Rajon Rondo’s Near Triple-Double Pushes Celtics Passed Magic

The Boston Celtics blew a 12-point edge in a sluggish third quarter, but came up big in overtime to defeat the Orlando Magic 116-110. Kevin Garnett led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double. This was the second straight win for the C’s and now head back to the TD Garden for two home games staring Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. This game was great for the Celtics in the first half with crisp passing and Rajon Rondo leading the way. The C’s lead at the half was 58-48 and then the third quarter came and the C’s were outscored 34-22 in that quarter. Rondo had a near triple-double with 15 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds. He tied John Stockton with his 39th straight game with 10 or more assists. It wasn’t that the Ce;ts were bad that quarter, they just could not defend Jameer Nelson. He scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half and had multiple threes during the run at the end of the third quarter that gave the Magic the lead. The final eight points belonged to Nelson as he gave the Magic the two-point edge entering the final period. The lead for the Magic grew to seven with eight minutes left in the game, but the Celtics would not go away. The C’s went on a 10-2 run to take the 98-97 lead which J.J. Redick tied the game at 100 with one if his three made three-point baskets. He finished with a team-high 21 points. The two teams battled over the last two minutes and with a 102-102 game, Paul Pierce missed his patented fadeaway jumper. The overtime period started with a back-and-forth battle on both sides of the ball. The Celtics finally got some breathing room after Rondo hit a layup that made it 113-108 with 1:37 left. The C’s were able to hit three-of-four free throws down the stretch to put this game away. This was the second straight game the Celts were able to win while allowing their opponents to score 100 or more points after losing their first five. The first came on Friday night when they won 108-100 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes, there is still a lot to want from this Celtics team defensively, but so far the chemistry is starting to build. Rondo is being the best facilitator in the NBA and can easily defend most point guards in the NBA. Courtney Lee is great off the bench. And Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are holding their own in limited minutes. The resting of these two players over the entire season will be a great test for Doc Rivers. Photo via Flickr/dgaproductions All stats from ESPN.com The post Rajon Rondo’s Near Triple-Double Pushes Celtics Passed Magic appeared first on Boston Sports Nut.