The Big Three get all the hype, but Rajon Rondo played a crucial role in that Boston Celtics team's success.
The Celtics point guard delivered some impressive playoff performances during his Boston tenure, and one of his best efforts came exactly nine years from Wednesday.
In Game 3 of the Celtics' first-round NBA playoff series with the New York Knicks on April 22, 2011, Rondo rolled into Madison Square Garden and dropped a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a game-high 20 assists.
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With that stat line, Rondo became just the second player ever to record a playoff triple-double with 20-plus assists, joining Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who did it twice.
Rondo's big night -- along with Paul Pierce's 38 points and Ray Allen's 32 -- helped the Celtics earn a 113-96 win to take a 3-0 series lead en route to a series sweep.
Here are a couple other notable April 21 performances from the C's, who are 6-5 all-time in games played on this date:
Boston Celtics
April 22, 2016: Isaiah Thomas explodes for 42 points in the Celtics' Game 3 first-round win over the Atlanta Hawks.
April 22, 1974: Dave Cowens racks up 31 points and 24 rebounds as Boston defeats the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Cowens became the second Celtic in playoff history outside Bill Russell with 30-plus points and 24-plus rebounds in a playoff game.