5 reasons the Celtics beat the Rondo-less Bulls

After dropping the first two games of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the eighth-seeded Bulls in Boston, the Celtics were on the ropes as they traveled to Chicago, where they hadn't won a game since November 2014.

Then news broke of Rajon Rondo being sidelined by a fractured thumb, which gave the basketball world the unforgettable image of Rondo in a short-sleeve suit, and provided the Celtics the hope they were desperately searching for.

Here's how Boston took advantage of the Rondo-less Bulls in Game 3 to make the East's 1-8 matchup a series again.

The Bulls don't have a reliable point guard

After playing some of his best ball in years over the series' first two games, Rondo's absence was noticeable from the tip in Game 3, as the Bulls sorely lacked his playmaking.

Rondo's impact is exacerbated by the fact the Bulls simply have no reliable options in his stead, with Fred Hoiberg forced to turn to Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams, who combined for eight points and three assists on 3-of-10 shooting.

Neither Grant nor Carter-Williams can come close to matching Rondo's offensive value from Games 1 and 2, and if Game 3 is any indication, they can't be relied upon to make a defensive contribution, either. One of the simplest adjustments Hoiberg can make in Game 4 is to start a lineup without a traditional point guard - perhaps starting Paul Zipser in place of Grant - and letting Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade shoulder most of the ball-handling duties.

Al Horford came to play

After a poor showing Tuesday, Boston's prized offseason acquisition bounced back, as Al Horford was the best player on both ends of the court in Game 3.

Horford finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a block on 8-of-14 shooting, but even those numbers don't do his performance justice, especially on the defensive end.

Exposing Robin Lopez

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Speaking of Horford, Brad Stevens' Celtics went to a high pick-and-roll involving Horford and Isaiah Thomas early and often Friday, pulling Bulls center Robin Lopez away from the basket, and forcing the slow-footed big man to cover more ground and defend in space.

Exposing Lopez kept him off the floor - and therefore away from the boards he dominated in Games 1 and 2 - as after averaging 33 (mostly dominant) minutes per game to start the series, Lopez logged only 21 minutes of action in Game 3.

Jimmy (No) Buckets

The Celtics' undersized guards can't take all the credit for Jimmy Butler's uncharacteristic shooting performance - and no, the Celtics going small with Gerald Green wasn't the culprit - but whatever the reason, Butler's off night was one of the biggest keys to Friday's result.

The All-Star swingman scored 14 points on 7-of-21 shooting, missed all four 3-pointers he attempted, didn't get to the free throw line once in 39 minutes of playing time, and finished a game-worst minus-27. No one else was worse than minus-17.

Simply put, the Bulls can't close this series out without Butler being the elite, two-way force we've become accustomed to watching. Expect a response on Sunday.

Once a Celtic, always a Celtic?

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

As a 1-seed down 2-0 on the road, the Celtics surely had enough internal motivation to get up for Friday night, but in the unlikely event they needed an extra boost, they apparently found it in one of the most passionate and animated players to ever don Celtics green.

According to Avery Bradley, Kevin Garnett left an inspirational message for the Celtics, which Thomas played for the team before Game 3.

Still needing to win three of the series' final four games - two of which will tip off in Chicago - the Celtics will need a lot more than just words of encouragement if they're to complete the comeback, though they have to be feeling a lot better about their chances than they did 24 hours ago.

It's also worth noting that Boston was able to win Game 3 despite a poor shooting night from Thomas (16 points on 18 shots), and while continuing to get abused on the boards (66.7 percent defensive rebound rate).