06:34
Muhammad Aslam
Before playing in Boston for the first time since being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, Rajon Rondo told reporters he hadn't "played defense in a couple of years." Though he was busy on the defensive end of the court against theCeltics Friday night, Rondo put his offensive arsenal on full display, scoring 29 points in a lopsided 119-101 win over his former team.
It was a welcome return for Rondo, who was greeted with a thunderous ovation from the Boston faithful. He responded by scoring the Mavericks' first 10 points. Then he was treated to an emotional video tribute from the Celtics organization between the first and second quarter. Rondo was moved by the video, and almost teared up.
The honor was well earned for the player who was instrumental in the Celtics' title run in 2008 and was a staple for the franchise until he was traded in December. But while it was a flowery return on the surface, it had to have been bittersweet for Celtics fans -- Rondo played his most prolific scoring game of the season.
Rondo was brilliant on the offensive end of the court, shooting 63.2 percent from the floor while netting a season-high 29 points. After making only eight three-point shots in his 22 games with the Celtics, he made five for the Mavericks while missing only two. He also had six rebounds and five assists in a dominating win with his new team.
He has only been with Dallas for seven games, but Rondo is turning into a franchise player for the Mavericks. Dallas is now 5-2 with him on the roster, and has won four straight. The point guard is averaging 15.4 points, 7.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds in his seven games with Dallas, and has season averages of 10.0 points, 10.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds. And, as mentioned above, he's playing defense. In the past week, he heldRussell Westbrook and John Wall at bay in two wins over the Thunder and Wizards.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are 2-5 without their former point guard. Trading Rondo away made certain this would be a rebuilding year for the young team. But in the East, they're still in the hunt for a playoff spot, just 1.5 games out of eighth place.
Dallas has an NBA title on its mind. With Rondo at the helm, those hopes are not misplaced. The Mavericks are currently in fourth place in the West, and have the parts of a contender. A win at Boston may not mean much for a Western Conference power, but it did prove that Rondo is capable of taking over a game.
No matter how Rondo impacts the game, Dallas is just happy he's not a Celtic.
Posted in
0 comments :
Post a Comment