Rondo said he'd be at his best.

by ddenglk168 on 2012-02-13 15:38:31

Rondo's presence was everywhere in the Celtics' running game. Boston scored 95 points against a team that had been allowing 87 per game and had scored only 67 and 64 in their previous two games (although both were on the road against Charlotte and New Orleans). The Celtics shot over 50 percent for most of the game, finishing at 49.3 percent. This was Rondo's 15th career "triple-double" (including playoffs), with nine coming during regular-season play. In terms of overall impact, it may not match his gem of 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals. But this remained his personal gold standard.

Rondo's ninth career regular-season triple-double led the Celtics to a 95-91 win over the Bulls. The Bulls fell to the Celtics without Rose. Boston - CJ-Watson missed free throws with 1.9 seconds left in Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics, but the outcome was already decided. The Celtics had sealed the deal, ending a two-game losing streak and arguably delivering one of their best performances of the season.

Yeah, Toronto. Sure, it could be considered a bad game, they said, "a teachable moment." And Toronto was indeed bad, for it. Rondo played 40 minutes, showing his adeptness on the floor, helped by Derrick - Rose, who was out due to injury. Rondo finished with a season-high 32 points and 15 assists, along with 10 rebounds, leading to the Celtics' 95-91 victory.

In the next Chicago possession, Johnson picked off Luol Deng's pass, and Rondo grabbed the ball. The closing sequence culminated in another alley-oop dunk for Chris - Wilcox, pushing the lead above 14 points and prompting Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout. Yes, you read that right; the Celtics threw back-to-back alley-oops.

When things went wrong offensively - the Celtics scored 74 points against a poor Toronto team - point guards often hear from their coaches. He would really be hearing from his coach, who also happens to be a former point guard. You might say Rondo was due. You could even say his coach told him he was due. The alley-oop didn't happen last Friday night in Toronto (he had plenty of company in this regard), having played only the night before against the Los Angeles Lakers, which coincided with news that he wouldn't be an All-Star for the first time in three seasons.

This effort, nearly a mirror image except for the final score, saw the Celtics come to New York Knicks in a game they lost on Christmas when Rondo submitted a monster performance (31 points, 13 assists, 5 steals). This time, against the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics never trailed, building a 14-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, then sweating out the rest of the way.

[+] Enlarge AP Photo/Michael Dwyer Rondo (32 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) recorded his 15th career triple-double (including playoffs) and second this season.

But for a team that had lost two straight and needed a statement win against top-tier competition in front of a national TV audience, Rondo delivered.

The missed free throw by Rondo, diving down, multi-headed rebounding, picking up the TD Garden floor before anyone else could get it meant everything. There it is: Rondo's second triple-double of the season was the capper for the Celtics' point guard's monstrous afternoon.

There was a big stretch, but one in the fourth quarter stood out. The Celtics led 82-72 with 5:33 remaining when the play backspin picked up Boozer's pass, resulting in a perfect alley-oop feed to rookie JaJuan Johnson. Johnson filled the void admirably in the absence of Brandon - Bass and Jermaine O'Neal, finishing with 12 points in 33 minutes.

We know Rondo responded. Maybe this was his revenge game, a big "you know what," considering all those Eastern Conference selections choosing someone from the New Jersey Nets - the Nets' coach!! - over him. We'll have to wait to learn Rondo's thoughts on the matter, as he chose not to speak after the game.

"You can see it," Rivers said, "we tried to run. That's how we're going 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."

Send Chris questions

This is what Rivers meant when he spoke about the pace of the game. When the Celtics can get such open looks, Rondo becomes a certified threat. He doesn't just slice, dice, and toss. He continuously breaks towards the basket. He took 22 shots, making 11, and went 10-for-13 from the line. Only one Celtic player had scored as many as 11 field goals in a single game this season: Rondo. He did it on Christmas. He didn't on Sunday.

Rondo made sure to set the tone from the start of Sunday's game, ensuring it would be different. He did so the best way he knows how - running the show, feeding his teammates, and getting everyone involved.

Let others speak for him.

If that's what it takes for Rondo to go, who knows? Rivers doesn't.

"I wish I could get inside someone else's head deep," Rivers said.

Rivers: "I just think he wants to win. I think we play better at a faster pace."

But here are the stats to back it up: The Celtics outscored Chicago 33-7 in fast-break points. They turned Chicago's 13 turnovers into 18 points. This is where Rondo can thrive, and that's exactly what he did against the Bulls.