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“He was happy, thanking guys once we were making public transit,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said on Thursday before Boston’s final practice for Game 3 from the first-round series from the Hawks. “I have no idea if he’d did that 2 yrs ago. He’d happen to be thankful, but he’d will be in the rear of public transit together with his head down, recorded on himself. … This is a step there.”

The celts beat Atlanta 87-80 in Game 2 to tie the series at one game apiece, providing them with an opportunity to seize control in Games 3 and 4 in Boston on Friday and Sunday. Plus they made it happen without Rondo, who had been suspended for Tuesday night’s game for bumping the referee whenever a call went against him within the final minute from the series opener.

Rondo wouldn’t say where he watched the sport, except to express it had been near by. (Players aren’t permitted to maintain the arena while serving a suspension.) Although Rivers said the purpose guard was waiting to shake their hands because they boarded public transit; Rondo said he gave Garnett a hug because he left the tunnel.

“(I) told him, `Thank you.’ I appreciate all you mankind has accomplished for me,” Rondo said before practice on Thursday. “Obviously, they won it on their own. However they explained, `We got that one for you personally.’ That felt good. It felt like I had been part of it. It changed the series.”

Paul Pierce scored 36 points and added 14 rebounds in Game 2 to create up for that lack of Rondo and Ray Allen, who hasn’t played since April 10 due to bone spurs in the right ankle. Allen said Thursday he would attempt to practice, and Rivers said there’s a chance he could play in Game 3.

“I think he’s a much better shot,” Rivers said, adding he would limit Allen used to save lots of his best moments on the workout. “I’d rather take Ten minutes of him on the ground these days.”

The Hawks have injury problems that belongs to them, with forward Josh Smith fighting a strained tendon in the left knee; he’s considered day-to-day. Atlanta has already been missing its top two centers, Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia.

Rondo emerged like a star in the second season, helping Boston win the 2008 NBA title, and also, since he then continues to be regarded as vital that you the Celtics’ fortunes because the New Big 3 of Pierce, Allen and Kevin Garnett. But he remains moody and erratic, so Rivers wasn’t entirely surprised when Rondo made a decision to remove his frustrations on referee Marc Davis within the final minute from the Game 1 reduction in Atlanta.