LOS ANGELES (AP) -Once more, Rajon Rondo swooped in to save the Celtics.
This time, maybe he saved their season.
Rondo had his fifth postseason triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Celtics to a 103-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night that evened the NBA finals at one game apiece.
With Ray Allen stalled and Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett having never gotten started, it was Rondo who carried the Celtics down the stretch, just as he has so often in his breakout postseason.
He made the go-ahead basket with 3:21 remaining, reacting quickly to a loose ball after a shot was blocked and putting it in to make it 91-90. He blocked Derek Fisher’s shot shortly after, then knocked down a huge jumper that extended the lead to 95-90 with 1:50 to play.
e cooled off in the second half. Boston was getting nothing from its other big stars, as Pierce shot only 2 of 11 for 10 points and Garnett battled foul trouble and scored only six.
But Rondo, who’s become the Celtics’ most important player even though he’s still not their biggest name, came through when offense wasn’t coming from anywhere else.
He had a pair of buckets midway through the fourth quarter to keep the Celtics within a possession, then later finally put them back on top for good and headed back to Boston in good shape.
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