Rajon Rondo Erupts For 21 Points as Rockets Lose Game 3

Rondo led all bench players with 21 points, adding a trio of threes in Los Angeles' Game 3 victory.

To put it charitably, Rajon Rondo hasn't been an impactful player for much of 2019-20. The 14-year veteran shot 41.8 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from three in the regular season, adding minimal value on the defensive end. And yet it's hard to feel as though Tuesday's 21-point effort against the Rockets was a true shock. Rondo has made a career shining on the brightest stage. He did so once again in Game 3. 

The Rockets have a blueprint for slowing nearly every Laker in this series. They're fronting Anthony Davis and forming a wall around LeBron James, and while the results aren't always perfect, there is a clear strategy at play. The same is true for Rondo. Houston is sagging deep below the arc whenever the Kentucky product catches the ball, daring him to pull the trigger. Rondo finally made the Rockets pay in Game 3. He hit a trio of threes including a key triple early in the fourth quarter, leading a Lakers' run as they established a double-digit lead they would never relinquish. When Los Angeles needed a spark, Rondo delivered. 

HIGHLIGHTS: @RajonRondo pours in 21 points and 9 dimes off the bench pic.twitter.com/6oMfiG1NPi

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 9, 2020

Rondo may have fueled Los Angeles' 112-102 victory on Tuesday, but the Rockets aren't going to shift their gameplan overnight. Walling-off James and mitigating the paint disadvantage remains the top priority. If Rondo hits a couple of threes, so be it. Houston seemed largely satisfied with its defensive effort on Tuesday, collectively shrugging its shoulders as Rondo and Alex Caruso hit crucial triples. If the Lakers' non-stars continue to roll from three, there's not much the Rockets can do. 

"You can’t stop everything," Rockets guard James Harden said postgame. "We’ve got to try to stop their main players, and then not give their role players freebie looks and open shots."

The Lakers' supporting cast was largely mocked after the Davis trade, with critics panning the latest collection of misfit toys surrounding James. But the greatest player of his generation has a way of making the most of those around him, and Rondo is the latest example. Los Angeles has found a key secondary playmaker to support James, one who is among the smartest point guards of his generation. 

We can discuss Rondo's shortcomings ad nauseam. We can't debate his competitiveness, nor his smarts. Add a capable jumper, and the Rockets have their hands full. They certainly did in Los Angeles' double-digit win on Tuesday.