Rajon Rondo had 16 assists, 15 points and nine rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic, 116-110, Sunday from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.
After taking a commanding 10-point lead in the first half, the Magic weren't content with allowing the game to slip away.
Orlando used a full team effort in the third, chipping away the lead to take a two-point lead heading into the fourth. After scoring just three points in the first half, Jameer Nelson scored 12 points in the third quarter to swing the game back to Orlando. Boston looked sluggish and complacent holding the double-digit lead early as Orlando displayed their full arsenal of perimeter shooting, connecting on 77 percent of their attempts and holding a 34-22 advantage in the frame.
Boston would watch the Magic lead grow to seven, but would never lose their composure, killing a 15-2 run and making it a four-point game. The Magic lived and died by the three, and toward the end of the fourth it was the later. The Celtics would take a 98-97 lead with 3:15 left in the game as Boston locked down on the defensive end and got out in transition. It would be a back-and-forth affair with Boston and Orlando trading runs from that point on.
The score was tied at 102-102 with 19 seconds remaining when Paul Pierce missed the game-winning elbow jumper, sending Boston and Orlando into overtime.
The Celtics would use a 9-2 run to take a 113-108 lead in overtime with 1:37 left in the extra five-minute period. Kevin Garnett would ice the game with a free throw to make it a four-point game with 13.7 second remaining.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce led the Celtics in scoring, notching 24 and 23, respectively. Orlando had double digits across the board, with J.J. Redick scoring 21 points and Nelson knocking down eight shots for 20 points.
Boston's bench had yet another huge game, with Leandro Barbosa and Jared Sullinger combining for 26 points.
The Celtics notched a season-high 17 offensive rebounds in the win, with Sullinger grabbing six of them.
Rondo's 16 assists tied him for second all-time with John Stockton with 37-consecutive games of 10 or more assists.
Boston will travel back to the TD Garden Wednesday, when they meet up with the Brooklyn Nets from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
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