A national television audience recently witnessed a breakout of Celtic-on-Celtic crime.
Gary Payton, out of work and attempting to fit in behind a microphone, belittled the solidly employed Rajon Rondo's role in last season's championship during an NBA Network broadcast.
Credit Payton's career with one more airball, based on what his replacement produced last night.
Rondo broke through the static with his first career triple-double - a 16-point, career-high 17-assist, 13-rebound performance - in a 114-96 win over the Indiana Pacers, which was the C's 10th straight victory. The winning streak is the longest in the league this season.
But the Celtics might also need some cold, fresh air after this one. Kevin Garnett went dizzy from attempting to keep track of the blur that was No. 9.
``It seemed like there were three Rondos out there (last night),'' Garnett said. ``I looked up and he passed the ball to Paul (Pierce), and it came off the rim and he was rebounding it. Then all of a sudden I got back on defense and he beat me back. Then (the Pacers' Danny) Granger went to drive and he was there on the strip, and we got loose and threw it up for a layup and he got the layup.
I sort of had to turn around and ask `How many? What is this boy?' He was everywhere (last night).''
Indiana, flying in off a Tuesday night win in Indianapolis over the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers, was blinded on every front by numbers, from Rondo's triple-double to double-doubles from Garnett (26 points, 14 boards) and Kendrick Perkins (16, 10) to Ray Allen's first foray over the 30-point barrier this season (31 points, 6-of-9 shooting from behind the 3-point line).
T.J. Ford, unlike Payton, actually has to guard Rondo. The Pacers point guard didn't need any help identifying the source of this overflowing production.
``Once he gets inside the paint he's very effective and very dangerous,'' Ford said. ``He's under control. He's proved to everybody that he can lead a team, so I think you've got to give him his credit.''
The game's flow was momentarily knocked out of joint when, due to an error calculating fouls for the quarter, the last four seconds of the third had to be replayed. As a result, the officials discounted a Jarrett Jack 3-pointer for Indiana and awarded two free throws to Ford, who made both.
The Pacers came back out in a hurry for the fourth quarter, with Granger hitting back-to-back treys that trimmed the C's lead to nine points, at 88-79.
Enter Pierce, finally. After shooting 2-for-12 over the first three quarters, including three airballs, the captain scored seven points in a 12-3 run that allowed the Celtics to re-establish control of the game.
But coach Doc Rivers wasn't taking any chances. Rondo was still on the floor with two minutes left, hitting a free throw to boost his points total to 16 and the lead to 111-94. The Pacers, despite 20 points from Granger, had nothing left.
``(Rondo's) making leaps and strides each and every year,'' Pierce said. ``You thought last year he was good, but he's just getting better. . . . He's learning his spots. He's learning what kind of potential he has, and it's just fun to watch him grow.''
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