NBA-Celtics whip Kings in Mexico

Dec 3 (The Sports Xchange) - Boston guard Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points and added nine assists as the Celtics made it a miserable trip to Mexico for the Sacramento Kings with a 114-97 whipping at Mexico City Arena on Thursday. Thomas ripped apart his former team from the beginning, scoring 19 points in the opening half and 12 in the first 12 minutes as Boston ran to leads of 32-17 after one period and 51-36 at halftime. Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to add 21 points for the Celtics (11-8), who won for the fourth time in five games and made the annual NBA Global Game a dull one on the scoreboard. On the court, it was not so calm. Rajon Rondo, who played his first eight-plus seasons with Boston and is in his first campaign with the Kings, barked several times at referee Bill Kennedy in the third quarter and was ejected with 6:30 to go. He finished with only five points and eight assists in 24 minutes. In Rondo's only previous performance against his former team, he scored 29 points for the Dallas Mavericks, and made five three-pointers in a 109-91 win on Jan. 2. Rondo played 48 games for Dallas after being dealt by the Celtics last season, then signed a one-year, $10 million free-agent contract with Sacramento. Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder each scored 20 points for the Celtics, and Boston held Sacramento to a season-low scoring output in the first half. Rudy Gay scored 18 points to pace the Kings, who were without forward Omri Casspi, the team's best three-point shooter did not play because of a bout of gastroenteritis. Bradley hit back-to-back three-pointers to start the third quarter as the Celtics used a 12-2 run to go up 69-46 with 6:58 left. Rondo was ejected a short time later, and the game never was close. (Editing by Peter Rutherford)