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BOSTON -- There was a moment toward the end of the third quarter -- the frame in which Rajon Rondo put his assist wizardry on full display, handing out nine helpers as his Boston Celtics erupted for 42 points to build a 17-point lead over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers -- where it felt a little bit like 2010, back when the volume inside TD Garden would ascend to another level as Boston fans roared in delight while watching the Green vanquish LeBron James and his Cleveland cohort. Some still wonder if Boston's win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals back in 2010 was the tipping point for James' electing to go form his own superteam in Miami, though a similar case can be made that it was James' Game 6 dominance here in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals that might have started the demise of Boston's own Big Three. For Boston, most of the faces beyond Rondo have changed since those moments. The Celtics are entrenched in a rebuilding process with a goal of returning to thorn-in-side status for James sooner than later.  So as Rondo kissed a bank shot off the glass to punctuate Boston's third-quarter offensive outburst, there was a sense that maybe, just maybe, these Celtics were closer to making a big step forward this season than most had expected. Alas, this chapter would end with a reminder of the gap between the two teams. Kyrie Irving lit Cleveland's fourth-quarter fuse and James refused to be denied in the final minutes while lifting the Cavaliers to a 122-121 triumph. The Celtics, which already owned a Rondo-less win over another East power, the Chicago Bulls, earlier this month, were left to ponder how they let a 19-point lead slip away over the final 11½ minutes. Friday's game was a painful reminder of the strides this team still needs to make in order to win the close games that have routinely defied it over the past 13 months. "One point not good enough," said Celtics second-year coach Brad Stevens. "It is what it is. There's no moral victories; we can't talk about learning. We've got to just get better. We've got to do it. "And I think that's where we all are. We can't get frustrated with it. We can't lose sight of the fact that we're eight games in and not 70 games in, but the good news is that there is a belief growing, but it's got to be rounded out." The frustration for the Celtics is that they are certain they're better than the 25-win team you saw last season. They are positive they're better than the team that pundits pegged for only marginal improvement this season. But the progress being made is overshadowed at the moment by the end result. A 3-5 record isn't awful, considering the competition Boston has played to this point. But so much of Boston's progress will be dictated by confidence, and that tiny bit of doubt lingers each time the Celtics let a winnable game slip away, as they've done twice in the past three days. Even after the Cavaliers rallied on Friday -- with Irving scoring 12 points in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, then James scoring on three consecutive late-game possessions in the final two minutes to help Cleveland surge ahead -- Boston still had a chance to win on the final possession. The Celtics put the ball in the hands of Rondo, who was so masterful at creating on this night, but in trying to cross over to his right hand at the top of the arc after drawing Shawn Marion on a switch, Rondo momentarily lost his dribble and never got off a final shot before the buzzer. James waved off the too-late last gasp in delight, then launched the ball into the air after retrieving the rebound. Back in the visitors locker room, James spoke highly of the Celtics. "I think they are going to surprise a lot of teams and they are better than what the critics said coming into this season," he said. "I think Coach Stevens has done a great job putting a system in there that allows everyone to feel comfortable, to feel loose and play a great style of basketball." But the Celtics are still seeking the sort of consistency, particularly on the defensive end, that can give them the confidence that a 19-point lead is insurmountable, or that they can generate the necessary stops when an opponent is making a run. Like any young team, there's also a quest to find the proper balance between embracing the progress being made and battling frustration that the final scores are not tipping your way. "It's a competitive sport. We're human, so obviously we are a little frustrated," said Rondo, who finished with 6 points, 16 assists and 8 rebounds over 31:15. "We're very frustrated, but we've got a lot more games to play." Asked about his team's propensity to give up leads this season, Stevens echoed Rondo's sentiments. "I'm frustrated by it," said Stevens. "I want to be better at it. I thought our energy and togetherness and sustainability was much better tonight. When things went south, we came back. They went up by three; we ended up tying the game. Jeff [Green] made a great hustle play to get the free throws. "You know if you turned on the TV [Thursday] night you saw it in at least two games, maybe three -- and that happens. You've got to play all 48. You've got to be great all 48 against this team. And it's not the same against everybody, but you still have to be on your A-game the whole time." Even rebuilding teams know that the bottom line is often the only thing that matters. "We just got to win games. Point-blank, we just got to win," said Jared Sullinger. "There's no more lessons, no more moral victories, we just got to win, flat-out."
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