Injured Rondo leads Celtics to Game 3 win

Rajon Rondo had six points and 11 assists despite playing the fourth quarter with a dislocated left elbow, and the Celtics beat the Miami Heat, 97-81, last night in Boston in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Miami leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 tomorrow night in Boston.

Kevin Garnett had 28 points and 18 rebounds, and Paul Pierce scored 27 for the defending East champions, who managed to avoid a 3-0 hole that no NBA team has ever overcome.

Dwyane Wade had 23 points and seven assists, and Joel Anthony continued to contribute off the bench, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. LeBron James scored 15, as he and Wade combined to make just 14 of 35 shots from the floor.

Rondo crashed to the court after a tangle with Wade in the third quarter and had to be helped off the floor, with his left arm immobilized by the team doctor. But he returned for the start of the fourth and -- despite playing with his left arm dangling at his side -- provided the Celtics with the spark they had missed in the first two games.

"It's definitely tight," Rondo said on the postgame broadcast, at one point referring to his elbow as broken. "It's a feeling I've never experienced before. With our trainers, I'm sure I'll be ready for the next game."

Grizzlies 101, Thunder 93: In Memphis, Zach Randolph had 21 points and a franchise-record 21 rebounds, and the Grizzlies rallied from a 16-point deficit to stun Oklahoma City in overtime and grab a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinals.

The Grizzlies are trying to do something no NBA team has done in climbing from the No. 8 seed all the way to the Western Conference finals. They moved two wins away by remaining undefeated on their home court this postseason.

-- AP