Associated Press
BOSTON ó The world’s fastest man stopped by the new Boston Garden to see the NBA’s best team streak to its 17th consecutive victory.
Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt watched from courtside Friday night as the Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 126-108 and improved their record to 25-2.
Speedy point guard Rajon Rondo dished out 15 of Boston’s 40 assists as the Celtics jumped to an 11-point lead in the first five minutes and nursed it while the starters sat out the fourth quarter.
“The conversation in the locker room was who would win a race, Bolt or Rondo,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s Bolt. Not even close. But Rondo, he was up for the challenge. … If you put dribbling in, I think we’ve got a shot at it.”
One game after 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps visited the Celtics’ locker room and met the defending NBA champs, Bolt also stopped by.
“I told him I might see him in 2012,” Rondo said.
Ray Allen scored 27 points and Kendrick Perkins scored a career-high 25 on 12-for-15 shooting for the Celtics, who could tie the longest winning streak in franchise history with a win on Sunday night against the New York Knicks. The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers won an NBA-record 33 in a row.
Despite resting the starters ó Allen was the only one to appear in the fourth quarter ó Boston’s 126 points was its most since scoring 131 in the NBA finals clincher against the Lakers. Kevin Garnett scored 17 points and Paul Pierce had 16.