Shaquille O'Neal is beasting in Boston. At 38, Shaq is the oldest player in the NBA. Yet last night against the Nets, he showed he's still capable of dominating opponents and taking over games. He had a game high 25 points while shooting 9-10 from the field. He led the Celtics with 11 rebounds in their 89-83 win over New Jersey.
"(My teammates) were very unselfish," Shaq said. "I go to the hole and got a lot of easy baskets. That's kind of how I want to play at 38."
Shaq's 25 points were his highest since the 2008-09 season when he was with the Phoenix Suns. He also shot 5-8 from the line in the fourth quarter when the Nets resorted to Hack-a-Shaq in desperation.
Shaq had his first double double of the season two nights earlier in a 99-76 blowout of the Hawks. In that game, he had 13 points and 11 rebounds while battling rising stars Al Horford and Josh Smith in the paint.
"I told him he looked like the 2000 Shaq," said Kevin Garnett. "The 1999 Shaq, the 2001 and 2002 to 2003 to 2004 to 2005 to 2006."
Shaq loves playing with Garnett and said as much when asked about their relationship on the court.
"I've played on a lot of other teams where the other team didn't have to respect the four (power forward). So being that they have to respect him means that there's a lot more room for me. It also means there's a lot more room for him, so we're going to use each other. I think it's a good fit."
Garnett feels the same about Shaq and said so in his own way.
"Shaq is like a paradise, man," said Garnett. You ever wash your sheets and then when you go out, you hang them out and when the sun dries the, you smell your sheets? That's what Shaq is."
The Big Shamrock, the Big Geezer, the Big Clean Sheets. Shaq is rolling in Boston.
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