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Jeff Green: ‘Being aggressive’ turns out to be his niche 11.24.12 at 9:47 am ET
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Doc Rivers told Jeff Green Friday morning during shootaround to “just go play” and everything else will take care of itself.

Green went out and make Rivers look very smart as he scored 17 points and showed a driving and cutting game not seen in his game this year as the Celtics beat the Thunder, 108-100, Friday night at TD Garden.

“I was aggressive, attacking the rim,” Green said. “Just trying to make plays, and you know got to the free throw line a couple times. Got an and one, just being aggressive that’s what I gotta do. I just gotta find my niche and I just gotta to work at it and continue to stay positive and continue to be aggressive.”

The reason Rivers wanted Green to play instinctively was because he knows how good he can be when plays break down.

“I thought Jeff Green was spectacular,” Rivers said. It’s funny, I think the two plays that I called for him. He didn’t score on those. He scored on all the plays that wasn’t his and that’s what we kept telling him he has to do. Stop waiting for us to call it, go get it, and I thought he did that. A lot of good efforts.”

“You still gotta do what you gotta do and you do whatever it takes for your team to win,” Green said.

Green even helped out on defending Kevin Durant, guarding him when the second unit was on the floor.

“He still got 29 [points], Green said out of humility. “We just tried to make every shot for him tough. He’s [darn] near seven feet, but the handle that he’s got and the way he can shoot it’s tough. So you just gotta make every shot for him tough.”

Making him work defensively-“You got to, you got to. You gotta make him play both ends. We got him in foul trouble. We gotta be aggressive, we can’t allow him to relax at all on the defensive end.”

What did Green learn about how good the Celtics can be?

“We are one hell of a defensive team when we are in sync and that’s how we gotta be each game,” Green said.

Read More: Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Jeff Green, Kevin Durant Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • http://nellewrites.net nelle

    None better. I wish he could pitch forever. The Yankee game would be a great Groundhog Day scenario to be caught in, watching  Pedro whiff ‘em over and over and over. Heh.

    Gracias, Senor Pedro.

  • Frank

    Pedro was the best in his prime.He was so smart in the way he set up hitters. That form he had when throwing a baseball was beautiful to watch. He always loved to take the ball for the biggest games.
    Pedro and Schilling were most responsible for the Red Sox winning two world series.
    Pedro belongs in the Red Sox hall of fame.

    • Chad johnson

      Pedro in his prime was one of the all time great pitcher’s, was head and shoulders better then Schilling. Who’s your daddy?

      • Robert5286

        Whoa! No one can argue of his greatness. But winning big games, he did not. Except for game 3 in St. Louis,’04, while they were aleady up by 2 games, and game 5 in Cleveland,’99, he broke our hearts again and again against the Yankees. Just shows how great those Yankee teams were.  Also showed that Pedro was not the guy you want in there in a must win game.

    • denniscerasoli

      Pedro belongs in the HOF period and he’ll wear a Red Sox cap.

  • Soxfan1120

    Great,great pitcher and a fierce competitor.Batters couldn’t get comfortable in the box with him on the mound.Pedro was simply the best.

  • WaKe-Up!!!

    The bet pitcher in my lifetime and in many lifetimes, he’s stats in Boston were off the charts, like something you would see in a video game.

  • kzone73

    Pedros’ stint in Boston was without a doubt the greatest pitching display the game has ever seen! I can’t think of anyone with a better line over a span of time like that. God might root for T-bow but he loved Pedro…

    • Wmeritz

      No doubt Pedro was great, but the greatest ever is a stretch.

      • Robert5286

        Those first few games he pitched after coming over in ’98 were awesome.They opened up on the West Coast. I think he started out by shutting out Oakland. Then Seattle,and the Angels.

  • Robert5286

    What a shame the former ownership would not spend for another ace during Pedro’s prime. They finnally did get Schilling,but Pedro was not as dominant then. Also to bad his great years co-incided
    with the Yankees dynasty. Finnally, what a shame Grady Little didn’t have the common sense to take Pedro out in game 7, 2003. Kudos to Dan Duquette for bring in Pedro and Manny Ramarez.

  • Fred

    Last summer he was in Quebec city for a charitable event.  I live in Montreal and we drove to meet him.  Since that day his framed signed picture hangs in my office.  He is the greatest.

  • Cav44

    When Pedro pitched it was always an event because you knew that you had a chance to see something special that game. I believe he was a bit of a prima donna but what superstar isnt really? So many highlights but the 99 All Star game at Fenway when he started and K’d about 5 of the games best hitters in succession was probably his best in my opinion!..Thank You Pedro!

  • fab4ever

    The greatest pitcher ever to wear the Sox uniform, from Monbo to Lonborg, Tiant, Roger…with Pedro there was always the chance of a no-no…Thank Dan Duquette for that heist…I was at the Yankee Stadium game for his one hitter, the HR to Chili Davis early…and all those Yankee fans were just killing me…but they were leaving in the 7th, the 8th as Pedro mowed them down…what a game…the greatest game pitched I ever saw….now friends, this is what the definition is of an ACE!!!!

    • Robert5286

      The difference is Lonborg won that big game at the end of ’67,and pitched 2 shutouts against the vastly superior Cardinals. He finnally melted down in game 7 on two days rest,and against Bob Gibson.. Lonborg was the greatest big game pitcher of our time.Tiant was number two. People forget that when the Sox needed to win game 162 in 1978, to stay alive, Tiant pitched a one hitter. It would be the last game he would ever pitch for the Sox. He shutout Oakland in game 1 of the ’75 playoffs, and shut out the mighty Reds in game 1 of the Series.  He won a big game in Cincinati, in game 4, making 153 pitches. By game 6, he was cooked. Schilling gets a nod for the bloody sock game.  Derek Lowe deserves mention for beating the Yankees in game 7, 2003, and saving game 5 in Oakland,in 1999.

  • Rrsglou

    Couldn’t wait to get home from work and watch Pedro pitch when he was playing for the Sox –  Those were certainly the days.  He is a true gentlemen and a Red Sox forever.  Good to hear that he is doing well.  

  • Matthewconnellesq

    Pedro is the most underrated athlete in Boston sports history.  End of story.

  • Screaminleaman

    The greatest pitcher I’ve ever seen. The most fun I’ve ever had as a baseball fan. All time great!

  • http://www.belizlaw.com/car-accidents/driving-with-headphones-on/ Driving With Headphones On

    Hes the best ever hands down

  • Jonfeather

    Best I’ve seen in my 50 years as a Red Sox fan.

  • denniscerasoli

    The only player that i would work my schedual around to be able to watch him pitch,it was a delight to see.

  • The Hamma

    Overrated.  Fragile.  Both mentally and physically.  A couple of strikeouts here and there does not an MVP make!!

    • Corey

      the hamma aka cranky yankee fan

  • soxrule

    Pedro! Pedro! Pedro!

  • Steve, not from Fall River

    I think what most of the Pedro worshippers don’t realize is that this little diva hates America and always has.  That’s where the “racism” comments come from.  Remember how he defended that cheating little leaguer, Danny Almonte?  He said that Americans “just don’t understand”.  He also wanted to know why all of the juicers that were being exposed were Dominican and not American.

    He resented Schilling because he didn’t want to share the spotlight.  There never would have been a WS victory in 2004 without Schilling.  He was fun to watch when he was on, but I don’t think he was much of a team player.

    • Robert5286

      I think he truly loved Red Sox Nation, the city of Boston, and the Red Sox uniform. I do agree that he was often childish,and did resent Schilling. He had a huge ego, and rightly so, but sometimes it did more harm then good.

  • max1918

    Duende. Simply, duende.

  • anguillaman3

    Pedro Martinez…simply the best.  I remember fans would get concerned if Pedro gave up 4 runs in a game or lost two straight….what a treat it was to have him in a Sox uniform.  You could pretty much count on Pedro to win…the true definition of an ACE, we don’t have an ACE on the team today.  Miss the guy.

  • JOE

    Love it. Would love to see him make a come back and pitch in Boston.

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