Jackie MacMullan submits her usual insightful article on the most important Celtic in this most interesting matchup.  In it Rondo opens up about some bumps and bruises that were slowing him down during his slump (that he has had time to recover from now).

How Rajon Rondo got his confidence back for Boston Celtics - ESPN Boston

"I don't want to make excuses, but my body wasn't right,'' Rondo said. "It wasn't responding the way it always had. My game is speed, energy, and now you get a tweak in your ankle and that slows you down. "My hands started hurting. It was almost like arthritis. Any little hit and they would just throb and throb. Then I had the plantar fasciitis, and that wouldn't go away, so you had all these nagging things that added up. I tried to play through it. Some days I did better than others.''

More links after the break.

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• Celtics vs. Heat this season - The Boston Globe
• Can the Celtics beat the Heat? - BostonHerald.com
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• The book on LeBron James vs. Boston - Heat Index Blog - ESPN
• Green Street " Danny Ainge on Big Show: Shaq can’t give us 12 minutes right now
• Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat series preview: In-depth statistical breakdown | masslive.com
• Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Veteran Experience Collides With Youthful Athleticism as Boston Squares Off With Miami
• Eastern Conference semifinal preview capsules - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
• BDL Playoff Previews: Boston Celtics and Miami Heat - Ball Don't Lie - NBA Blog - Yahoo! Sports
• How will the Heat defend Rajon Rondo? | Celtics Town | Boston Celtics blog | Celtics news
• Celtics/Heat: A Michael Scott-inspired preview