BOSTON – Rajon Rondo helped the Celtics beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals 11 years ago.
He returned to TD Garden and helped the Lakers beat the Celtics Thursday night.
Rondo hit a game-winning shot as time expired to propel Los Angeles to a 129-128 victory. The shot came after Al Horford blocked a Brandon Ingram shot attempt with just seconds to play, but the ball deflected to Rondo, who buried the shot for the win.
Rondo had 17 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in the win.
Lebron James had 28 points, 12 assists, and 12 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma added 25 points for the Lakers.
The Celtics had six players in double figures, including Kyrie Irving with 24 points, Jayson Tatum with 22 points, and Daniel Theis with 20 points.
The Celtics led at halftime, but struggled mightily in the third quarter when they were outscored by the Lakers 42-27.
The Celtics host the Clippers Saturday night.