Jeff Green made an improbable layup as time expired Wednesday to give Boston a 93-92 win over Cleveland on the road. It was the kind of euphoric moment kids dream about and was certainly a big moment for Green, as it would any other player.
His Celtics earned a key win late in the season with Playoff races tightening up and it was a great moment for a young player to have the responsibility to win the game. Green has stood out and broken out this season in a number of different ways.
Of course, nothing could have been bigger for Green perhaps than the moment after he hit that game-winning shot.
Afterward, Green embraced the doctor who performed open heart surgery on him and save his life. Green, you may remember, discovered that he had an aortic aneurysm before the 2011-12 season. He sat out the entire year and underwent surgery in Cleveland.
Just a year ago and a couple months, I was under that bright light with him working on me. It’s a blessing to be here.
He returned this season and has been an inspiration. He is averaging 11.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game coming mostly off the bench. However, recently Green has really stepped up his game. He had a 43-point game last week against the Heat on national TV. He scored 10 or more points in his last nine games.
Green is showing he still has all the talent and the skill that made him the fifth overall pick in the 2008 Draft.
It is incredible to think that just more than a year ago, he was under the knife for heart surgery and now he is playing a major role for a playoff team. That heartfelt hug after his game-winner really had more meaning than we could ever know.
