The Celtics extracted revenge on their loss earlier in the season in Cleveland by destroying the Cavs at The Q. Rajon Rondo picked apart the Cavs' interior defense, while Paul Piece and Big Baby hosted a block party.
The Celtics also displayed some of their trademark stellar defense in large segments of the game, which enabled to erase an early 9-point Cavalier lead.
No doubt the Cavs were jacked up in anticipation of LeBron's return this Thursday night to Cleveland, but the Celtics outplayed them after the initial attack. This game also featured Pierce and Rondo earning their first charges taken on the season. Check out the GreenLights below for all the video details:
Q1: The game starts off with Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal entering the Q, followed by KG saving the ball and eventually leading to a Ray Allen transition lay-up to get the offense going. other highlights include:
- Shaq 'doin work underneath the boards, drawing a foul on Anderson Varejao
- Pierce stripping the ball from Varejao down low
- Shaq rebounding the Ray missed three, then touch-passing it to KG for the two-handed slam
- Pierce is not pleased getting whistled for his second early foul
- Rondo lobbing it to KG for two
- Solid 24 second of defense leading to a missed three by Joey Graham
- After a Marquis Daniels turnover, Ray steals it right back and slams it home left-handed
- More solid defense, leading to a missed Antawn Jamison lay-up
- Another 24 seconds of defense, regaining possession
- Ray with the long outlet to Rondo for the lay-in
- Rondo taking Jamison to the hole for two
- Rondo getting his own miss then putting it back up and in for two
- Semih Erden blocking Jamison, then setting a nice screen on the other end, allowing Rondo to score another lay-up
- Semih and Big Baby combining for the block on Ryan Hollins
- Rondo taking Sessions to the hole for another lay-up
- Semih getting whistled for an illegal screen... awful call
- Semih and Big Baby again with solid defense down low on the Cavs final possession
- Rondo heaving a 3/4 court shot, drawing the foul on Sessions but only makes 1 out of the 3 free throws
Q2: The second quarter begins with a smooth jumper by Rondo as the shot clock is winding down. Other highlights include:
- Pierce drawing his first charge of the season, Hollins is the victim
- Big Baby with the spin move and slam on Jamison from the post
- Solid defense leading to a missed Hollins baseline jumper
- Big Baby driving and dishing to Shaq for the slam
- Big Baby with the handoff to Nate Robinson for the lay-up
- Big Baby finding Nate in the corner for three
- Shaq and Big Baby working the hi-lo, with Davis dropping in the jump-hook
- Quis 'doin post work on Sessions
- Nate finding a cutting Quis for two and a foul
- KG rebounding the Nate missed three (over two Cavs) and tipping it to Pierce for two
- Quis with another nice move in the lane, getting JJ Hickson to bit on the fake, then tossing it in
- Good defense allowing Nate to get out in transition and find KG who gets fouled
- KG with the handoff to Pierce who gets fouled and makes both free throws
- Great team defense, with Shaq clogging the lane, forcing the turnover, which starts the break and allows Pierce to cap it off with a transition three
- KG breaking up the attempted alley-oop, starting another fast break... Rondo finds Ray for the lay-up
- More stellar defense, forcing Anthony Parker to toss up an airballed baseline jumper
- Ray with the nice floater off a curl
- KG with a couple of rebounds, the second one eventually finding it's way to Shaq who is cherry picking and gets two
Q3: The second half gets going with Pierce picking off a bounce pass in transition, then finding a cutting Rondo for another lay-up. Other highlights include:
- Pierce taking Graham to the basket for two and a foul
- Rondo kicking it out to Ray for three
- KG stepping on Pierce's foot, mildly spraining his ankle
- Pierce blocking Mo Williams, then getting it to Rondo who breaks out for two and a foul on Williams
- Pierce again blocking Mo Williams, eventually leading to the Cavs fouling Shaq down low
- Shaq rejecting Varejao
- Pierce with his third block of the quarter, this time on Hollins
- Rondo taking Hickson to the basket for two
- KG hustling by saving the loose ball off his own miss, then coming back inbounds to drill the baseline jumper
- Rondo, KG and Big Baby utilizing the '4-5' play, Rondo finds Pierce for the lay-up
- Big Baby taking Mo Williams into the paint for two
- KG with the loud rebound off of Jamison's miss
- KG banking home an absurd turnaround shot for two and a foul
- KG blocking Hollins underneath the hoop
- Quis picking off the pass, then taking it all the way for two and a foul
- Big Baby says "NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!" to Sessions
Q4: The final quarter begins with a nice live night shot of Cleveland, followed by Rondo stroking another jumper, this time from the left wing. Other highlights include:
- Rondo earning his first charge taken, Daniel Gibson is the victim
- Rondo driving to the basket and dishing it to Marquis for two
- Big Baby bothering the Hollins jumper enough for the miss
- Rondo blowing by Parker for yet another lay-up
- Big Baby with another nice spin move on Jamison for the lay-up
- Marquis with the great block on the driving Parker, followed by Nate diving for the loose ball while the Celtics are up by 17 halfway through the fourth... that definitely earned him a Tommy Point
- Nate drilling a three in front of the Cleveland bench
- Quis knocking down the jumper
- Big Baby with the straight-away jumper for two
- Quis getting in the passing lane for the steal, the hitting another jumper
- Big Baby with another post-spin move for two and a foul, this time on Jawad Williams
- Avery Bradley working the pick-and-roll with Luke Harangody and Luke knocks down the straight-away jumper
- Big Baby caps off the win with a three
