Rondo’s 20 assists lead Celtics to win

Rajon Rondo made up for lost time in a big way for the Boston Celtics after missing a game because of a sprained right ankle.

Rondo had 20 assists for the second time this season and added six points to help the Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 107-89 on Saturday.

Jason Terry scored 20 points, Paul Pierce added 19 points and six rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter, and Kevin Garnett scored 15 points in 17 minutes of playing time.

The Celtics held big leads early and late, but had to survive several surges in between while winning for the fourth time in five games. Any worries Boston fans might have had about Rondo’s ankle were quickly washed away when he had seven assists in the first quarter.

Rondo appeared at full strength after sitting out a loss at Brooklyn on Thursday night. He had 11 assists at halftime, extending his streak of consecutive games with double-digit assists to 33.

“Something I look forward to every game is just trying to make my teammates happy. And somehow I keep getting to 10,” Rondo said. “Tonight it was a collective team effort as far as assists.”

The Celtics had assists on 37 of 43 field goals.

Andrea Bargnani and John Lucas led Toronto with 15 points apiece.

Grizzlies 94, Bobcats 87:

Mike Conley scored 20 points, and Memphis picked up its eighth consecutive victory. … Zach Randolph added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and three other players scored in double figures for visiting Memphis. … Byron Mullens scored 18 points for Carolina, which had won three straight.

Spurs 126, Nuggets 100:

Manu Ginobili had 20 points, and San Antonio set a season high for points. … DeJuan Blair added 19 points for the Spurs, who were 16-for-20 from three-point range. … Danilo Gallinari scored 15 for visiting Denver, which has lost three straight.

Bucks 117, Hornets 113:

Monta Ellis scored six of his 22 points in the final 2 minutes to help host Milwaukee hold off New Orleans. … Top overall draft pick Anthony Davis had a season-high 28 points and tied his season high with 11 rebounds for the Hornets.

Heat 97, Suns 88:

Chris Bosh scored 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting, ailing LeBron James added 21, and Miami closed a six-game road trip with a win. … The Heat, playing without Dwyane Wade for the second game in a row because of a left foot injury, led by as many as 15 in the third quarter.

Clippers 101, Bulls 80:

Blake Griffin scored 12 of his 26 points in the final six minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds, helping Los Angeles rout visiting Chicago. … Reserve Jamal Crawford scored 17 of his 22 points in the second quarter for the Clippers, who lead the Pacific Division.

Mavericks 103, Cavaliers 95:

O.J. Mayo scored 19 points, and Dallas used two 9-0 runs in the fourth quarter to secure the road win. … Chris Kaman scored 15 points for the Mavericks, who won on the road for the second time in six games. … Kyrie Irving, who left briefly in the third quarter with a finger injury, led Cleveland with 26 points.

Jazz 83, Wizards 76:

Al Jefferson scored 21 points, Gordon Hayward added 15 in his first game as a reserve this season, and visiting Utah kept Washington winless. … The Jazz committed 19 turnovers but pulled away in the fourth quarter while closing a fourgame road trip with a sloppy performance.