There’s really nothing I can say about Rajon Rondo’s effort that would do him justice. Rondo played 53 minutes, scored 44 points (16-24 FG’s), dished out 10 assists and grabbed eight rebounds. Just to add to the degree of difficult, he also guarded Dwayne Wade for a good portion of the second half and matched up with LeBron James on the final play of regulation.

The competitive nature of these Big Three Era Boston Celtics needs to be shouted from the top of a mountain  somewhere, but I don’t have a mountain, I have a blog. These guys simply never give in, never back down. The Celtics are clearly overmatched athletically, but they refuse to surrender. Say what you will about Garnett/Pierce/Allen/Rondo, but you can never question their desire.

I’ve got to give credit to the Miami Heat, as well. They took Boston’s best shots and kept coming forward with a never-ending onslaught of Wade and James. If this is the way the Big Three ends, and I think it is ( though I’ve learned not count out these guys), then Celtics fans have nothing to complain about.

Just compare how the Los Angeles Lakers championship Era came to a close these past two seasons to that of the Boston Celtics. The difference?

Celtic Pride.

Rajon Rondo’s sprained right wrist has kept him out of two straight games, subjecting Boston fans to Chinese water torture a combined 74 minutes of Avery Bradley playing point guard during the past two games. Fear not for the long term, though. Rondo hopes to play tonight against the Orlando Magic, and Doc Rivers says there are no long-term doubts that Rondo will return to good health. (Boston Herald)

Rajon Rondo missed his second straight game with a sprained right wrist suffered when he braced himself in a fall from a flagrant foul by Toronto’s Linas Kleiza last Wednesday. He hopes to play tonight against the Orlando Magic at the Garden.

“It’s really on me,” Rondo said. “Whenever I feel I can be productive, then I can come back.

“The important thing for me is when I can get the ground. Right now I don’t think I can do that without hurting it a lot worse. And with the way I play, I definitely hit the ground a lot. So when I’m good with that, I’ll be back.”

There is no definitive timetable for a return by Rondo.

“He could (miss more time), but I’m not concerned long term or anything,” Rivers said. “He’s close, but we’ve just got to get it right.”

Needless to say, the Celtics could use the do-everything guard who has easily been their best player this season.

It probably should not come as a surprise that Rajon Rondo — who either got cut from or left the USA men’s basketball team that participated in the 2010 World Championships after receiving a DNP under weird circumstances — failed to make the preliminary roster for the team that will compete in the 2012 London Olympics.

But Rondo and all his Celtics teammates were reportedly left off the list. (Sheridan Hoops)

Here it is, alphabetically, from my impeccable international basketball sources:

LaMarcus Aldridge

Carmelo Anthony

Chauncey Billups

Chris Bosh

Kobe Bryant

Tyson Chandler

Kevin Durant

Eric Gordon

Blake Griffin

Dwight Howard

Andre Iguodala

LeBron James

Kevin Love

Lamar Odom

Chris Paul

Derrick Rose

Dwyane Wade

Russell Westbrook

Deron Williams

Again, this isn’t a surprise. Rondo has never made Team USA a priority, and whatever happened prior to the 2010 World Championships — whether he was cut or simply withdrew — pointed to a relationship with the USA basketball program that simply wasn’t working.

Considering the wealth of point guards Team USA has preserved (Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and Deron Williams, all trying out for the same team), Rondo probably would have been a long shot to make the team even if he had been issued an invitation to try out.

I’m just surprised Team USA didn’t invite Greg Stiemsma.

Artistry.

(h/t @MrTrpleDouble10 and Red’s Army)

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe:

“Up and down, he’s getting beat up,’’ Rivers said when asked about Johnson’s progress in practice. “He’s excited when he actually gets the [scrimmage] refs to come on the floor, I’ll tell you that. But he did a couple of good things today. He’s starting to learn who he is. He knows he’s a jump shooter and he’s starting to become comfortable enough to take that shot.’’

“Today was the first day when he picked-and-popped, he caught it and shot it,’’ Rivers said. “The other two days he tried to make another play and got bumped off the spot, so I think he’s starting to simplify his game.’’

When asked if he expected Johnson to generate an interior game, Rivers said, “Nah. I mean, he’ll dunk because he’s athletic as heck, so we’re going to run stuff to get him rolling to the basket and throw it up in the air and he’ll go get it. But as far as post presence? Not really, but that’s fine. We don’t need that. We’ll try to get that somewhere else.’’ Read more »