Relentless Celtics romp

“That was a dangerous part of the game,’’ said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “I thought Rondo’s three, crazy as it sounds, may have been the biggest shot of the game. The shot clock was winding down, we were going through our little lull, and he makes a three to bring it back to 17. I thought that was a big push for us.’’

It was the kind of night when the Celtics could have gotten offense from anyone on the floor.

The usual suspects were typically effective. Paul Pierce silently struck for 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Ray Allen needed just eight shots to score 17 points.

But the Celtics had six players in double figures, shot 57.5 percent, racked up 31 assists, and put on an offensive clinic in winning their fourth straight game and notching the 3,000th regular-season victory in franchise history.

Nate Robinson scored 15 points off the bench. Glen Davis (14) and Shaquille O’Neal (12) both went for double figures. But one thing Raptors coach Jay Triano didn’t bank on when game-planning was rookie Luke Harangody blowing up for 17 points and 11 rebounds, his first career double-double.

Harangody scored 8 points in four minutes in the first quarter. His quick flurry helped the Celtics build a 34-22 lead at the end of the quarter, and from there it snowballed.

“He’s been down a lot the last couple games, he feels like he hasn’t been making shots,’’ said Davis. “But everybody’s been pushing him to get in the gym and get extra shots and he’s been awesome today.’’

After Kevin Garnett went down with a strained right calf last week in Detroit, the Celtics were supposed to be in survival mode. Instead, they’ve feasted with a plug-and-go lineup.

For the fifth time in seven games, the Celtics shot better than 50 percent. Coming off a 22-assist game against San Antonio, Rondo had just seven assists, but the offense purrs when he’s on the floor.