Sunday, January 27, 2008

Celtics-Timberwolves Game Highlight

Call this one the new Celtics vs the ex-Celtics, a.k.a. the team with the best record vs the one with the worst record.

But it is the new Celtics trailing (86-81) with 2:01 left on the clock, and Kevin Garnett out being examined for abdominal pain.

A strange sequence of incidence then follows: Paul Pierce makes two FTs, blocks Al Jefferson shot and then converts on a fifth-chance follow-up; the Celtics causes a crucial five-second inbounds violation; Ray Allen blows a layup (but Kendrick Perkins has the putback) with 16.6 seconds left; and finally, Kevin Garnett, having reentered the game with 1:51 left, knocks the ball away from Sebastian Telfair a few feet from midcourt and then beating the Wolves guard to the ball to put the game away (NBA TV highlight).

Garnett said after the game, "I knew it was Sebastian, so I wanted to scoot up on him and try to make him drive the ball ... I was able to count his dribbles. It went one, two, and I know he likes to crossover [dribble]. I stabbed at it and got it and I just dived. I knew time was running down and I just wanted to be aggressive on the ball."