Long gone are the days of Blake Griffin consistently attacking the rim with force and throwing down thunderous dunks.
However, the six-time NBA All-Star did show a bit of his vintage form Monday night at TD Garden.
Griffin was among the Celtics reserves who rose to the occasion in Boston’s blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets. The 14th-year pro was responsible for one of the most memorable highlights of the evening: a one-handed alley-oop off a pass from Derrick White midway through the second quarter. The slam sent C’s fans into a frenzy and brought everyone on Boston’s bench to their feet.
Marcus Smart, hovering around the 3-point line, had one of the best views of Griffin’s unexpected dunk. Smart was so impressed that he felt inclined to interrupt Griffin’s postgame interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin in order to give props to the veteran forward.
“Brought back time right there,” Smart told Griffin. “Daylight Savings, we went back an hour. I see you, big dog.”
Griffin wasn’t the only Celtics player who caught widespread attention due to an alley-oop Monday night. Fellow big man Luke Kornet also threw one down, but most of the talk about his highlight-reel play was centered around the post-dunk celebration.
