Rajon Rondo Goes Off In Return To Boston As Celtics’ Strategy Backfires

BOSTON — The Rajon Rondo who took the court Friday was a different Rondo than we’ve seen in quite some time. And that difference had nothing to do with the fact that he was wearing Dallas Mavericks blue rather than Celtics green.

Visiting Causeway Street for the first time as a Celtics opponent, the point guard played what head coach Rick Carlisle called “obviously his best game as a Maverick,” drilling five 3-pointers to finish with 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting as the Mavs blitzed Boston 119-101.

It was Rondo’s best single-game scoring performance since before his ACL injury in 2013, and one the Celtics certainly were not expecting. In fact, they had prepared for the exact opposite.

“We pretty much baited him to shoot,” forward Jared Sullinger said after the game. “We wanted him to shoot. And he was knocking them down (Friday).”

From the opening tip, Rondo carried the NBA-leading Mavericks offense that’s typically powered by prolific scorers Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki. He scored each of Dallas’ first 10 points and at one point early in the second quarter was outscoring the entire Celtics starting five by himself (they had 17 points; he had 18).

“We prepared for him to be a passer, and he did a great job of scoring and taking what we gave him,” center Tyler Zeller said. “He’s an All-Star player for a reason, and you’ve got to give him credit for what he did.”

Rondo did end up leading Dallas in the assists column (five), but the bulk of those dimes came in the second half. He entered halftime with a very un-Rondo-like stat line: 18 points, one assist. For Celtics fans who earlier this season routinely saw Rondo’s number of helpers in a given game double or triple his point total, this was stunning, to say the least.

So too was his proficiency from beyond the arc. Rondo’s five 3-pointers represented a new career high and more than doubled his season total in a Celtics uniform. He sank just eight threes in 22 games before the trade, four of which came in one 20-point effort Nov. 22 against Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I just shot the ball when I was open,” Rondo said. “At the start of the game, a couple possessions they doubled Dirk, and I was open. Monta found me and I got the first one — a layup — so I got in an easy rhythm by getting a couple layups early, and then the three ball went up for me as well.”

The uptick in Rondo’s offensive aggressiveness has been obvious since he landed in Dallas. He’s attempted double-digit field goals in each of seven games with the Mavs — including 17 or more in three of the last four — after doing so in less than half of his pre-trade contests.

But given Rondo’s affinity for the spotlight, it’s no surprise that this was the game it all came together for him.

“He’s an amazing player,” said Avery Bradley, Rondo’s former backcourt mate. “He lives for games like this, as we all know. On the big stage, Rondo makes plays, and that’s what he did.”

Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images