Rondo: 'I don't have anything to prove'

WALTHAM -- Rajon Rondo doesn't do contrite and he doesn't do apologetic, either. In the wake of his one-game suspension for bumping an official that caused him to miss Game 2 of the Celtics' playoff series with the Hawks, Rondo said on Thursday that he doesn't have nothing to prove on Friday when the series resumes in Boston.

"Why would I have anything to prove? I just want to win. That’s it," Rondo said. "I’m confused why you guys would think I have anything to prove. It’s a game I’ve been playing my entire life. The world knows what I can do. I’m just going to out do and play and do what I do best and be the best point guard in the NBA."

Asked if he felt like he let his team down, Rondo said, "No. Do you feel like I let them down?"

Without Rondo, the Celtics rallied from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to win 87-80 and even the series at a game apiece. Rondo did say that he ran down the tunnel after the game and thanked Kevin Garnett.

"I told him thank you, I appreciate everything you guys have done for me," Rondo said. "Obviously, they won it for themselves, but they told me, we got this for you. It felt good. It felt like I was a part of it. It changed the series."

Rondo said he wouldn't approach Game 3 any differently.

"It’s just a game we play. I’m going to play the same way I play every night," he said. "In hockey a guy is celebrated when he does something crazy, but obviously this is a different sport. That’s part of it. You learn from your mistakes. It’s not the end of the world. I only got suspended one game. The great thing about it is the series is 1-1 and we’re in Boston."

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