Kevin Garnett turned to the basket. He extended his hand, and Rajon Rondo's pass overshot the easy layup. Garnett twisted, caught the ball midjump and flicked it in while drawing a foul from Elton Brand.
The Boston Celtics led by 21 points in the third quarter after that bucket. The ensuing free throw was one of Garnett's few misses of the game as the celtics beat the host Philadelphia 76ers 107-91 Wednesday night to take a 2-1 series lead. The old man, who has hobbled through much of the past two seasons, finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, shooting 12-for-17 in another remarkable performance this postseason.
At some point, Garnett's going to turn to the crowd and scream, "Are you not entertained?" He turns 36 on Saturday. And no, he's not the freak athlete who could defend five positions, run the point and post up the NBA's best centers and power forwards. Garnett dribbles less these days, a luxury afforded by Rondo's precocious playmaking. But he's averaged 20.3 points and 11 rebounds a game these playoffs.
"Remember KG in #NBA Finals when #Celtics lost to #Lakers. He was gimpy and I remember thinkin he was almost done. Now he looks brand new," USA TODAY Sports' J. Michael Falgoust tweeted.
Garnett's game recalls his greatest adversary over the years, Tim Duncan, who had his own dominant performance Tuesday night for the Spurs. Age isn't getting to him. It will be interesting to watch another aging star, Kobe Bryant, later tonight in the Los Angeles Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder game. On a day in which we lost go-go godfather Chuck Brown, the old school reigned supreme on the hardwood.
More winners and losers from Wednesday's early NBA action:
Winners
Paul Pierce: The face of the Celtics came out and missed his first six shots, but he got on track with a nasty dunk in which he drove past Andre Iguodala and was fouled by Lavoy Allen. Pierce finished with 24 points, 11 coming via the free throw line, and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes while he nurses a slew of injuries.
Rondo: He's the Celtics' best player, and tonight he increased his scoring output significantly to finish with 23 points along with 14 assists and six rebounds. He scored 10 of 12 Celtics points during a stretch in the first quarter and kept the offense flowing.
Thaddeus Young: Hurt on a play in Game 1 involving the Celtics' Ryan Hollins, the 76ers' bench star overcame those shin and ankle concerns for easily his best game of the postseason. He attacked the basket, shooting 10-for-16 with 22 points after not reaching double-digits since Game 1 of the first round.
Charles Barkley: He beat fellow TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal in a shirt-off competition despite makeup tricks from his opponent.
Losers
Evan Turner: The 76ers guard played well in the series' first two games, but he was completely ineffective in Game 3. His 1-for-10 shooting was an eyesore, and he didn't balance it out with his hallmarks, defense and playmaking.
The 76ers' starting big men: Spencer Hawes had a really rough night, summed up best by this blocked dunk attempt. But Elton Brand wasn't any better. Playing only 15 minutes â€" he hasn't topped 20 this series â€" Brand missed five of his six shots. The Sixers were minus 23 with Brand on the court. Brand and Hawes combined for seven points, eight rebounds and 3-for-14 shooting.
Our eyes: One 76ers fan thought he could cause Garnett to miss a shot. Like the team he roots for, the fan was unsuccessful. But in the process, we had to see this display.
By Adi Joseph, USA TODAY
Kevin Garnett turned to the basket. He extended his hand, and Rajon Rondo's pass overshot the easy layup. Garnett twisted, caught the ball midjump and flicked it in while drawing a foul from Elton Brand.
At some point, Garnett's going to turn to the crowd and scream, "Are you not entertained?" He turns 36 on Saturday. And no, he's not the freak athlete who could defend five positions, run the point and post up the NBA's best centers and power forwards. Garnett dribbles less these days, a luxury afforded by Rondo's precocious playmaking. But he's averaged 20.3 points and 11 rebounds a game in these playoffs.
"Remember KG in #NBA Finals when #Celtics lost to #Lakers. He was gimpy and I remember thinkin he was almost done. Now he looks brand new," USA TODAY Sports' J. Michael Falgoust tweeted.
Garnett's game recalls his greatest adversary over the years, Tim Duncan, who had his own dominant performance Tuesday night for the San Antonio Spurs. Age isn't getting to him. It will be interesting to watch another aging star, Kobe Bryant, later tonight in the Los Angeles Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder game. On a day when we lost go-go godfather Chuck Brown, the old school reigned supreme on the hardwood.
More winners and losers from Wednesday's early NBA action:
Winners
Paul Pierce: The face of the Celtics came out and missed his first six shots, but he got on track with a nasty dunk in which he drove past Andre Iguodala and was fouled by Lavoy Allen. Pierce finished with 24 points, 11 coming via the free throw line, and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes while he nursed a slew of injuries.
Rondo: He's the Celtics' best player, and tonight he increased his scoring output significantly to finish with 23 points along with 14 assists and six rebounds. He scored 10 of 12 Celtics points during a stretch in the first quarter and kept the offense flowing.
Thaddeus Young: Hurt on a play in Game 1 involving the Celtics' Ryan Hollins, the 76ers' bench star overcame those shin and ankle concerns for easily his best game of the postseason. He attacked the basket, shooting 10-for-16 with 22 points after not reaching double-digits since Game 1 of the first round.
Charles Barkley: He beat fellow TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal in a shirt-off competition despite makeup tricks from his opponent.
Losers
Evan Turner: The 76ers guard played well in the series' first two games, but he was completely ineffective in Game 3. His 1-for-10 shooting was an eyesore, and he didn't balance it out with his hallmarks, defense and playmaking.
The 76ers' starting big men: Spencer Hawes had a really rough night, summed up best by this blocked dunk attempt. But Brand wasn't any better. Playing only 15 minutes â€" he hasn't topped 20 this series â€" Brand missed five of his six shots. The Sixers were minus 23 with Brand on the court. Brand and Hawes combined for seven points, eight rebounds and 3-for-14 shooting. Oh, and they shared a lot of the duty guarding Garnett.
Our eyes:Â One 76ers fan thought he could cause Garnett to miss a shot. Like the team he roots for, the fan was unsuccessful. But in the process, we had to see this display. TNT graced us with a close-up after the game. We needed that.
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