Rondo’s 19 Assists Help the Celtics Avoid Another Letdown in Cleveland
When the Boston Celtics sputtered through the regular season,
Window curtain they were dismissed with descriptions appropriate for a high-
curtainmileage car. They were old, slow and unreliable.
They might have leaked leads often this season — particularly in the fourth quarter — but they are still effective in large doses, and Rajon Rondo, their point guard, remains a blur on the court and a pest to opponents.
On Monday, Rondo carved the Cleveland Cavaliers for a career-playoff-high-tying 19 assists and added 13 points in a 104-86 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“He just had a great floor game,” Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said, comparing Rondo to Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek in how he managed the game’s flow. “I would call him Varitek. He called great balls and strikes, if you want to put it that way.”
The Celtics evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 and swiped home-court advantage from Cleveland. The series that both coaches predicted would be tough heads to Boston for Games 3 and 4,
curtain beginning Friday.
Although the Celtics gained separation with a huge third quarter,
Window curtain outscoring the Cavs, 31-12, they sweated out the victory in the fourth. Boston went nearly six minutes between baskets, allowing Cleveland to shrink the deficit from 25 to 10 with 4 minutes 33 seconds left.
The Celtics regained their form with two baskets each from Paul Pierce, Rondo and Ray Allen. “People said it to try and jab at us,” Allen said of the team’s label of being old. “We heard it on the road, from our own media at home, but we didn’t worry about it.”
Rondo dazzled the Cavs in the series opener, but his teammates provided little support and Cleveland overcame an 11-point deficit.
On Monday, Rondo’s assist meter continued clicking,
curtain meaning his teammates were playing well. Allen (22 points) Garnett (18) and Pierce (14) contributed heavily.
“They made the shots and I tried to give them easy looks at the basket,
Window curtain ” Rondo said.
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