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Gerald Green's Top Career Performances

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A lot has happened in Gerald Green’s career since the Boston Celtics traded him to Minnesota as a part of the Kevin Garnett deal nearly a decade ago. The high-flying guard has continued to dazzle with his superhuman-like athleticism, he’s developed a reliable 3-point shot, and he’s delivered an abundance of impressive performances along the way.

We at Celtics.com took a look back at some of those efforts and have picked out a handful to highlight. So re-familiarize yourself with Green as he prepares to don the green again by reading up on some of his top career performances below.

5. Apr. 1, 2016 at Sacramento

Here's what happened...

Gerald Green was one of Miami’s top producers off the bench through the first two thirds of last season, but when the Heat picked up seven-time All-Star guard Joe Johnson in late February, Green’s playing time plummeted. After averaging 25.7 minutes per game during his first 52 contests, Green saw the court for less than 10 minutes per game – including six DNPs – during Johnson’s first 16 games with the squad. Green, however, was not ready to be put on the Heat’s back burner just yet. When Dwyane Wade was forced to sit out of Miami’s April Fool’s Day contest in Sacramento due to neck and back pain, coach Erik Spoelstra called on Green to fill in. Despite playing just 45 total minutes during the previous eight contests, he had no problem answering the call. Green erupted out of the gate, hitting his first six shots for a 15-point first quarter. By the end of the third frame the 30-year-old had matched his age in points with an 11-for-19 performance from the field, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range. He also notched three steals, three rebounds and did not turn the ball over once during his entire 33-minute effort. Green’s game-high 30-point performance guided Miami to a 112-106 road win, proving that despite his role change, he was still playing with a ferocious hunger and was fully capable of stepping up if given the call.

4. Feb. 18, 2014 at Denver

Here's what happened...

The Phoenix Suns did not have any representatives at the 2014 All-Star Game, but when they returned from the break, Green was certainly repping them in an All-Star caliber manner. During Phoenix’s first game following All-Star weekend, the guard tore apart the Denver Nuggets, erupting for a then-career-high 36 points, and leading the Suns to a 112-107 overtime win. It wasn’t a glowing start for Green, as he found himself in early foul trouble and was limited to nine points over nine minutes during the first half. But he went on to score 27 points during the remainder of the game, including eight of Phoenix’s 13 points in OT. He hit half of his 22 shot attempts on the night, went 6-for-14 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. He also snagged five rebounds, committed just one turnover, and had a game-best plus/minus rating of plus-28. Green accomplished all of that despite logging less than 30 minutes of playing time. He continued with his All-Star-quality play by averaging 20.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during Phoenix’s first 15 games after the break.

3. Feb. 17, 2007 – Slam Dunk Contest in Las Vegas

Here's what happened...

Gerald Green became a household name overnight during his sophomore season with the Celtics, when he unexpectedly took home the Slam Dunk title at All-Star Weekend. The 21-year-old entered the competition alongside reigning champ Nate Robinson, slam-dunk specialist Dwight Howard, and former No. 4 overall pick Tyrus Thomas. Green was undoubtedly the lesser-known contestant among the four, but that changed in a matter of two hours. He got a helping hand from Celtics great Paul Pierce for a pair of high-flying slams, one of which The Truth dished a difficult pass off the edge of the backboard to Green, who finished with a two-handed, windmill baseline dunk. He also paid homage to Dee Brown – Boston’s only prior Slam Dunk champ – as he imitated the former Celtics’ renowned “peek-a-boo” dunk – which would now likely be called a “Dab Dunk” – while jumping over the head of 5-foot-9 Robinson. For his crowning moment during the final round, Green leaped over a table 10 feet from the basket and threw down an emphatic, one-handed windmill slam, garnering a perfect score of 50 from the panel of judges. It was enough to earn Green the Slam Dunk title, and place his name in the national limelight for the first time in his career.

2. Mar. 6, 2014 vs. Oklahoma City

Here's what happened...

While Green’s dunking has landed him on numerous highlight reels over the course of his nine-year NBA career, his efficient 3-point shooting has often gone unnoticed. That was not the case on March 6, 2014, when the Suns guard canned career-best eight treys on 13 attempts. The sharpshooting masterpiece paved the way for a career-high 41-point effort, ousting both Kevin Durant (34 points) and Russell Westbrook (36 points) during Phoenix’s 128-122 win. Green also shot 9-of-11 from the free-throw line and tallied five rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. The eight triples were not a fluke, either. Later in the season, Green became the 25th player in NBA history to hit at least 200 3-pointers in a single campaign. He finished with 204 makes on a 40 percent clip.

1. Mar. 10, 2012 vs. Houston

Here's what happened...

In most cases, scoring 26 points during a loss would not qualify for a career-best effort. Green’s stat line above, however, does not tell the whole tale. Let’s quickly rewind to the summer of 2009 when the 23-year-old could not find a job in the NBA. Many, at that point, believed Green’s NBA career was over. He signed a contract to play in Russia in December of 2009, and remained there for two full years. He then played a couple of months in China in late-2011, before coming back the U.S. for a short stint in the D-League. The New Jersey Nets, however, still had hope that Green could produce at the NBA level. They signed him to a 10-day contract on Feb. 27, 2012, followed by a second 10-day that was penned on March 8. Two nights later, he delivered the most vital performance of his NBA career, when he shocked the league by putting up 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting during just 23 minutes of play during a 112-106 loss to the Houston Rockets. He also delivered arguably the dunk of the year during that performance – an alley-oop windmill slam that had a chin-to-rim-level apex. Just like that, Green was back in the national spotlight and his career was ultimately revived. The following day, New Jersey signed Green for the remainder of the season, and he’s enjoyed four successful NBA campaigns since.