One free throw would have given the Celtics an advantage. Two likely would have ensured overtime.

But Rajon Rondo missed both.

That set the stage for a dramatic finish in Los Angeles. With just 1.5 seconds left on the clock, after Rondo’s two misses, Baron Davis drained a catch-and-shoot, buzzer-beating jumper — over Rondo, no less — to stun the Celtics and allow the Clippers to take a 92-90 victory in Los Angeles. (Recap.)

But what was more stunning for coach Doc Rivers was not the missed free throws or the game-winner. Rather, it was his team's performance — or lack thereof — down the stretch in a contest that had been winnable for the Celtics.

Here are three things we learned from the loss to the Clippers:

THE CELTICS HAD MORE TO WORRY ABOUT THAN FREE THROWS

Doc Rivers was not going to point fingers at Rajon Rondo. Those missed free throws were just a blip in a series of missed opportunities by the Celtics.

“The free throw didn't bother me, honestly,” he told the media. “Obviously I would have loved for Rondo to make the free throws, but I thought for a veteran team we played with absolutely zero composure.”

There were several instances to back Rivers' point.

The Celtics had a 10-point lead with three minutes to go in the third quarter. But they let Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman get the Clippers back into the game with an 8-0 run. The lead was cut to four by the end of the quarter.

In the fourth, Eddie House was called for a technical and he and Kendrick Perkins were whistled for back-to-back fouls. That's two points on Clippers free throws right there.

But the biggest error came on defense with seconds left in the game. The Celtics rushed to defend Baron Davis as he drove to the basket, leaving Rasual Butler open on the arc. The Celtics may not have seen Butler, but Davis did. He kicked the ball out for the 3-pointer that evened up things at 90.

“We just didn't play like a veteran basketball team tonight, and I thought it was more composure than anything else,” Rivers said. “Give the Clippers credit. I though they played extremely hard and actually deserved to win the game. But we are better than that down the stretch. That's all I told the guys, is we're a better team than that with composure down the stretch.”

This loss was just the second on the road this season for the Celtics. They entered the game 13-1 away from the Garden. But like those missed free throws, that stat is not what mattered most to Rivers.

“For me, it's not about the wins and the losses,” he said. “It never is right now with us. It's about composure for later, execution down the stretch, and we didn't execute at all on either end. We were just bad.”

RONDO CAN'T GET PSYCHED OUT

Rondo already has faced one obstacle in his short career — jump shooting. Teams have left him wide open, daring him to take the shot. He finally has developed the confidence after countless hours of practice to pull up without hesitation.

Now there is another potential roadblock.

After Rondo failed to connect on what would have been go-ahead free throws, there are two ways he can respond. He either can let the misses get into his head, or he can play past them.

After the game, it seemed as if Rondo was poised to move on. He didn’t feel that emotions influenced the shots, and said that they were simply long.

“I wasn't antsy or nervous,” he calmly told the media. “Adrenaline? No. I was breathing, taking my time, did my routine. I just missed them.”

The reality is, these missed shots don't say too much about whether or not Rondo is a clutch player because he is not a great free throw shooter to begin with. Rondo had only made 37 free throws heading into the game and was shooting 53.6 percent on the season. That's just three more free throws made than Rasheed Wallace, who had taken 27 fewer attempts than Rondo.

His inability to make free throws represents a vulnerability in his game that opponents will continue to attack until Rondo makes them pay for doing so. If Rondo can show the same ability to address his weakness from the stripe that he did with his jumper, then he will be able to give other teams pause before fouling him in pivotal moments. For now, however, as the rest of his game blossoms, Rondo's poor shooting from the foul line represents a potentially significant development that will be monitored by the Celtics and other teams.

TONY ALLEN CONTINUES TO MAKE HIS PRESENCE FELT

Immediately following Tony Allen's return from ankle surgery, the question was, “Is he really back?”

Game after game Allen began to show more signs of the old slasher who thrived on fastbreak dunks and explosive plays. Allen was providing a boost off the bench and his confidence was rising as well.

But once he made his mark on the Celtics, that raised a new question: “Is he really here to stay?”

In just a month since his return, all signs are pointing to yes.

His performance against the Clippers showed the side of Allen that the Celtics have been waiting years to see. Sure, there were fast breaks. Of course, he was talkative on the court. But on Sunday night Allen was the player the C’s needed him to be — a defensive presence.

Allen paired his 10 points (4-of-10 FG) with a team-high 10 rebounds, four more than Kendrick Perkins and two more than Kevin Garnett. Allen also added four steals, one shy of the Clippers' team total.

There is no denying that Allen needs consistent minutes to put up these numbers. He always has attested that given the playing time, he can thrive. Even though he will not always get 40 minutes on the Celtics, he will get playing time while Paul Pierce is out.

So while it is unfair to expect a double-double from Allen every game, he is, at least for now, showing an ability to live up to expectations as a defensive presence and solid contributor.