Utah Jazz: Rondo's speed and ability to finish not up for debate

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Before Monday night's loss in Boston, Jazz point guard Deron Williams was asked if he thought Rajon Rondo of the Celtics — not one of their so-called Big Three — was the fastest point guard in the NBA.

"We don't run 40s," Williams said, "so I don't know."

Williams, though, did hasten to add this: "There's some fast guys in the league. But he's definitely one of them. Quickest hands."

Asked for a comparison — the hands, the long arms, the solid defense — Williams offered up two rookies, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Miami's Mario Chalmers.

"But neither of those guys are proven like he is," Williams said of the starting point guard on last season's NBA championship team.

And, oh, did Rondo ever do some proving later Monday night.

He merely scored a career-high 25 points, pulled down nine rebounds, dished five assists and made three steals — helping atone for his six turnovers — in Boston's 100-91 win over Williams and the Jazz.

Said Williams afterward: "A lot of it was pick-and-rolls. But he's definitely quick. Hard to stay in front of."

Added Jazz coach Jerry Sloan: "Rondo puts some pressure on you defensively with his ability to push the ball up the floor. They caught us a lot of times napping, and he would push it and get an easy basket."

It's nothing new to the Celtics.

Still, some in Boston continue to be amazed by certain Rondo shots — like his crazy last-minute, English-driven, over-the-back reverse layup, made off a drive right into Williams and Jazz power forward Paul Millsap.

"Yeah," Celtics coach Doc River deadpanned, "we worked on that this morning."

But seriously ...

"No, that was terrific," Rivers said. "I mean, you know, when he finishes, he's really good. And he puts more English on the ball than Minnesota Fats at times."

A pool reference, on a night Olympic gold medal-swimmer Michael Phelps was in the house to hock Subway sandwiches.

Nice.

"Sometimes they don't go in, and that's when I get mad at him," Rivers said. "And when they go in, I love him."

Rivers is not alone.