LAKERS WIN ROLLER COASTER BATTLE
Los Angeles’ Rondo grabs buzzer-beater victory against Celtics
RAJON Rondo returned to haunt the Boston Celtics with a gamewinning buzzer-beater as the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from a thrashing to score a dramatic 129-128 victory on Thursday.
A roller coaster battle at the TD Garden Arena was settled in the final seconds when Rondo’s fadeaway jump shot dropped into the hoop to silence a raucous Boston crowd.
It was a bittersweet moment for Rondo, who launched his career with the Celtics and spent eight seasons in Boston before leaving in 2014.
The 32-year-old, a key member of Boston’s 2008 NBA Championship-winning team, finished with 17 points.
“I couldn’t picture it being this sweet coming back, where it all started, our team struggling right now,” Rondo said. “Hopefully this will give us confidence.”
The win came just two days after the Lakers and LeBron James suffered a humiliating 42-point defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Another ominous occasion looked on the cards on Thursday as the Celtics surged into a 53-35 lead midway through the second quarter.
But that 18-point deficit proved to be a catalyst for the Lakers, who seized control of the contest with an explosive burst of scoring that included a 42-point third period.
The Celtics rallied in the final quarter however and looked to have snatched a win when Kyrie Irving’s banked one in to make 128127 with 11 seconds left. But Rondo’s late jumper sealed a moraleboosting win for the Lakers.
“We’ve been through a lot,” Rondo said. “We’ve stuck together. Coach has done a tremendous job with us. I think it shows we’re resilient. We’re a group of guys who are hungry, just looking forward to each day.”
While Rondo’s scored the winning points, the Lakers were hauled into contention with a towering performance from James, who led the scoring with 28 points and added 12 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple double.
Elsewhere Thursday, Pascal Siakam piled on 33 points, 14 rebounds and four assists to lead Toronto to a comfortable 119-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
In Oklahoma City, triple-double king Russell Westbrook delivered to give the Thunder a 117-95 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
OKC’s 35th win of the season saw them tighten their grip on third place in the Western Conference table, behind the Golden State Warriors (38-15) and Denver Nuggets (37-17).
The Indiana Pacers meanwhile remain firmly in pursuit in the Eastern Conference after a 116-92 defeat of the Los Angeles Clippers in Indianapolis.
The Pacers are now third in the East at 36-19, trailing leaders Milwaukee and second-placed Toronto.