Danny Green's Dunk in Game 2 Was Revenge From Regular Season

The Philadelphia 76ers were up big against the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter of Game 2 on Monday night. While the Sixers were more than likely on pace to come away with their second-straight win in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Raptors were offering them a bit of a scare as they cut into their deep lead.

76ers veteran small forward Danny Green wanted to make a statement. Typically, Green gets his baskets from beyond the arc as that's where he's most comfortable shooting the ball, but the 34-year-old did something he doesn't typically do with a little over four minutes left in Game 2.... He dunked the ball in transition.

"That was crazy because Danny never dunks," said Sixers forward Tobias Harris. "I was really shocked because I thought he was gonna pass me the ball in the corner and then he went up and I was like ‘Oh no!’ That was tough though. That’s SportsCenter. Do they still do the top 10? That’s number one then.”

Harris didn't expect Green to throw down a slam, but Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey had an idea that might happen at some point during the series. When the Sixers faced the Raptors late in the regular season, Green attempted a layup in transition, which resulted in him getting his shot swatted.

That's when the second-year guard Maxey jokingly encouraged Green to dunk the ball next time. "I threw him an almost identical pass and Boucher blocked it," said Maxey, who recalled the first play from weeks ago. "I said ‘Danny, you just gotta try to dunk it' and he said ‘I got you in the playoffs.'"

Danny Green dunk. 👀

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— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 19, 2022

Sure enough, Green stayed true to his word. While the Sixers celebrated Green's slam as if he hit a game-winning shot, the veteran forward didn't quite see what the big deal was after the matchup as he knew that dunk was coming at some point.

"The last time I tried to get a breakaway layup against them, it was denied easily," said Green. "They have a lot of length, they block a lot of shots. So, when you go to the rim against them, you need to make sure you get to the rim. I had that in my mind."

Green's slam forced the Raptors to take a timeout and regroup as they trailed 105-86 late in the fourth quarter. While they showed signs of life late in the matchup, Green's shocking move was one of the final nails in the coffin for Toronto in Game 2.

"I just made sure I got to the rim, and they were making a run," Green finished. "We just tried to slow down their run, stop the bleeding, and make sure we kept scoring. So, I had to make sure I got the easy two."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.