rondo's fall-away jumper to beat the shot clock
- Gasol with a sweeping hook to keep Memphis close
- KG answering with his bread-and-butter elbow jumper
- Rondo stealing it from Mike Conley
- Pierce getting called for the offensive foul on Conley who does a fine acting job
- Zach Randolph yanking KG down, earning a flagrant foul
- KG nailing both free throws
