Rajon Rondo: Ex-Celtic Rajon Rondo burns Boston in Game 2

The Chicago Bulls stunned the basketball world with their 106-102 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series, and they'll try to do that again on Tuesday night as they play in Game 2 in Beantown.

The top seed doesn't mean anything if you can't win at home.

Boston fell to just 14-4 in Game 2 at home following a loss in Game 1. The Bulls look like a team capable of winning the East (they get the Wizards-Hawks victor if they finish off Boston) and we'll just leave this here: the Bulls were 4-0 vs. the Cavaliers this season. He was masterful in 40:22 of playing time, logging a plus-24 and registering five steals and three blocked shots. You have a point guard who guards him but when you need a guy who's longer, who's just as fast, and all those things, it helps. "Tonight, our job was easy".

"We knew their stuff just like they knew ours, but we executed extremely well. I loved it. So I know his team did". When the Bulls clinched the eighth and final spot in the East on the final night of the season with a 39-point win over the Nets, Rondo was in full stride.

Wade and Jimmy Butler led six Bulls in double figures with 22 points apiece, while Robin Lopez had 18, Paul Zipser 16 off the bench and Nikola Mirotic 13. Stevens said that after services for Thomas' sister, the star guard intends to rejoin the team Friday for Game 3 at Chicago.

Jae Crowder matched his career playoff high with 16 points and said the Celtics were far from done.

"When I came here, in my press conference, I said it was Jimmy Butler's team", Wade said after the Bulls' Monday practice in Boston.

The big Game 2 effort followed a Game 1 in which Rondo contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Bulls answered several runs by the Celtics in the second half when they had closed to within single-digit deficits.

Bradley Beal scored 22 points and Markieff Morris had 21 points for the Wizards, who finished the regular season 49-33 and entered the play-offs as the No. 4 seed after not qualifying previous year.

His basket gave the Raptors a four-point lead with 8.9 seconds remaining.

"It's just his competitive edge", Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. If his recovery is done best on the basketball court, then we will be lucky to watch him. Isaiah to me is like family. Butler blocked Thomas' shot with 1:36 left.

That included a three-pointer by Brogdon that rattled in and out of the hoop. His goal against Thomas is to set the tone early in the matchup, while keeping a body on the diminutive guard. In that first game, Bradley only pulled in two boards but was second on the team with an average of 6.1 - he's not even 6-3. And when he did see the court again, it was as a reserve for 27 games.