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Rajon Rondo triples up on the Bobcats as Celtics win sixth straight 01.14.13 at 9:58 pm ET
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Rajon Rondo blew by the Bobcats for his third triple-double of the season. (AP)

Rajon Rondo recorded his 26th career triple double and sparked a second-half rally as the Celtics shook free of the lowly Bobcats, 100-89, for their sixth straight win Monday night at TD Garden. Rondo completed the triple double with a rebound with four minutes left in the game and finished with 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Paul Pierce led the Celtics in scoring with 19 points while Avery Bradley had 16 points, including 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. Jeff Green added 11 points off the bench for the Celtics, who improved to 20-17 on the season. Charlotte lost for the 23rd time in 25 games and fell to 9-28.

The Celtics appeared to be in line for an easy night when they jumped out to a 11-2 lead in the opening three minutes. Rondo was red-hot early, scoring seven points, dishing out four assists and grabbing four rebounds in the first five minutes. The Celtics built their first quarter lead up to as many as 13 points, 28-15, before settling for a 28-18 lead after one. The Celtics shot 63.2 percent in the first 12 minutes while the Bobcats were ice-cold at 7-for-25 (28 percent). Rondo finished the quarter with nine points, six rebounds and five assists, all team highs.

The Celtics built their lead to 18, 50-32, on a Pierce three-point play with 4:31 left in the second quarter. The Bobcats made a bit of a run at the end of the first half, closing on a 13-6 spurt, as the Celtics took a 56-45 halftime lead.

The tables were turned in the second half as the Celtics came out ice cold and were outscored by the Bobcats, 9-0, to open the third quarter. Rondo’s jumper stopped the run but Charlotte eventually tied the game, 58-58. The Celtics then scored the next seven points to take the lead for good. Boston led 76-70 after three.

The Bobcats were within four, 78-74, when Jared Sullinger and Rondo made back-to-back baskets to start a 9-0 run and open a 13-point lead. The run was capped by a Courtney Lee 3-pointer.

The Celtics are now 3-0 on their season-long five-game homestand, which continues Wednesday with a game against New Orleans and finishes up on Friday against the Bulls. For more, visit the Celtics team page at weei.com/celtics.

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  • mkword

    Adam is right.

    The rest of you are Pink Hats.

    Beckett had a terrible outing in his first game.  No doubt.

    But then he pitched an 8 inning, 5-hit, 1-run game against the Rays.

    Then he pitched a quality start against the best hitting team in the majors, Texas … 7 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits and 7 Ks.  Basically, he made one mistake in that game.

    His last game was also a quality start with 5 hits and 2 runs with 5 Ks in 6 innings.

    As long as Beckett keeps pitching like he has in the last three games and avoids performances like his first game … he’s an excellent starting pitcher for Boston.

    You guys have to remember, that problem with the Sox is the bullpen. 

    Had they a decent pitcher or two in the pen, their record would be a lot better.

  • Sicko

    What the heck is going on with the posting of comments? This new posting format is really strange.

    Great all around game say for the letting a couple of big leads slip away. Defense has really stepped up.

    • http://www.facebook.com/derek.lee.82 Derek Lee

      I don’t like it either. First time i’ve been able to post a comment in a week.
      C’s have stepped it up, and become real aggressive on the boards. Showing continued improvement with the team defense amped up, lookout for the C’s!

  • Guest2432

    Still need a big man. I hope they face a contender soon, so we can see how they match up or if it is better to pursue a trade for Cousins. Like if we got blown out by the Heat, there is no reason to keep the team together if they cant beat their main nemesis. 

  • mkword

    Ks are not that important.  It’s more a matter of getting outs and avoiding hits and walks.

    Most pitchers as they age evolve from simply throwing heat to being more finesse pitchers.

    Location matters far more than velocity.  There are plenty of hitters who can mash a 96mph fastball if it’s in the middle of the plate.

  • mkword

    It’s not uncommon for a team to jump on a pitcher before he has a chance to settle down – or for a pitcher to have a rough first inning because they are not dialed in yet.

    Look at the stats for the rest of the game.  Beckett settled down nicely after that 1st inning.

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