Rondo made sure from the get-go Sunday that this game would be different. He did so the best way he knows how -- running the show, feeding his teammates and getting everyone involved. You could say Rondo was due. You could even say his coach told him he was due. Rondo also didn't play Friday night in Toronto (he had plenty of company there), and he was only back in town from Los Angeles the night before, which jibes with news that he won't be an All-Star for the first time in three seasons. There was a big stretch, though, in the fourth quarter where he stood out. The Celtics led 82-72 with 5:33 to play when a play designed for Rondo resulted in a perfect pass to rookie JaJuan Johnson for his first field goal of the game. Johnson, who filled in admirably in the absence of Brandon Bass and Jermaine O'Neal, finished with 12 points in 33 minutes. Send Chris questions This was Rondo's 15th career "triple-double" -- nine of which have come in the regular season. In terms of overall impact, it probably doesn't match his gem of 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists against Cleveland in Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals. That remains his personal gold standard. Rivers: "I just think he wants to win. I think we played at a better pace." "You can see it," Rivers said. "We tried to run. That's the way we need to play. If we don't turn the ball over" -- the Celtics had 19 turnovers -- "we'll have more points. I just like our pace, which is all we talked about after the Toronto game." On the ensuing possession for Chicago, Johnson picked Ron Artest's pass, and Rondo grabbed the loose ball. The final play saw Rondo feed Chris Wilcox for another alley-oop dunk that pushed the lead to above 14 points and prompted Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout. Yes, you read that correctly; the Celtics backed into alley-oops. Tom Thibodeau, Bulls coach: "Rondo's a great player, and even if you're defending him well, he still has the ability to make great plays." When things went wrong offensively -- the Celtics scored 74 points against a bad Toronto team -- point guards often hear it from their coaches. He really would be like his coach, who happens to be a former point guard. Rondo's ninth career regular-season triple-double helped guide the Celtics to a 95-91 win over the Bulls. The Bulls dropped to 1-2 without Rose. Boston -- CJ Watson missed two free throws with 1.9 seconds left that rendered Sunday's game between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls a non-factor. The Celtics had already wrapped things up, ending a two-game losing streak and arguably putting forth their game of the season. But the miss by Watson meant everything as Rondo dove headfirst for the rebound, picking it up off the TD Garden floor before anyone else could get to it. There it is: Rondo's second triple-double of the season capping off a monstrous afternoon for the Celtics' point guard. Let others speak for him. Paul Pierce: "When he's confident, aggressive, playing the way he is, we're a tough team to stop. When he's pushing the ball out of transition, taking shots, rebounding, he's just all the energy, he's doing it all, he's fun to watch." And if that's what got Rondo going, who knows? Rivers doesn't. "I wish I could get inside somebody else's head deep," Rivers said. But here are the stats that tell the story: The Celtics outscored Chicago 33-7 on fast-break points. They took advantage of the Bulls' 13 turnovers for 18 points. This is where Rondo can thrive, and thrive he did against the Bulls. [+] EnlargeAP Photo/Michael Dwyer Rondo (32 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) posted the 15th career triple-double (including playoffs) and second of the season. Rondo logged 40 minutes, where he was most comfortable, helped by Derrick Rose, who was out. Rondo finished with a season-high 32 points and 15 assists, along with 10 rebounds, in the Celtics' 95-91 victory. This effort mirrored closely, except for the outcome, the one the Celtics put forth against the New York Knicks in a game they lost on Christmas Day (31 points, 13 assists, five steals by Rondo). This time, against the No. 1 team in the East, the Celtics never trailed, building a 14-point lead midway through the fourth quarter before sweating out the rest of the way. Nowhere was Rondo's presence more evident than in the Celtics' running game. Boston scored 95 points against a team that had been allowing 87 per game and had given up 67 and 64 in its previous two contests (albeit against Charlotte and New Orleans, but both on the road). The Celtics played most of the game shooting over 50 percent, finishing at 49.3. Yeah, Toronto. Bad games, they say, are "learning moments." And Toronto was bad because of it. More on the Celtics Green stays wired all year long with ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg. Blog We know Rondo's response. Maybe it was his statement game, a big one you know what, all those Eastern Conference selections from the New Jersey Nets -- the Nets' coach!! -- instead of him. We'll have to wait to learn Rondo's thoughts, as he chose not to speak postgame. This is what Rivers means when he talks about the pace of the game. When the Celtics can get out and run like this, Rondo is a certified threat. He's not just slicing, dicing and throwing passes. He's constantly breaking to the basket. He took 22 shots, making 11, and was 10-for-13 from the line. Only one Celtics player has scored as many as 11 field goals in a game this season: Rondo. He did it on Christmas Day. He didn't Sunday. But for a team coming off two straight losses and needing a statement of its own rights, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. And against a top-tier opponent, in front of a national TV audience, Rondo delivered. Related thematic articles: Samsung cuts wireless chip costs in half Apple's rumored television might already be in the hands of TV makers Search engine marketing and online marketing services Comments on this page are aggregated across all categories of SEO software Hacking article after Symantec source code ransom attempt failed