Rajon Rondo Explains Why “Playoff Rondo” Isn’t A Thing
Rajon Rondo had a spectacular Game 3 against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night. The Los Angeles Lakers guard finished with 21 points on eight of 11 shooting, plus nine assists and two rebounds.
Those numbers are a far cry from the 7.1 points and 5.0 assists he averaged throughout the regular season.
Rondo, 34, has developed something of a reputation over the course of his career for stepping up and playing big when the lights shine the brightest – in the postseason. Hence the “Playoff Rondo” moniker that was bestowed upon him.
Speaking to the media after LA’s big 112-102 victory, Rondo dismissed the idea that he steps up his play in the postseason.
To him, “Playoff Rondo” is not a thing.
“I don’t buy into it,” he said. For Rondo, his increased production is simply the byproduct of getting more opportunities.
“I just took what I was given,” he added.
“Guys found me when I was open, I took some shots with confidence and I got some easy layups.”
For what it’s worth – Anthony Davis disagrees. The Lakers big man firmly believes “Playoff Rondo” is very much a thing.
“’Playoff Rondo’ is real,” he said.
“His intensity picks up. He wants to guard the best perimeter guy. He wants to facilitate on the floor. He’s shooting the ball very well, making the right passes. We’ve got the two best I.Q. guys in the game with him and LeBron on the floor at the same time, which is tough for defenses. So, ‘Playoff Rondo’ is real, and he showed up tonight.”
LeBron James also weighed in on the matter, though he stopped just shy of confirming or denying the existence of “Playoff Rondo.”
We all know what’s been going on with the NBA’s ratings. Now we know why. https://t.co/M9uOeWOpqN
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 8, 2020
“[It’s beneficial] when you have enough people you can trust and be in the foxhole with you, not from a basketball aspect, but from a cerebral aspect,” James said.
“The postseason is about making adjustments from game to game, and also being able to make adjustments on the fly because things happen in real time.
“Being able to see how defenses are playing, seeing how the game is being played, seeing how the flow of the game is being played, there’s just not many guys that can do that in our league. In the postseason, it’s gigantic. Having Do’ on your side definitely helps.”
Thanks to Rondo’s efforts, the Lakers now hold a 2-1 series lead over the Rockets. One more win would all but secure a berth in the Western Conference Playoffs.
Game 4 between these two teams is set to take place on Thursday.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
