Celtics sting Hornets, Marcus Smart erupts, and vintage Blake Griffin

Celtics highlight of the game: Blake Griffin can still get up

Once upon a time Blake Griffin was providing highlights on a nightly basis.  Not so much now at the age of 33.  However, the former 6-time NBA All-Star showed on Monday night that he still has some ups.

Talk about turning back the clock, Boston Celtics fans got to see some vintage Griffin in the first half on this nice lob pass from Derrick White:

In all, Griffin finished with 9 points and a ton of hustle points while getting some playing time in place of Al Horford.  Also proving how much depth this team has, the veteran forward continues to be a value on the team by staying ready and helping the younger players on the team grow as well.

Along with his solid play on the court when he does get meaningful minutes, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had a lot of praise for Griffin for the way he impacts the team off the court as well.

"“Perspective,” Mazzulla said when asked about what Griffin adds to team off the court.  “Constantly in our young guys’ ear.  Just giving guys his experience, how his career has gone and where he was successful.  Just a sense of humor and overall a great guy.  And so, guys flock to him and he’s thankful for that.”"

You can see it by how the players respond to him on the bench.  When he’s in the game, his hustle gets the other players going and when he’s on the bench, he’s each players biggest cheerleader.  That is exactly what a championship caliber team needs from their veteran players.

It’s nice to see Griffin providing that and also giving fans some vintage Blake Griffin once in awhile.