Recent matchups between the Celtics and Bulls have been full of action and entertainment. We've seen plenty of multiple overtime games, dust-ups involving Rajon Rondo, Brad Miller, Kirk Hinrich, Kevin Garnett and Joakim Noah. Sprinkle in the ongoing debate as who is a better point guard: Derrick Rose or Rondo, and you can usually anticipate a solid game between these two teams.
Friday night at the Garden didn't deliver another OT thriller like the first meeting did back in November, but it did feature Rondo going off for 19 assists and KG doing some serious work on the glass with 17 boards. Rondo took the air out of the Garden not because of his fine play, but because he nearly injured his knee. All turned out well as he returned and helped lead the Celtics past the Bulls for another victory. Check out the GreenLights below and oh, listen to Tommy Heinsohn's commentary about Bill Kennedy. Classic stuff.
Q1: The game gets under way with Shaq winning the tip, then the Celtics test out the rusty Carlos Boozer on the first play by having KG work him in the post. KG drills a nice turnaround jumper to start the offense. Other highlights include:
- Rondo lobs it to Shaq who then finds KG underneath for two more
- KG out-dueling Noah for the rebound, bringing the ball up, passing it to Ray Allen who gives it back to KG... KG then finds a cutting Rondo for the lay-in
- Shaq forcing Rose baseline, then KG deflects the pass and steals it
- Paul Pierce with the step-away jumper in the lane over Luol Deng
- Ray with the lefty finger roll in the lane for two
- KG again being active and deflecting Boozer's high-post entry pass to Noah
- KG with the aggressive rebound, eventually allowing Ray to draw a foul on the lay-up attempt... Ray makes both free throws
- KG to Shaq for the up-and-under lay-up
- Rondo catches Noah asleep trying to guard Shaq down low and Shaq easily lays it in
- Pierce banks home the deep two, mainly because he gets fouled with no call
- Good defense by Shaq, forcing Boozer to a missed fadeaway jumper
- Rose running into Shaq the roadblock
- Energetic team defense allowing Ray to get the steal and go coast-to-coast for the Jordan-esque lay-in
- Rondo to Ray off a curl
- Solid team defense, allowing Rondo to find KG underneath who draws the foul... KG makes both free throws
- Antother solid defensive set, leading to a Ray lay-up
- KG 'doin work on Noah in the post
- Rondo steals it from Rose, finds Marquis Daniels who gets fouled
- Quis with a nice hesitation jumper in the lane over Taj Gibson for two
- Ray nearly draining a half-court bomb to end the quarter
Q2: The second quarter begins with a beautiful night shot of Christopher Columbus Park in the North End, followed by Quis tipping a rebound to Shaq who slams it home. Other highlights include:
- Quis with good defense on a driving Deng, forcing him to miss
- Rondo's ninja-like touch pass to Shaq for the Shaq-Fu slam
- Rondo finding Shaq again who gets fouled by Noah
- Rondo picking Boozer's pocket
- Good defense, forcing Rose to miss, KG getting his 9th rebound
- Pierce and KG working a little two-man game, Pierce drianing the jumper
- Pierce deflecting Rose's pass
- Noah tripping over Shaq and losing the ball out of bounds
- Rondo driving and dishing to Semih Erden for the lay-in
- KG with the baseline jumper
- KG 'doin more work in the post, then getting a double technical with Noah
- KG with the great help defense, rejecting Rose's driving lay-up attempt
- Rondo to Semih for another two
- Kyle Korver missing the three, KG with his 10th rebound of the half
- Quis with an ownage block on Noah
- Ray driving and getting fouled, makes both free throws
- Rondo trying the alley-oop with KG< but he gets fouled and makes both free throws
- Rose nearly drilling the half court bomb to end the half
Q3: The second half begins KG and Rondo combining for the steal, KG tosses it to Rondo who lays it in. Other highlights include:
- Shaq issuing the no lay-up policy on Noah
- Rondo to Shaq underneath for two
- Rondo sneaking in for the offensive rebound and put-back lay-in
- An exceptional 24 seconds of defense forcing Rose to try a bomb that he airballs, creating the 24 second shot-clock violation
- Shaq posting up Noah, finding a cutting Rondo for the Cousy-esque lay-up
- Another great defensive set, eventually leading to a Pierce lay-up
- Rondo driving for two
- Big Baby rebounding the Ronnie Brewer miss, outletting to Rondo who finds KG for the slam
- More great defense, capped off with a Pierce taken charge
- KG dropping off to Ray for the lay-up
- Pierce driving by Deng for the lefty lay-up
- Rondo's very scary near knee injury
- Rondo shows that he's fine on the next play, drains a deep jumper
- More good defense, forcing a Deng miss and KG grabs another board
- Big Baby with the deep jumper from the left wing
- Big Baby with the big time offensive rebound for two
- Brewer missing the jumper, KG getting his 15th rebound
- Rondo to Big Baby off the pick-and-pop for two
- Rondo finding Semih for the slam to end the quarter
Q4: The final quarter begins with a nice shot of downtown Boston, followed by Nate Robinson dribbling through the full court press, then hitting the jumper. Other highlights include:
- Another great 24 seconds of defense forcing CJ Watson to miss a desparation deep jumper
- Watson with the miss, KG with his 16th rebound outletting to Nate who finds Quis driving then getting fouled... Quis makes one of two free throws
- The Boston crowd chanting: "SCAL-A-BRIN-EEEE" then booing because Korver gets into the game instead of Scal
- KG hands it off to Quis who finsihes the nice baseline move
- KG with his 17th board, finding Nate who drills the Dana Barros-esque transitional three
- KG rejects Noah, but it's called goaltending... Tommy's commentary is CLASSIC
- Noah with the bad pass, KG enjoys it
- KG drilling the deep jumper
- Rondo finding Quis for the two-handed slam
- Two hilarious fans with huge Pierce/KG masks
- Rondo with the fastball bounce pass to a cutting Pierce for two on the backdoor
- Pierce with his classic step-back jumper for two over Brewer
- Good defense, forcing Gibson to travel
- Pierce draining the jumper over Rose with the shot clock winding down
- Big Baby denying Omer Asik's dunk
- KG, Nate and Quis enjoying a little GINO Time
- Brian Scalabrine enters the game to a standing ovation from the Garden crowd
- Von Wafer with the deep jumper
- Watson taking the three instead of getting Scal a shot, letting Mike Gorman down
- KG showing the love to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau
