JARED_SULLINGER_RAPTORS_3.jpg

Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) loses the ball trying to drive against Boston Celtics center Jared Sullinger, center, as he is fouled from behind by Celtics guard Chris Babb (52) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Wednesday, March 26, 2014.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

BOSTON – Despite directing praise at his teammate, Rajon Rondo mostly avoided discussing Jared Sullinger’s long-range barrage.

“Threes come and go,” said the point guard, who went on to joke that Sullinger only made a career-high four 3-pointers because of a new haircut.

But really, Rondo did not want to focus on the triples. He instead pushed the conversation to one of Sullinger’s more subtle abilities, outlet passing, and described how box scores don’t explain everything the big man provides.

“When we got back in it, I think it was the second quarter,” Rondo said after a 99-90 loss to Toronto, during which Sullinger had 26 points, including 19 to lead a fourth-quarter charge. “Whenever he came in, we made a run. And it wasn’t because he made threes. It was because he got the ball out off the rim pretty quickly, up the court, and we were able to turn it into transition buckets.”

Sullinger’s night actually started slowly. He allowed Jonas Valanciunas to score easy buckets on consecutive touches and hit just three of his first 11 field goal attempts. During the second quarter, while Sullinger’s mini-slump continued, his father tweeted a parable about wolves and the family way. I can only imagine Satch Sullinger wanted his son to stop missing interior shots and start howling at the moon.

In Training Day, Denzel Washington's character says, "To protect the sheep you have to catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf." I'm not sure that quote's particularly relevant here, but Training Day is one of my favorite movies and Sullinger spent his fourth quarter trying to protect the sheep. He hit five of his six shots, all three of his 3-pointers (within a two-minute span), and almost brought the Celtics back from 15 down.

After the game, Sullinger barked about not listening to his detractors. He knows what people say about his 25.6 percent 3-point shooting (“they tweet all the time and think I can’t see it,” he said), but still feels the confidence to keep firing away.

“I believe in myself,” he said. “I really don't care what the naysayers say, specifically some of y’all out here right now (the media). I could care less. I’m just trying to expand my game. And if I’m open, I’m going to shoot it.”

Added Stevens, “Maybe this is why I’m not as much of an analytics guy as everybody portrays me to be. I still believe in him shooting. I’ve seen him shoot. I believe in his form and how much he shoots. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t find other options and alternatives when he’s not making them. But 4-for-6 (Sullinger’s shooting line) gave us a chance.”

Are Sullinger's deep balls normally good shots? Just about a quarter of the time, they go in every time. So, no. For now, as Rondo said, threes come and go.

But the team remains committed to Sullinger's outside development, a worthy mindset that could pay dividends in the future.

It paid dividends Wednesday night, too. With Sullinger hot enough for my roommate to compare him to Ray Allen (true story), the Celtics pulled within three.

They got no closer, though. Kyle Lowry intervened with the crowd’s enjoyment, sinking a triple that Boston head coach Brad Stevens later called “the biggest shot of the night.” It put the Celtics behind by six with 1:38 left, and they failed to score again. Though Sullinger’s threes brought Boston back, they could not lead to a victory.

Anyway, it’s everything else that usually makes him productive.

“I like playing on the court with Sully. I told Brad I want to play with Sully as much as possible,” said Rondo.

The point guard made sure to mention he did not mean his words as a knock to Boston’s other big men. He just likes playing alongside Sullinger, a 22-year-old who tends to contribute even when his shots don’t fall.

And when they do...