Boston Celtics: Top Plays of 2011

New Year's Day is a time of remembering and celebrating the past year, while at the same time looking forward to the year to come. This makes it the perfect time to look back on, and celebrate, the past year for the Boston Celtics.

Although they didn't win it all, they still had a very good season and left us with a lot to be proud of looking back. And, there is also a lot to look forward to in 2012 with the Boston Celtics.

So, without further ado, here are the top plays and moments of 2011 for the Boston Celtics.

Kevin Garnett Blocks Samuel Dalembert

I think that this play might sum up Kevin Garnett more than any other. It showcases his exceptional defensive ability with the block, and then shows, perhaps more profoundly, his incredible intensity.

He is without a doubt one of the most intense players in NBA history, and him flexing, beating his chest and yelling to himself all while spitting everywhere, puts his intensity on full display.

Paul Pierce Dunks Against the Nets

It doesn't get much better than crossing up Sasha Vujacic and then dunking on Kris Humphries. Well done, Pierce.

Paul Pierce Dunks Against the Raptors

2011 was a year full of many great slam dunks for Paul Pierce. And say what you want about the validity of this dunk—it was great play nonetheless. Besides, if Dwight Howard's Superman Dunk counts as a dunk, then so does this.

Ray Allen Breaks All-Time 3-Point Record

It is not often that you get to see a record get broken, but in 2011 we were lucky enough to witness history in the form of Ray Allen beating Reggie Miller's three-point record. It truly was a great moment and represented the hard work of Ray and the great career he has had as a result.

I think now that the record is his, we can safely say that he is the greatest three-point shooter of all time. And in 2012, we can look forward to him putting the record even more out of reach.

Ray Allen Game-Winning Three-Pointer

If the last play was a testament to Ray Allen's great shooting, this play is a testament to Ray's great clutch-shooting. He is not only arguably the greatest shooter of all time, but also arguably the greatest clutch-shooter of all time.

He can always be counted on for a game winner. And at the same time, Doc Rivers can also always be counted on for drawing up a great game-winning play. The two of them combined perfectly for this game winner—with great play by Doc and great execution by Ray.

Kevin Garnett Game-Winning Shot and Steal

One game-winning shot in a playoff series is exciting enough, but in the Celtics-Knicks series, we were treated to two game-winning shots in back-to-back games. Well, in this case, it was more like a game-winning shot and steal by Kevin Garnett.

Just a great play by Garnett on both ends of the court to win the game. After those two games, I thought we were headed for a repeat of the Chicago series in 2009. It actually turned out to be much easier once they traveled to New York, interestingly enough.

Rajon Rondo Plays on a Dislocated Elbow

It is a moment like this that defines a player and a career. Rajon Rondo cemented his legacy as a Celtic in this game. To play through pain is one thing (something that nearly all athletes do), but to play when you are legitimately injured is a whole other thing—especially when the stakes are this high.

Not many players are much tougher than Rajon Rondo, and he proved that here. It makes you wonder why the Celtics ever tried to trade him.