After getting out to a sluggish start this season, many believed that the Boston Celtics’ days as a contender in the Eastern Conference were numbered. The has all changed over the past couple of weeks, as they had put together a run of nine wins in ten games before losing each of their last two games heading into last night’s contest. Getting back to their winning ways wouldn’t be an easy thing to do against the first-place Chicago Bulls. Luckily for them Rajon Rondo appeared to be up for the challenge.
With Derrick Rose out of the line-up due to back problems, Rondo took advantage of the 2011 NBA MVP’s absence, as he tied a career-high with 32 points to go along with 15 assists, 10 rebounds and two steals. He would cap his monster performance off with some crucial free-throws down the stretch to help the Celtics hang on for the 95-91 victory.
With the win the Celtics remain in seventh in the East, three games up on the ninth-place Milwaukee Bucks. As for Rondo, the triple-double was his second of the season, and it earns him “The Stat Line of the Night” for Sunday, February 10, 2012.