Rajon Rondo didn’t look very hurt when piling up 14 assists during his Friday night return to the court, but his sore hamstring still bothered him a bit. The pain was compounded by Rondo’s plantar fasciitis, a foot ailment which began to affect Rondo early in the season. (Boston Herald)

“The foot ain’t fine, but I can play with it,” Rondo said. “The pain is more in the hamstring than the foot. There’s still pain in my feet when I wake up in the morning.”

That his feet hurt Rondo in the morning is to be expected. Plantar fasciitis produces stabbing pain to the heal and sometimes to the arch, and the pain is worst in the morning and after long periods of sitting or laying down — the discomfort is often alleviated by regular movement.

The pain shouldn’t be too much to worry about. Rondo looked A-Okay while tearing apart the Raptors with 97 separate alley-oops. He also seems willing to take longer recuperation periods for his injuries, as Doc Rivers wants him to do.

“I have to do whatever the team needs me to do, man,” Rondo said. It’s a long season. It’s about the long run.”

But it’s a little concerning whenever a team’s MVP complains of pain.