Rondo drives Celtics to 112-94 victory over Magic in Game 2
The little engine that could, did. And that made all the difference in Game 2.
Rajon Rondo came close to a triple-double in the first half and finished with 15 points, 18 assists, and 11 rebounds as the Celtics steamrolled the Orlando Magic 112-94 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night. The series is now tied, 1-1.
Rondo committed 7 turnovers and shot just 2 of 12 from the floor in Game 1, but he was locked in from the opening tip tonight. On the same day he was named to the NBA’s All-defensive second team, Rondo showed off his offensive prowess against the Magic, dishing out 12 assists in the first half and helping the Celtics shoot 56 percent from the floor before the break.
The Celtics needed all they could get from Rondo because Paul Pierce picked up two early fouls, then a quick third foul, and played just five minutes in the first half. In contrast, reserve forward Brian Scalabrine played 21 first-half minutes. That could have been a nightmare scenario for the Celtics, but the play of Rondo, as well as Ray Allen (22 points) in the first half helped Boston avoid any such thing.
Rondo and Allen passed the torch to Eddie House in the second half, and the reserve guard ran with it. House had a spectacular shooting night, contributing 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting off the bench.
Defense was also a key for the Celtics, who forced Orlando’s Dwight Howard into difficult looks. Howard’s 12 points and 12 rebounds rung hollow, especially considering Kendrick Perkins had 16 points and 9 rebounds but was much more efficient from the field.
The Celtics’ dominating performance tonight comes off of a strong second half in Game 1. The Celtics came back from a 28-point deficit in that game to challenge the Magic. With Rondo at his best in this series, the Magic have not yet been able to mount a serious challenge of their own.
Game 3 is Friday night in Orlando. We’ll have much more from the Garden, including postgame reaction and video, in a bit.
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