Rajon Rondo's revival puts Bulls on brink of massive playoff upset over Celtics

Playoff Rondo is here, folks.

The Chicago Bulls dismantled the Boston Celtics Tuesday night, marching their way to a 111-97 Game 2 victory. They became the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to take a 2-0 series lead over a top seed, thanks in no small part to Rajon Rondo.

Yes, Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade finished with 22 points each. Hell, even Robin Lopez tacked on an efficient 18 points of his own. But it was Rondo who led the way for Chicago from the opening tip — tallying 11 points, 14 assists, nine rebounds, and five steals in one of his finest outings of the season.

This was some vintage stuff for Rondo, who brought the lethal combination of energy, aggressiveness, and flashiness that he once used to torture opponents.

Rondo’s dominance started in the first quarter

Fighting off boos nearly every time he touched the ball, the former Celtic made his mark in the first period, pulling down rebounds, nabbing steals, and, of course, assisting:

Later, he skied up for a rebound and launched this incredible touchdown pass to Jimmy Butler:

This game was simply everything we used to love from Rondo. He was attacking the rim aggressively, ripping the ball from opponents, and doling out assist after assist, including this nifty lob to Butler:

The last time we saw Rondo in the playoffs, it was after a tumultuous season with the Dallas Mavericks that caused many to think his career was over. It’s great to see Rondo redeem himself in such extraordinary fashion — against his former team, no less.

If the Bulls want to upset the Celtics and continue to turn heads in the playoffs, they’ll need this same level of confidence and production from Rondo. If he continues to play with similar vigor, the sky’s the limit for the Bulls.