Rajon Rondo and ESPN's Doris Burke Had an Awkward Encounter After the Celtics Beat the Heat

The Celtics survived Dwyane Wade’s three-point attempt at the buzzer to knot the Eastern Conference Finals at two games apiece, and then ESPN’s Doris Burke spoke with Celtic hero Rajon Rondo (15 points, 15 assists, one cheap shot at the Heat during a halftime interview, which you can see below).

Burke asked whether or not Rondo expected repercussions following his halftime comments – “Them complaining and crying to the referees in transition” – and Rondo sidestepped it, saying “what I said was true.” (He was right, of course.) Then the interview ended and Rondo mouthed something at Burke in what appeared to be an unhappy manner. He looked at her, and then she came over to clear the air. What did he say?

The best guess came on twitter last night: “you trying to get me fined?” If you watch the video again, it fits. Some players might say this with a smirk or grin, but Rondo’s a weird dude, and appeared serious. Burke tried to talk him off the ledge to diffuse the situation and it seemed to work.

The game? The refs, perhaps excited by the prospect of a large Sunday night TV crowd, felt like showing off and called far too many fouls. It ruined the game. LeBron fouled out! That never happens. (Last time: April 2008. He’d never fouled out of a playoff game.) Paul Pierce fouled out, too. The last time the two leading scorers of a playoff game fouled out? 1992.

Said LeBron about his sixth foul, which anyone with a functioning brain would deem an awful call: “That sixth foul – I wish I had earned it.”

Game five Tuesday, which may feature Chris Bosh’s return (darn, off by two games!) already has the feel of a LeBron 40-12-10 type performance. [Bottom Rondo video via @Jose3030]