Boston started slowly, then responded to coach Doc Rivers's admonitions and followed the lead of Rondo and Ray Allen (31 points). The Suns had scored 140-plus points in three straight games (two vs. the Clippers and against Oklahoma City) and started the game quickly, taking an 8-point lead.
Rivers called a 20-second timeout to deliver a loud wake-up call to the Celtics, who seemed several steps slow after having arrived at US Airways Center at about 10:30 a.m., two hours before tipoff.
The Celtics started jogging but soon got into the running spirit as Rondo went 5 for 5 and the Celtics were 13 for 16 in taking a 38-33 first-quarter lead. In the opening half, Kendrick Perkins was matched against Shaquille O'Neal, but the Celtics found success with a more mobile lineup, with 6-foot-9-inch Brian Scalabrine their tallest player.
Rondo surpassed his career high for points (26 against New York Dec. 21) 3:02 into the second half. The Suns got within 9 on Matt Barnes's 3-pointer with 1:50 remaining in the third, then Rondo hit a jumper and Allen a layup for a 96-83 Celtic lead after three.
The Celtics were ahead by 22 midway through the final quarter, but the Suns went into a full-court press, forcing the Celtics to bring back their starters.
"The game wasn't over - a team like that can score a lot of points in a short amount of minutes," Rondo said. "They made a run and we countered. We did a great job executing down the stretch. It's a team effort. I know guys step up and play their role even better when Kevin is out."
The Suns' most effective defensive tactic was to simply knock down Rondo, which Barnes did late in the first half, Steve Nash earning a technical foul for protesting.
"At the beginning we were uptight, we were so concerned about Shaq," Rivers said. "Going into the game, we thought Rondo's speed was a huge advantage for us and I told him to be aggressive, attack, attack, attack. That doesn't mean shoot, that means attack. But he made shots, too. He's just getting better and better, getting more confident."
