Thomas, Rondo Have Much Different Nights In Mexico City
BOSTON (CBS) -- A pair of point guards faced off against their old teams Thursday night in Mexico City.
One of them lit up the scoreboard, while the other had to watch the conclusion in the locker room.
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas had some hot sauce on his shot in Mexico City Arena, knocking down eight of his 14 shots from the field (going 3-for-6 from downtown) for 21 points, a game-high nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in Boston's 114-97 win over the Sacramento Kings. He did most of his damage in the first half, dropping 19 of his points, as the Celtics took a 15-point lead into the locker room.
Thomas spent his first three NBA seasons with the Kings, who drafted him 60th overall in 2011. The pint-sized scoring machine quickly became a fan favorite last season when he was acquired by the Celtics from the Suns at the trade deadline, sparking Boston to a postseason run and providing them with the go-to scorer they sorely lacked.
He had plenty of help in the scoring department Thursday, as four Celtics scored 20 or more points in the victory. Boston also showed off some incredible ball movement as they notched 34 assists on 40 made baskets. That's the kind of stat sheet Brad Stevens would like to see on a nightly basis.
But the pregame chatter was all about the other point guard of the game: Former Celtic Rajon Rondo. Facing his old team for just the second time since being shipped out of town by Danny Ainge last season, Rondo had a much different evening.
There was no quadruple-double on international TV for the talented but perplexing point guard, who dropped 29 points as a Dallas Maverick in his first game against Boston. In his second go-around against the C's, Rondo was booted from the game in the third quarter after picking up a pair of technical fouls following a tense staring match and confrontation with referee Billy Kennedy.
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It's easy to see why Rondo was upset with the Kennedy, and why he didn't want to stick around for the rest of the game. His final line was five points, eight assists and four turnovers. He didn't show much effort at all on the defensive end, but neither did many of his Sacramento teammates.
There is no taking away what Rondo contributed to the Celtics during his eight-year stint in green. He was a pivotal part of Boston's title run in 2008, and carried the team in the playoffs the following season as Kevin Garnett recovered from an injury. The Celtics fell to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference semis that season, but Rondo was simply amazing during that 14-game stretch, nearly averaging a triple double with 16.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.7 rebounds. Celtics fans hoped those ridiculous numbers were a sign that greatness would follow, and for a brief time it did. But Rondo wore out his welcome in Boston, and his trade to Dallas was a much-needed jumpstart to the Celtics' rebuild.
The Celtics have since turned the keys over to Marcus Smart, with Thomas assuming the role as the team's scorer. They still need a lot of help to get back to the promised land, but it's a good start for Ainge and company.
It's a shame things didn't end well with Rondo and Boston, as he continues to show that he can be a star player on an inconsistent basis. Celtics president Wyc Grousbeck told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Felger & Massarotti on Thursday that Rondo told him he wasn't trying his final two seasons with the C's (it's worth listening to his full hour with Felger & Mazz), and that lack of effort soured what could have been a great marriage in Boston.
Thursday night, that lack of effort was front and center. While Thomas helped his team to a victory, Rondo was a spectator for the final 18 minutes of a blowout loss.
Celtics fans should be grateful for what Rondo did for most of his career in Boston, but also grateful he's now recording triple doubles (and ejections) elsewhere.