Rondo’s numbers are huge enough to help the Bulls in the coming game.
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Al Horford added 11 points of his own to round out the top 3 scorers for the game.
NEED TO KNOW: Atlanta needs to maintain the home teams’ ideal record in the series to force a decisive contest Sunday at Washington. What was a one-point deficit when he entered the game with nine and a half to go in the fourth slowly expanded into the eventual margin of defeat.
Rondo ditched a hard cast Monday that was on to protect the wrist, but his on-court workouts have primarily been with him utilizing his left hand as the pain persists in his right hand. Along with Bradley, Thomas led the team in scoring with 24 points and was a major part of the C’s pulling away in the fourth quarter, which included a 20-5 Celtics run.
Wade produced a solid stat line of 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, but it was his atrocious effort on defense that caught everyone’s attention. Neither team could claim more than a 8 point lead during the first or second quarters. Jimmy Butler is averaging 22.6 points and 7.4 rebounds while Dwyane Wade is averaging 17.6 points and 4.2 assists. The 6-foot-2 Bradley will have a similar game plan on Friday as the Celtics try and close out the series with a win and move on to Conference semifinals for the first time since 2012.
Wade has had to play through his share of injuries during his career, and although he wouldn’t divulge whatever Butler was going through, it seemed as if they had a conversation about managing his body.
“The guys were unbelievable in the fourth quarter”, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. Kelly Olynyk is stepping up, Terry Rozier is giving them a boost. The team was also plus-14 points with him on the court, the best plus/minus of any Celtics’ player.
The Celtics looked dead in the water in their first-round National Basketball Association playoff series against the Chicago Bulls until Rajon Rondo went out with a fractured thumb after Game 2.
At least 10 times in this game I looked up and said “Wait, how are the Bulls leading?”
According to coach Fred Hoiberg, Rondo’s right thumb fracture was still an issue, and Rondo even making it back for the rest of this series remained in doubt. He needs to play like it if Chicago is to have a shot.
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The host has won every game in this series so far. A media member hits him with a question about whether or not IT carried the ball in Game 5. Teams going home and hopefully holding serve and forcing this to a Game 7, where anything can happen.
