Celtics vs. Heat 2012: Rajon Rondo still stuck on Finals loss

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo said it could take six months before he's over the team's loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. It hasn't quite been six months yet, so the point guard still has the defeat on his mind going into Tuesday night's season opener in Miami.

The Celtics arrived to Miami early to avoid conflicting with Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast, so Rondo's had more time in Miami to think about how the previous season ended. All the Celtics needed was to win one more game and they'd advance to the NBA Finals to face a young Oklahoma City Thunder team.

They couldn't get it done.

LeBron James put up an classic performance in Game 6 in Boston -- 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. In Game 7, only Rondo scored for the Celtics in the waning minutes of the game. Rondo feels like there were missed opportunities at another championship.

"We had a 3-2 lead and I don't think we realized it," Rondo said, via the Florida Sun-Sentinel. "We had a 3-2 lead and all we had to do was win one game out of two. We just couldn't seal the deal."