Rondo wrenches back in fall

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - How point guard Rajon Rondo's back feels this morning will likely determine whether he will play tonight against the Washington Wizards.

Rondo left the Celtics' 86-77 win over the Nets last night after injuring his back in the second quarter. He fell hard following his foul on Richard Jefferson, landing on a dip where the hardwood playing floor and the floor for the fans meet. Rondo finished 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 22 minutes.

Rondo said he would take painkillers after the game but had no plans to see a physician. If Rondo does not start tonight, coach Doc Rivers said Tony Allen would likely take his place.

"I don't know yet [about Washington]," Rondo said. "I tried to play for two possessions but there was sharp pain and I couldn't do it."

Rivers doubleheader

Rivers said he will have a "nice day" at the Verizon Center in Washington today. He will be on hand when his son, Jeremiah, plays for Georgetown against Connecticut at 2 p.m. And Jeremiah is expected to be in attendance when the Celtics play the Wizards at the same venue at 7:30.

"It's tough to watch any of his games because you're a parent," Rivers said. "You don't have any positive thoughts when you watch your own kids. Everything is, 'Don't screw up. Don't do this. Don't do [that].' You never say, 'Go kick his [butt].' That's what you should think.

"As a parent, you're just nervous. It's just tough."

Looking ahead

The Nets are 13 games back in the Atlantic Division. Even so, Nets coach Lawrence Frank said they are more worried about themselves than the division or the Celtics.

"You have to give Boston a great deal of credit," he said. "They are off to a historical start. We never look at teams in front or behind. We don't talk about wins. It's all about the process and then we'll see how many wins we got.

"We don't feel like we're chasing Boston. We are about ourselves and at the end of the year we'll see where we are at."

Kidd passes Thomas

With nine assists last night, Nets guard Jason Kidd passed Isiah Thomas for fifth place on the NBA's all-time list, giving him 9,065 for his career. Thomas had 9,061 . . . Frank credited moving ex-UConn center Josh Boone and ex-Boston College forward Sean Williams as part of the reason the Nets have played well recently. Before last night's loss, the Nets were 8-3 when Boone and Williams joined guards Kidd and Jefferson and forward Vince Carter in the starting lineup. Williams is averaging a rookie-best two blocks per contest and tied a Nets rookie record with eight against the Kings Dec. 18. Boone is averaging 10.6 points and 9.1 rebounds this month. "Our two young big guys are complementing Jason," Frank said before the game. "We're getting more buckets in transition. We struggled to score. Now we are scoring easier. We're defending the 3-point shot. We're getting bench contributions. We're forging an identity. We know what to expect from each other on a nightly basis." . . . The Celtics won't have to face three-time All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas tonight or Monday since he is out indefinitely with a partial tear of his left medial meniscus, suffered in November. But even without Arenas, the Wizards are 15-11 after last night's 102-98 overtime win over Atlanta.

Labor of love?

While Rondo is a huge Benihana fan, a pregnant woman's love for the restaurant had him beat in New York City Thursday night. Rondo and his publicist, Ilana Nunn of BDA Sports, went to dinner at a Benihana in Manhattan. While sitting around a large grill at the Japanese restaurant with several people he didn't know, a pregnant patron began having contractions. Instead of going straight to the hospital, the woman grimaced every time she had pain and didn't depart with her husband until she finished eating. "She was having contractions about six minutes apart," said Rondo, a father of an infant. "I've been through it, so it didn't freak me out. But I don't think she should have been in that situation, either. But, hey, to each his own."