If Rajon Rondo continues to play as he did yesterday against Chicago point guard C.J. Watson, and the Celtics big men run the floor, they may be more than a distraction.
The 95-91 win was perhaps the biggest of the season, given that the Celtics had dropped two straight and will head on the road for two weeks beginning Thursday in Chicago.
Rondo controlled the game from the opening tip, collecting his second triple-double of the season and his 15th overall. His 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists were a throwback for those who cherished those Sunday afternoon CBS games when Magic Johnson would masterfully orchestrate the Lakers offense en route to an entertaining victory.
After a poor showing in Friday’s 86-74 loss in Toronto, Rondo responded, as did the rest of the Celtics.
Coach Doc Rivers, who was livid at the lack of execution during Friday’s game, used Saturday to adjust the team’s approach. Despite their advanced age, Rivers demanded the Celtics push the ball and speed up the offense.
They had been taking 15 seconds to get into their offense and then been relying on fadeaway jumpers from Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett or a 3-pointer from Ray Allen.
Yesterday, the Celtics picked up the pace, giving their horses a chance to run free on the fast break. JaJuan Johnson, replacing the injured Brandon Bass, and Chris Wilcox combined for 23 points, and even the 35-year-old Garnett was darting down the floor.
The Celtics scored 33 fast-break points, 26 more than their opponents, and respirators weren’t needed in the locker room. The tempo suited the players just fine.
“I thought we played at a better pace,’’ Rivers said. “You could see it, we were trying to run today. And that’s how we have to play. If we didn’t turn the ball over we would’ve had far more points. But I just liked our pace, and that’s all we talked about after the game in Toronto and today in our morning walkthrough … enough of the walking.
