Hooped Up

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and the team have agreed to terms on a five-year, $55-million contract extension, agent Bill Duffy tells Yahoo! Sports. If the sides had not agreed to terms by Monday, Rondo would have become a restricted free agent after this season. “As much as we were willing to wait his contract out, the Celtics stepped up to the plate to meet the original request,” Duffy told the Web site. “This is a really fair contract.
Sporting News

Paul outplayed Rondo on Sunday night, but the Celtics beat the New Orleans Hornets 97-87 anyway as Boston improved to 4-0 behind Paul Pierce’s 27 points. After the game, Paul pursued Rondo toward the Celtics’ locker room and had to be blocked by Boston assistant coaches.

“Rondo is a lucky guy, to play with guys like Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett,” Paul, who scored 22 points with eight assists, said with a sly smile. Asked if that was meant as a slight toward Rondo, the two-time All-Star said, “No, no. He is a great point guard and he’s a champion. It’s my hope to achieve that.”
ESPN

Allen Iverson thinks that his partially torn hamstring could heal well enough for him to play on Monday against the Sacramento Kings. “I felt good,” Iverson said. “It was a regular day of practice for me. I didn’t feel any pain. I didn’t feel fatigued to not be able to get through it. I’m ready to play. It’s up to them.” Vancouver Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins said that the real test will be his conditioning. “He’s just got to get in shape,” Hollins said. “Health-wise, he’s fine.
Off The Record