Rajon Rondo‘s show down against his former team could not have gone worse for him, but it was far from an unpredictable result. The already dysfunctional Sacramento Kings didn’t just disappoint with their play, but their new point guard couldn’t even stay on the court.
Rondo was back to his old tricks by getting ejected after starring down the referee. Some may say that an ejection was an overreaction but nobody is giving Rondo the benefit of the doubt anymore and this is the kind of thing that Rondo has built a reputation on.
When Rondo was surrounded by hall of fame players and an incredible leader and motivator in Doc Rivers, they managed to harness his fiery demeanour and, for the most part, they kept him out of these kinds of situations. Nobody on the Kings is in much of a position to be guiding Rondo and this is likely not going to be his last ejection playing alongside DeMarcus Cousins.
While Rondo and the Kings certainly grabbed the headline in this one, it takes nothing away from the way the Boston Celtics played. They saw weakness in the Kings and they exploited it to the fullest. They didn’t allow any player to find a rhythm and their ball movement was as good as it has been all year long. The Celtics had 34 assists on their 40 baskets and they had one of their strongest games from three. The Celtics shot over 40% from three and Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas and Kelly Olynyk all hit at least three threes.
It’s no surprise that this was the first time the Celtics had 4 players above 20 points since the Paul Pierce days. The Celtics finally had one of those games where they combined their great defense with great offense. Consistency has always been the issue but that is two games in a row for the Celtics where their offense was phenomenal.
The biggest difference for the Celtics is their guards. Avery Bradley has been shooting lights out since he returned from an injury but now that Thomas has broken out of that slump, the offense is much more successful. Thomas still may not have the shooting percentage but he is doing everything else on the court. Thomas is back to being the best passer on the team. Thomas is actually on pace to be the first Celtics to average at least 20 points and 6 assists since Larry Bird.
Nov 27, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) shoots the ball during the first half against the Washington Wizards at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas has truly expanded his game this year and he wasn’t just an offensive force against the Kings. Thomas had 6 rebounds and four steals and was by far the team high at a +26. Bradley was then right behind him with 20 points and the Celtics guards continue to leave no doubt in the minds that traded away Rondo.
The Celtics are gaining momentum on this road trip but they have had stretches like this before. The Celtics still need to prove that they can consistently play at this level. The team is still going to be without Marcus Smart for a few weeks but they have found a way to play great basketball without him.
If the Celtics can keep up this kind of balance they will be in good shape. The Celtics are still winning because of their defense but their offense is picking up a lot of slack. The Celtics are no longer making up for troubles on the offensive end and that combination will lead to a lot of success for the Celtics.
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The Kings could not have made that game easier for the Celtics but they did exactly what they needed to. The Celtics are playing at a much higher level than when they lost to the Nets and now it all becomes about sustaining it consistently.