After completing a successful 3-1 road trip, the Celtics had three days off to prepare for a young Washington Wizards team that embarrassed them last March. The game got so out of hand that the Garden faithful showered the C's with a healthy forecast of boos. Last night was very different however.
From start to finish the Celtics came out looking like the well-rested and prepared team going against a team on the second night of a back-to-back playing without its top player in John Wall. The Celtics took care of business in a classic blowout, shooting exceptionally well and capitalized by some fantastic Celtic defense in the third quarter. Oh and it also marked the long awaited return of Delonte West.
Q1: The first quarter begins with Delonte telling us how he's going to the correct locker room now after being away for so many years. Other highlights include:
- Shaquille O'Neal calling himself the Big Shamrock and the black Tommy Heinsohn as he tells us its gametime
- The C's win the tip, then KG gets it to Ray off a curl for the jumper
- Rondo lobbing it to Shaq for the lay-in
- Rondo with the recovery block on Kirk Hinrich, eventually leading to a KG jumper
- Solid defensive set forcing Gilbert Arenas to hoist a bomb
- JaVale McGee gets the offensive board, but KG forces him to take a horrible follow shot
- Paul Pierce with the finger roll
- Another Ray Allen jumper
- KG and Shaq working the offensive glass, Shaq with the lay-up
- Pierce driving the baseline, dishing it to Shaq for the easy bucket
- KG with the hand off to Pierce, who gets blocked on the dunk attempt but Shaq grab the put back, and 1
- The C's force a turnover, leading to a Rondo lay-up
- Pierce stepping into a three, from an inside-out play
- Rondo to Semih Erden for the lay-up
- Delonte finding Pierce for another three
- Rondo, Big baby and Semih running the "4-5" play, this time Rondo blows by everyone for two
Q2: The second quarter begins with a beautiful shot of the Boston Harbor at night followed by a Delonte West steal, then taking it coast-to-coast for the lay-up. Other highlights include:
- Nate Robinson driving to the basket, dishing it to Semih who misses the lay-up but keeps with it and puts it in
- Good defense forcing Hinrich to jack up a three
- Another Shaq slam
- Marquis Daniels grabbing a defensive rebound then taking it the length of the court for two
- Another solid defensive set
- Arenas tipping a Rondo fast break pass right to the hustling KG for the opportunistic slam
- KG's famous after-the-whistle goaltending
- An attempted rondo-to-KG alley-oop
- Rondo to Ray for the jumper off another curl
- KG with the steal, then Ray rewards him on the break
- Rondo stealing the lazy inbounding pass all the way for two
- Shaq with the offensive rebounds, then dunking over three Wizards while the fourth (Hinrich) wisely avoids the mayhem (Celtic legend John Havlicek is in the house and enjoys it)
- Ray drawing the offensive foul on Arenas
- The Celtics actually executing an effective final offensive possession to end the half with e KG baseline jumper
Q3: The amazing third quarter begins with a nice jumper by Rondo. Other highlights include:
- Rondo to Ray for three... beautiful
- Rondo to Ray for the jumper off another curl
- Rondo to KG for the alley-oop
- KG anchoring a nice defensive set
- Rondo to Pierce on the backdoor cut for two
- Al Thornton running into the "Big Plug" as Tommy Heinsohn calls Shaq
- Shaq with the spin move on McGee forcing the foul
- Some great defense inside forcing McGee with the bad lay-up attempt, then KG getting an And 1 taken away
- Rondo draining a jumper as the 24-second shot-clock expires
- Rondo with a surgical bounce pass to Pierce cutting to the hoop for the lay-up
- Another swarming 24 seconds of defense, resulting in a Hinrich jumper that hits nothing but backboard
- Three passes resulting in a KG baseline jumper
- KG coming from out of bounds for another alley-oop from Rondo
- Big Baby with the nice baseline steal
- Yet another Rondo to KG alley-oop
- Yet MORE great defense forcing Hinrich to pass it out of bounds
- More swarming defense eventually leading to a Pierce baseline spin-away jumper
- Pierce drilling a top-of-the-key jumper on their final offensive possession of the third quarter
- Great hustle by Big Baby and Rondo to combo block Lester Hudson's buzzer beating attempted lay-up to end the third
Q4: The final quarter of extended garbage time begins with a beautiful night shot of the Zakim Bridge followed by a strong drive by Delonte. Other highlights include:
- Marquis picking off a pass then taking it the length of the court and drawing the foul
- Big Baby dishing it to Semih who gets smashed in the face by McGee, but McGee is the victim of the Turkish Posterization
- Semih forcing McGee to a bad lay-up attempt
- Delonte with the bullet pass to a cutting Nate for two
- A brief clip of Delonte discussing how he watches games at home and how Tommy has been lacking with giving out Tommy Points
- Semih to Big Baby for two
- Delonte with the huge recovery block on Kevin Sepharin
- Quis to Nate for the three in the corner
- Delonte for three
- After some more swarming defense, Delonte drills the transition three
- KG teaching Shaq about Gino!
- Delonte finding Von Wafer for the three
- Delonte with another three
- Luke Harangody with the board, then knocking down the jumper at the other end
