Rondo's triple-double sparks Celtics' drubbing of Heat

Boston, MA – Rajon Rondo notched his NBA-leading fifth triple-double of the season with 16 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics won their fifth straight game with a 91-72 thumping of the Miami Heat.

Rondo has at least 10 assists in 13 straight games, the longest active streak in the league.

Paul Pierce added 23 points and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who outscored the Heat 31-12 in the third quarter to blow the game open.

Boston has won eight consecutive home games and are 15-5 since the All-Star break. The Celtics lead the Atlantic Division by a game over Philadelphia.

LeBron James netted 23 points while Dwyane Wade provided 15 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which suffered its most lopsided defeat of the season. The Heat are 3-7 in their last 10 road contests.

James and Wade were 17-of-37 from the field while the rest of the squad was just 14-of-52. Chris Bosh tallied just four points on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor.

Already holding a seven-point advantage, the Celtics used a 13-0 run late in the third frame to cause separation. Rondo, who had eight assists in the stanza, set up Pierce for a triple and then found Greg Steimsma for a layup to cap the burst, making it 72-52.

Boston took a commanding 80-56 advantage into the final quarter and led by as many as 29 in the fourth.

Boston jumped out to a 13-4 start and led 29-19 after a quarter of play. Rondo had 10 points, four assists and four boards in the opening frame.

The Heat used a 10-0 surge to pull within 34-33 midway through the second stanza, but Boston headed into the locker room with a 49-44 advantage.

Game Notes

Ray Allen sat out his fifth straight game for Boston due to a sore right ankle...Boston shot 47.1 percent from the field and was 20-of-22 from the foul line...The Heat were 3-of-16 from beyond the arc.