Alexandru Maxim found Martin Harnik on the

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Rajon Rondos rehab continues. And now it will take place in live NBA games. The Boston Celtics point guard, who has not played since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last Jan. 25, is scheduled to return on Friday night. Coach Brad Stevens and general manager Danny Ainge both said Rondo would return for the game against the Los Angeles Lakers "barring any setbacks." "I dont think we can expect him to be the Game 7 Rajon Rondo tomorrow," Stevens said before practice on Thursday. "This is part of the process to getting back to full-go." Rondo did not speak with reporters on Thursday, but he worked out with his teammates at the teams practice facility. Stevens said Rondo will probably play 18-20 minutes at first, and Ainge said he would probably be limited to five minutes per quarter. "He is our starting point guard," Stevens said. "We want to figure out the right minutes for him so he doesnt get too stiff on the bench." Said Ainge: "And, knowing Rondo, hes going to be complaining about that and probably checking himself back into the game. Thats who he is." Ainge said he wasnt sure what to expect, especially since the ACL injury tends to leave players tentative about making quick moves. "He hasnt played for a year," Ainge said. "What Ive seen is the ACL injury is something that every player has to overcome, coming back mentally, not just physically." On Wednesday, Rondo scrimmaged at the practice facility for about an hour with the Celtics NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws; afterward, he took the minor leaguers out to dinner. "I think the guys had a fun time also," Ainge said. Rondo had developed into one of the top point guards in the NBA, averaging career-highs of 13.7 points and 5.6 rebounds to go with his 11.1 assists per game in 2012-13 before he was hurt. He played almost 45 minutes and recorded a triple-double in a double-overtime loss to Atlanta on Jan. 25, then was diagnosed with a torn ACL two days later. Ainge said he expected to see that player again. "I think he will get there. I dont know how long it will take," he said. "He has to get back on the court and try it. Now is as good a time as any." The Celtics could use the boost. They lost nine consecutive games before beating Toronto on Wednesday night, falling into fourth place in the woeful Atlantic Division. Stevens, in his first year with the team after leaving Butler, said he is glad he will finally have his point guard on the floor. "Theres all kinds of thoughts going through my mind right now," he said, noting that the pre-injury Rondo was a savvy floor leader who could see things on the court and get the ball to places that only a few others can. Ideally, that will return quickly. "The one thing he could do, even when he wasnt playing, was think," Stevens said. FRANKFURT, Germany -- Hoffenheim scored three goals in quick succession late in the first half to beat Wolfsburg 6-2 in the Bundesliga on Sunday and dent its hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. In the late match, Alexander Meier scored in the 89th minute to give Eintracht Frankfurt a 2-1 comeback victory over Stuttgart, which fell to its eighth consecutive defeat and is now one place above the danger zone. Hoffenheim is the third highest scoring team in the Bundesliga after Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and it took only four minutes for Roberto Firmino to put the host side ahead with a perfectly weighted lob. Bas Dost equalized for Wolfsburg in the 15th with a header. Niklas Suele began the three-goal flurry with a header in the 37th. Anthony Modeste then scored twice, with a low shot in the 39th and a header in the 43rd. Ivan Perisic pulled one back for Wolfsburg, before the home side struck twice more. Sejad Salihovic converted a penalty and Sven Schipplock completed the win. Wolfsburg finished with 10 men, after Christian Traesch was sent off in the 80th for a foul on Kevin Vollland that resulted in the penalty.dddddddddddd Hoffenheim, undefeated in five games, ended Wolfsburgs run of four consecutive wins and prevented the visiting team from overtaking fourth-place Schalke. Wolfsburg remained fifth and Hoffenheim 10th. In Frankfurt, Stuttgart went ahead in the 31st minute after Eintracht lost possession in midfield. Alexandru Maxim found Martin Harnik on the left and the midfielder slotted low inside the near post. Stuttgarts goalkeeper Sven Ulreich went on to make several outstanding saves, including a one-handed tip-away from a header by Stefan Aigner. But it was his kick-in that resulted in Frankfurts equalizer in the 80th through substitute striker Jan Rosenthal. Marco Russ headed the ball from the centre circle back into Stuttgarts half and Rosenthal raced through to slot past Ulreich. Eintracht secured the win in the 89th when Johannes Flum slipped the ball through the legs of Georg Niedermeier and squared it back for Meier, who drove it home with a low shot. Eintracht jumped to 12th place and is six points away from the relegation playoff place. ' ' '