Boston Celtics: What the 91-72 Win over Miami Means for the Celtics

Rajon Rondo was his usual, spectacular self on national television, recording 16 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds—good for his fifth triple-double of the season—in a 91-72 drubbing of the Miami Heat by the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon.

Rondo now has 18 triple-doubles in his career, and of those 18, 14 of them have come in nationally televised games. Obviously, the kid enjoys the big stage.

So do the Celtics.

Boston came into Sunday's game knowing it could make a statement, and it did. A big one. Playing without Ray Allen (who was sitting due to a sore ankle), not to mention Mickael Pietrus (who may now be out until at least the playoffs with a concussion), the C's absolutely demolished the Heat in every facet of the game, holding them to a season low in points and field-goal percentage and handing them their worst loss of the 2011-12 campaign.

Something needs to be said about the resolve of this Celtic team, as they have dealt with more injuries than any other ballclub in the league this season.

It all started when it was announced that Jeff Green would need heart surgery and would miss the entire year. Then, Paul Pierce and Rondo missed time. Jermaine O'Neal had season-ending surgery on his wrist. Chris Wilcox was then diagnosed with the same aortic condition that Green had, and he too would be forced to undergo heart surgery.

Then, in last week's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, Pietrus took an awkward fall and his neck snapped back, resulting in a concussion.

It's like the saying goes: when it rains, it pours, and Boston has been enduring a monsoon. Still, the C's have been fighting admirably.

Since the All-Star break, the Celtics have posted a record of 15-5 and have climbed into first place in the Atlantic Division. Perhaps after their thorough domination of the prohibitive Eastern Conference favorites on Sunday, people should start taking this team more seriously.

Honestly, one could argue that Allen's bum ankle has been a blessing in disguise, as it has allowed second-year player Avery Bradley to shine. He has been tremendous in filling in for the NBA's premier three-point shooter, playing stellar defense while shooting the ball very well from the floor. The highlight of his stretch came in the win over Miami, though, when Bradley blocked Dwyane Wade at the rim and sent him tumbling to the floor. It was at that moment that the Celtics let the Heat know that they meant business.

Does Boston have enough to legitimately contend for a championship this year?

Given all of the injuries that have occurred, it's tough to say. Yes, players such as Bradley and reserve center Greg Stiemsma have significantly elevated their games in the absence of some of their teammates, but you need depth in the playoffs, and if Pietrus can't get right in time, there may be some issues.

This makes it all the more important for the C's to win the division, as it would get them the fourth seed instead of a date with Miami in the first round. Right now, the Indiana Pacers are in the five-spot, and while they are a formidable opponent, I believe Boston should be able to beat them without the services of Pietrus. That should give Pietrus enough time to get healthy for a potential second-round matchup with the Chicago Bulls, and I believe that the Celtics would have a shot.

Plain and simply, Boston is playing its best ball of the season right now. By far. The continuity on offense has been terrific, and the defense, to no one's surprise, has been absolutely suffocating.

Also, ever since he was moved to the center position, Kevin Garnett has been masterful, and a frontcourt of Garnett and Brandon Bass (why in the world the Orlando Magic traded him for Glen Davis, I'll never know) works wonders in the pick-and-roll given the fact that both big men are great jump shooters.

No, I haven't forgotten about Rondo. What he has been doing lately is beyond reason. With the 14 dimes he dished out in the 19-point blowout of Miami, Rondo now has a streak of 13 straight games with 10 or more assists. Also, he has done that in 18 of his last 20 games overall. Unbelievable. It's not like he's barely making it by merely recording 10 assists, either. In this 13-game stretch, only twice has he tallied only 10 dimes, and that was in the first two games of the streak.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Celtics during this final month of the season. They still have to play the Heat twice more, and their next three games are at home against the San Antonio Spurs and on the road against Chicago and Indiana. They also have contests remaining against Philadelphia, the Atlanta Hawks (twice), the New York Knicks and Orlando.

That is definitely not too appealing, but being that Boston is a veteran group that knows what is at stake, something tells me that it will be up to the challenge.

Sunday's win verified that, contrary to popular belief, the Celtics are not done. This is a team that can certainly do something in the postseason. It's just a shame that they will never be 100 percent healthy, because then we could possibly be talking about them as a title favorite.