In the past weeks, Boston Celtics star point guard Rajon Rondo has been the topic of some controversy for his streak of double-digit assist games. In the eyes of some, Rondo has been changing his style of play to keep the streak going. For others, that's inconsequential given that players gun for milestones all the time. No matter the opinion, it's hard to watch Rondo these days without keeping the streak in mind.
On Wednesday night, Rondo ended the streak in ignominious fashion. With fewer than 30 seconds remaining of the Celtics' home game against the Brooklyn Nets, Kris Humphries fouled Kevin Garnett on a jumper, after which Garnett sold the contact and fell back into the first row of seats (and cameramen) along the baseline. Rondo, who was near the hoop, immediately grabbed and shoved Humphries. More players got involved, including the Nets' Gerald Wallace (who ran a fair distance to jump in, via Matt Moore), the Celtics' Brandon Bass, and a late-arriving Garnett.
Rondo, Humphries, and Wallace were all ejected, and all three — plus a few more of the participants — can expect certain fines and possible suspensions in the next few days. Rondo finished with only three assists in 18 minutes, bringing his streak to an end at 37 games, which ties him at second all-time with John Stockton. Magic Johnson will continue to hold the record at 46 games. (Oh, and the Celtics lost 95-83.)
As Y!'s Marc Spears noted on Twitter, Rondo adores KG as if he were his big brother, so it's not terribly surprising that he'd stick up for his teammate. In the process, he also helped ensure that his team would lose and that a notable personal streak would end. I guess we learned that there's at least one thing Rondo considers more important than his personal stats.
(Video via The Point Forward)
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