Watch Avery Bradley fly through the lane and dunk on the Spurs
The Celtics fell short in a late-game comeback against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon, but the TD Garden crowd was still buzzing after the game following a thunderous dunk by Avery Bradley in the fourth quarter.
Boston trailed by seven when the sixth-year guard took Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard off the dribble and made a strong drive into the paint. Bradley was greeted by LaMarcus Aldridge at the basket but was undeterred, throwing down the jam in the face of the Spurs big man.
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After the game, Bradley was encouraged by the highlight reel play, seeing it as a positive sign he has started to gain confidence in his body after dealing with chronic ankle issues the past couple seasons.
“I’ve just been trying to tell myself to be more aggressive, go to the basket stronger,’’ Bradley explained. “When I broke my ankle I feel like it’s always in the back of my head that I can go out there and reinjure myself. I just have to go out there and play basketball.’’
While Bradley’s injuries may have caused fans to forget about his leaping abilities, he was happy to provide a timely reminder about what’s he capable of.
“I think I did [surprise people],’’ Bradley said. “A lot of people forget, that used to be me. I just have to continue to take what the defense gives me and be aggressive.’’
The play caught the eye of Bradley’s teammates as well, with the shooting guard scoring 14 of his team-high 18 points in the comeback.
“I loved it,’’ Marcus Smart said of the dunk. “I like his aggressiveness. That’s what we need a lot more out of everybody. Everybody’s got to pick it up a notch.’’
The Celtics will have to follow Smart’s advice in order to snap a two-game losing streak when the 1-2 squad faces off with the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Photos: Unbelievable images from the old Boston Garden
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