SB Nation Boston - Knicks 106, Celtics 104: Rajon Rondo, Boston Fall Short In Season Opener

Rajon Rondo's Coming Out Party? Boston Celtics Guard Blossoming Before Our Eyes

2011-12-27T12:00:05Z

Don't look now, but Rajon Rondo may be on the verge of a breakthrough. Rondo has always been considered a two-trick pony with his uncanny ability to make seemingly impossible passes and his stellar vision and play on defense. For years, it had been the third trick -- shooting the basketball -- that has held him back.

After Sunday's game, it appears as if Rondo has finally mastered all three.

Rondo finished with a team-high 31 points, 13 assists and five steals in the Boston Celtics' 106-104 loss to the New York Knicks on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. Rondo was 11-of-19 from the field and attacked the basket at will, getting to the free throw line a team-high 12 times.

"We want him to be aggressive," Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said. "The best part of the game for us I thought Rondo just attacked the basket. This Rondo we want. This is what we talked about last year. Getting to the free-throw line. Taking the shots when they're open. I thought he was the aggressor in the game. I don't know if you can do that every night. But overall that's the Rondo that we want"

Rondo had an impressive preseason on the offensive end of the ball, scoring 15 of his 17 points in the first half of Boston's preseason finale over the Toronto Raptors. In the preseason opener, Rondo had five points, eight assists and four steals.

We've seen a very limited sample size, yes. However, seeing as how this is all we have to base anything on, it is nothing but encouraging. The Knicks may not have been the NBA's best defense, but they are still a major threat and definite road block that the Celtics will need to evade if they want to win the Atlantic Division.

Can Rondo keep up this high level of play? In short, no. It's highly unlikely that Rondo will score 30 points per night -- only the NBA scoring champion usually does that, and just barely -- but it's entirely possible that the assists and steals stay at a somewhat similar level. Rondo was second in the league in assists last season (11.2 APG) -- setting a career high -- and tied a career high with 2.3 steals per game. The sky is the limit for Rondo in those categories.

Still, if Rondo can score anywhere from 15 to 20 points a night, it would be a huge boost for Boston. Pierce is still out for an undetermined amount of time (although it would seem that he'll be back shortly -- at least we hope) and Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett can't do all of the scoring, so Rondo's contributions on offense will be critical.

Boiling everything down, if Rondo can score consistently, the Celtics can remain competitive. If he can't, the Celtics are possibly in for a long, long season.

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Animated: KG Gets Frustrated After Christmas Day Loss

2011-12-25T20:15:51Z

It only took one game for Kevin Garnett to discover the intensity and physicality that he is known for. After missing a jumper at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime, Garnett let his frustration boil over as evidenced by this shove to Bill Walker's face:

Garnett delivered a strong performance in the season-opener, netting 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the 106-104 loss to the Knicks. However, the Celtics will be frustrated by their execution at the end of the game, as a Carmelo Anthony led rally helped the Knicks grab the victory. The Celtics seemed to miss Paul Pierce in the final two minutes of the game, as they attempted contested shots and struggled to get clean looks at the rim.

Be sure to visit CelticsBlog, SB Nation's Boston Celtics blog, for all the latest Celtics news. SB Nation NBA has all the latest Christmas Day coverage for fans.

Celtics Vs. Knicks Final Score: New York Fends Off Boston, 106-104

2011-12-25T20:03:24Z

NEW YORK - Carmelo Anthony hit the game-winning free throws with 16 seconds remaining and the New York Knicks held off the Boston Celtics, 106-104, in a thrilling season opener at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day.

"I thought we played well," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "I thought we were as soft as we could be in the first quarter, and the I thought we joined into the 2011-12 season. And from that point on I was pretty happy with the way we played, I thought we compete well."

Kevin Garnett, who had 15 points and eight rebounds, missed the potential game-tying two as time expired. Boston (0-1) made 39-of-76 shots from the field to shoot 51.3 percent after shooting under 40 percent in the first quarter. Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 31 points, 13 assists and five steals while Brandon Bass had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

"We want him to be aggressive," Rivers said of Rondo. "The best part of the game for us I thought Rondo just attacked the basket. This is the Rondo we want."

Said Rivers on Bass, "Kid can play. He's tough. He can finish. He can offensive rebound. He can do a lot of things."

Anthony led all scorers with 37 points on 10-of-17 shooting and also had eight rebounds for New York (1-0), which made 35-of-74 field goals to shoot 47.3 for the game. Amare Stoudemire added 21 points and six rebounds for the Knicks.

Boston fell behind 34-32 after one quarter but outscored New York, 29-28, in the second quarter to keep the deficit at ten points, 62-52, at halftime. The Celtics used a 17-6 run in the second quarter to tie the game at 69 before pulling ahead, 87-79, at the end of the third quarter. New Your outscored Boston, 27-17, in the fourth to capture the win.

Boston returns to action on Tuesday when it faces the Miami Heat in Florida.

Final - 12.25.2011	1	2	3	4	Total
Boston Celtics	23	29	35	17	104
New York Knicks	34	28	17	27	106

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Celtics Vs. Knicks Score Update: C's Take 87-79 Lead After 3rd

2011-12-25T19:16:39Z

NEW YORK - Rajon Rondo, Brandon Bass and Ray Allen carried the Boston Celtics to a huge third quarter, as the C's outscored the New York Knicks 35-17 to take an 87-79 lead after three quarters in the season opener in New York City.

Rondo has a game-high 29 points after three quarters while Bass has added 18 points and Allen has 15 points. Boston is shooting 57.1 percent after shooting less than 40 percent in the first quarter and falling behind.

Carmelo Anthony has 20 points and Amare Stoudemire added 17 points for New York, which has shot 45.2 percent through three quarters. Toney Douglas has 16 points and Iman Shumpert has 11 points off the bench.

Shumpert went down with an apparent knee injury late in the third quarter and was carried off the court. He has not returned and there has been no update on his condition.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Animated: Rajon Rondo Continues To Dazzle

2011-12-25T19:04:36Z

With all the speculation over the past couple of weeks about Rajon Rondo's future in Boston, there may have been some questions about how the Celtics PG would react early in the season. If his play in the first three quarters against the New York Knicks is any indication, Rondo may be taking his game to an even higher level this season.

Rondo has long been one of the elite defensive guards in the NBA, and with his five steals in the first three quarters, the Celtics PG is only further enhancing his reputation:

Along with his play on the defensive end of the court, Rondo has been simply sensational offensively for the Celtics. Rondo has netted a game-high 29 points on 10/17 shooting from the field and has also dished out eight assists.

Be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation NBA for all the latest updates on the Christmas day action.

Celtics Vs. Knicks Score Update: Boston Trails, 62-52, At Halftime

2011-12-25T18:24:36Z

NEW YORK - After a strong first quarter, the New York Knicks nearly equaled their production, scoring 28 points to take a 62-52 lead over the Boston Celtics heading into halftime in the NBA season opener on Christmas Day.

Rajon Rondo took over in the middle of the second quarter, finishing the period with 10 points and brining his total to 19 points. Kevin Garnett now has seven points and three rebounds and Brandon Bass scored 10 points off the bench. Sasha Pavlovic, who started in place of the injured Paul Pierce, has zero points and one rebound in 11 minutes.

Carmelo Anthony leads the Knicks with 17 points and Amare Stoudemire had 12 points and four rebounds. Toney Douglas scored 11 points and Iman Shumpert added nine points off the bench for New York.

Despite the score, Boston is outshooting New York, 51.4 percent to 48.8 percent.

Intermission	1	2	3	4	Total
Boston Celtics	23	29			52
New York Knicks	34	28			62

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Animated: Chris Wilcox Forgets He Plays For Celtics

2011-12-25T18:04:52Z

Throughout his NBA career, Chris Wilcox has played for numerous different franchises. With stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Oklahoma City, New York, Detroit and now Boston, you can hardly blame the athletic PF for forgetting who his current teammates are.

Early in the NBA Christmas Day matchup between the Celtics and Knicks, Wilcox seemed to forget that his days in New York were over, as he sent an outlet pass directly to the hands of Carmelo Anthony:

Unfortunately for the Celtics, passing to the wrong team has hardly been the biggest issue so far, as the normally stout Boston defense has found it difficult to slow down the Knicks offense. Apart from this mistake, Wilcox has actually been very productive, scoring four points and grabbing three boards in just eight minutes of action.

For all the latest news and notes from the NBA action on Christmas Day, be sure to pay a visit to SB Nation NBA.

Celtics Vs. Knicks Score Update: C's Fall Behind, 34-23, After 1st

2011-12-25T17:48:03Z

NEW YORK - Rajon Rondo was tied with a game-high nine points in the opening quarter, but the Boston Celtics were outshot badly by the New York Knicks and trail 34-23 after twelve minutes of play at Madison Square Garden.

Rondo made 2-of-5 field goals for Boston, which shot just 35.7 percent in the period. Kevin Garnett had five points and Keyon Dooling chipped in with four points off the bench for the Celtics.

Carmelo Anthony also scored nine points for New York, which shot 52.4 percent in the first quarter. Iman Shumpert scored seven points off the bench and Amare Stoudemire added five points and two boards for the Knicks.

Boston fell behind early, trailing 17-9 with just under seven minutes to play in the first. However, the C's were able to cut the Knicks' lead to three points, 19-16, with 3:50 to go. The Knicks closed out the quarter on a 15-7 run.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.