Celtics’ Rondo to Miss Rest of NBA Season With Torn Ligament

The Boston Celtics lost All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo for the rest of the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Rondo, who led the National Basketball Association with an average of 11.1 assists a game, was injured during the Celtics’ Jan. 25 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

After going through warmups prior to yesterday’s double- overtime win against the Miami Heat, Rondo was ruled out and taken for a scan, which revealed the extent of the injury. A date for surgery hasn’t been determined, the Celtics said in a news release on their website.

“I knew before the game, I didn’t tell anyone,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said at a news conference after Boston halted a six-game losing streak with yesterday’s 100-98 victory. “It was pretty emotional.”

A four-time All-Star, Rondo also averaged 13.7 points and 5.6 rebounds a game this season for the Celtics, who are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 21-23 record.

“We’ve got to rally around each other,” Celtics forward Paul Pierce told reporters. “I feel for him. He was having such a good season. It’s disappointing news.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net