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

Apr 2, 2012 - 12:25 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - 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.

"This team continues to find ways to win through adversity. It's a big win for us," Pierce said of his shorthanded Celtics, who were without Ray Allen for a sixth straight game due to a sore right ankle.

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.

"This game was unacceptable," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We will fix it together, collectively. We're not happy about it, we have not been able to come up with an answer on the road, particularly in the third quarter. We fell prey to that again tonight. We will figure it out, somehow, somehow, this group together; us in that locker room, we will figure it out."

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

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...Miami is 16-12 on the road compared to a 21-2 home mark...Brandon Bass added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.