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Shocker: Celtics bench Amir Johnson in favor of Gerald Green

Mar 12, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson (90) dunks against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics need to change things up in order get back in their first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. The east’s top seed lost the first two games of the series, both at home, and are now looking at a must win Friday night in Chicago.

In an attempt to light a fire under his team, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens announced hours before tip off that Gerald Green will start in favor of Amir Johnson in Game 3.

This is about as shocking as it gets. Johnson started 77 of the 80 games in which he appeared during the regular season. Meanwhile, Green has started a total of 76 games since the end of the 2008-09 season. In fact, he didn’t start a single game for Boston during the regular year.

It’s also a clear indication that Boston plans on going small in an attempt to keep up with Chicago. Green stands at 6-foot-7 and is primarily a wing player. On the other hand, all of Johnson’s starts in a Celtics uniform have come at power forward.

If Boston were to lose on Friday, it would pretty much put an end to the team’s season. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA Playoffs to win a series.

It would also be one of the biggest choke jobs in recent Association history considering Boston entered the postseason as the top seed back east.

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