Williams' 'sick' play elevating him to superstar status

SAN ANTONIO — Regardless of whether the Jazz are eliminated from the playoffs tonight, one thing seems almost certain: guard Deron Williams will continue to make medical history.

There's the swine flu, which caused a lot of alarm but never really happened. There's the Hong Kong flu, which can be accompanied by fever, chills and cough. There's the bird flu, which so far is still pretty much confined to birds.

Then there's the Deron Williams flu. Its symptoms include a rapid rise in determination, a stiff upper lip and a visible display of backbone. But you don't have to miss work.

DOES THIS MAN LOOK SICK?

Tonight the Jazz will either extend their season or end it when they meet the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the conference finals. If they win, it will be a shock. Last time they won here, Davy Crockett was a Spurs assistant coach. It's not a mental block any more; it's a law of nature.

But if they are to reverse the trend, it will undoubtedly be because Williams drags his fluid-depleted, battle-worn body through another great performance. That's what superstars do. Williams, in only his second season in the NBA, isn't a superstar yet, but it might not be long.

Speaking of superstars, last time a guy played like this with the flu, his name was Michael Jordan, and he scored 38 points as the Bulls beat the Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. Asked if he remembered anyone playing sick against the Jazz in the past, but still performing well, coach Jerry Sloan said, "Remember Michael Jordan?"

If you're a Jazz fan, the answer is yes — like a boil.

So Jordan set the bar. If Williams didn't clear it, he certainly came close in the Jazz's Monday loss at EnergySolutions Arena. In fact, he made people rethink the concept of sick. He took a couple IVs Monday, lost eight pounds, then played 38 minutes and scored 27 points with nine assists.

"It's not the time to just lay down," explained Williams.

Wait a minute. Isn't that what your mother used to say when you had a fever and sick stomach — to go lay down?

Obviously your mother never played in the NBA.