WALTHAM – Rajon Rondo ran down the tunnel toward his teammates. The first person he was saw Kevin Garnett. He gave him a hug and said, “Thank you,” and that he appreciated everything they had done for him.

Garnett and the rest of the Celtics bailed Rondo out of a mess of his own creation in Game 2 of their playoff series with the Hawks when they rallied from an 11-point third quarter deficit and evened the series at a game apiece. Suspended because of a chest bump he gave referee Marc Davis at the end of Game 1, the Celtics could have very easily been preparing for Game 3 with a 2-0 deficit and you can be sure the blame would have begun and ended with the point guard.

“The end result was all that matters,” Rondo said. “If it would have been a different result, it would have been very difficult. Since we won, I felt like we won the series already.”

What Rondo says to his team and what he says to the press are two completely different things. With them, he was appreciative. With the members of the fourth estate, he was combative at practice on Thursday, although not in a Bobby Bonilla, “I’ll show you the Bronx,” kind of way.

Question: Do you feel like you let your teammates down?

Rondo: No. Do you feel like I let them down?

Question: Do you have anything to prove?

Rondo: I don’t have anything to prove. Why would I have anything to prove? I just want to win. That’s it. 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.

There was no raised voice, not even a glower from the notoriously stone-faced cipher of a point guard. His refusal to back down is part of what makes him great, and also what gets him in trouble on occasion.

Few players want to win as badly as Rondo – part of the reason why another psychotically competitive rival like Kobe Bryant has expressed his admiration. Rondo’s embers burn deep and often he keeps them hidden from view. When his internal furnace overheats, he goes straight to meltdown mode.

“Just try not to let my emotions get the best of me,” Rondo said. “I’m an emotional player. I try to keep my composure and my emotions to myself and quiet. It was a heat of the battle moment. I wanted to win. People make mistakes. I’m not on trial.”

Oh, but he is and he’s smart enough to know that in the court of public opinion, nothing short of a win and a bravura Rondo performance in Game 3 will take away the stigma of a playoff suspension that – trip or no trip – could have been avoided. Still, Rondo wouldn’t give the press the satisfaction.

“It’s just a game we play,” he said. “I’m going to play the same way I play every night. 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.”

Regardless of what Rondo says for public consumption, coach Doc Rivers noted his demeanor after Game 2 and felt like he saw growth.

“He was very happy, thanking guys as we we’re getting on the bus. That’s great. I don’t know if he would have done that two years ago,” Rivers said. “He would have been thankful, but he would have been in the back of the bus with his head down, you know, down on himself. I’m sure he still was but he showed emotion toward the other guys. I get the luxury of watching him grow up in front of us. That’s a step forward.”

When it was suggested that Rondo is difficult to read, Rivers responded, “Yeah, [for] me too. I always think his intentions are right. That doesn’t mean he always does the right things all the time. I’d rather have a guy have good intentions than guys who are just thinking about themselves purely. When that happens you view it as a selfish act, but I don’t think he did it selfishly. It just turned into a selfish act.”

Selfish, as in putting yourself before the common goal. There’s no other way to paint his bump and subsequent suspension. In the heat of the battle, as Rondo termed it, he lost his edge and let that ugly side of his persona take over. There are consequences for those actions, and he would do well to understand that he is on notice with the league and, especially with the officials.

In a weirdly refreshing way, however, Rondo is as real as it gets. He may not be forthcoming with his answers or even with his emotions, but he is what he is, take it or leave it. If there’s one thing we know about him, it’s that he sees the world of basketball as a bottom-line business.

“We still got the win,” Rondo said. “I’m important to this team. Everybody’s important to this team in one way or another. Obviously I’m the starting point guard for this team. That’s why guys get paid. It’s a 15-guy roster. Guys stepped up. They played well. Regardless of how they got the win, we got the win.”

For Rondo, his task is clear: Win the game, win the series and do what he does best. That’s the best way he can thank his teammates.