This Date in Celtics History: Larry Bird, Rajon Rondo triple-doubles and young C's on rise

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This date in Celtics history offers a couple of triple-doubles and a pair of current young C's hitting their stride in under the playoff spotlight.

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The triple-doubles belong to Larry Bird in 1982 and Rajon Rondo in 2010. Eight years after Rondo's feat, Boston's up-and-coming duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown became the first teammates 21 or younger to score 24 or more points and shoot better than 50 percent in a playoff game.

Here's a look at each, via @BostonSportsInf:  

May 9, 1982: It all looked good for Larry Legend and the C's in a 40-point blowout of the rival Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of the Eastern Conference Finals. Bird's 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists lead a 121-81 rout at the Garden. 

But then...

The Celtics would go down three games to one to Philly as they had the year before but there was no comeback this time. Two weeks after Game 1, the Sixers would win a seventh game at the Garden and the "Beat L.A." chant was born. The 76ers didn't. Magic, Kareem and the Lakers won the title in six. 

May 9, 2010: Rondo joins some exclusive company with his 29-point, 18-rebound (yes, 18 for a 6-foot-1 point guard!), 13-assist performance as Boston ties the Eastern Conference semifinal series with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at two with a 97-87 victory at the Garden.

The Celtics chase LeBron from Cleveland (the first time - remember, that was the summer of "The Decision") by winning the series in six. They also took care of the Orlando Magic in six in the East finals before falling to the Lakers in seven. 

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May 9, 2018: Behind 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting (53 percent) from Tatum and 24 on 10-for-13 (77 percent) from Brown, the C's close out the Sixers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semis with a 114-112 win at the Garden. 

The young C's go on to the East finals where they get a Game 7 lesson from old LeBron at the Garden in another farewell performance against Boston for Cleveland. 

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