Rondo proves his point

March 29, 2008|Jackie MacMullan, Globe Columnist

Another night, another elite team featuring players with MVP credentials - and another third-quarter smackdown.

Seriously, now. Who can beat the Boston Celtics when they play like this?

Last night's victim was the ballyhooed (and, by the way, quite legitimate) New Orleans Hornets, who came to town with the West's best record and the league's top point guard, Chris Paul.

This was the last team on the league-wide docket your locals had not beaten. Paul is a gifted 22-year-old who certainly demonstrated his ability to make plays, whether for himself or for his teammates. He is the primary reason the Hornets will be around for the duration. While other Western powers (San Antonio, Dallas, and Phoenix) understand their window of opportunity will soon be closing, the sill on this youthful franchise is going up, up, up.

All that is well and good, but there was one Celtic in particular who isn't interested in advancing the life and times of the Hornets or Chris Paul: Rajon Rondo.

Boston's own floor general, all 170 pounds of him, more than answered the challenge of keeping Paul from completely taking over the game last night.

And, while Rondo (17 points) was at it, he knocked down three of the biggest shots of the night to enable his team to pull away in - you guessed it - that all important third quarter. When it was over, the Celtics had deflated yet another contender, 112-92, and their young playmaker had gained yet another chunk of respect.

As the closest (and most crowded) MVP race in years continues to percolate, the coaches of the candidates come to town trying to win games, but also to sell the wares of their superstar. Byron Scott did his due diligence last night in laying out why Paul should be No. 1 on everyone's ballot: his ability to excel against the iron of the league, his combination of playmaking and 3-point shooting, his undervalued defensive skills, and his ability to handle the expectations that mount as the Hornets continue to win.

"He thrives [on pressure]," Scott explained. "He loves it. It's a chance for him to rise to the top."

Scott acknowledged the worth of Kobe and LeBron in the MVP sweepstakes, but was unwilling to add Kevin Garnett to that mix. His reasoning: KG has too much help. Meanwhile, down at the other end of the hall, Doc Rivers heartily agreed Paul might be the best point guard in the league, but he wasn't about to anoint him an honor he believes KG merits consideration for as well.