The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, thanks much in part to the efforts of Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo.
Rondo was not only charged with added offensive responsibilities due to the absence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but was tasked with guarding Chris Paul for much of the night as well.
That clash of rivals led Rondo to infer that he believes Paul received preferential treatment from the game’s officiating crew.
Rondo specifically pointed to a fairly physical common foul that Paul was called for in the third quarter of Saturday’s game.
“I just felt like if that was me, I would have been thrown out. Or it would have been a hell of a (thorough) review,” said Rondo, who wouldn’t detail the nature of the contact Paul made with him.
“It’s in the past. I don’t really want to talk about it. I don’t think it was a clean play. But like I said, I guess it’s reputation: his versus mine.”
Luckily, the foul didn’t lead to things spiraling out of control for the two players like it did last season.
In an Oct. 20 matchup between the Lakers and Houston Rockets during the 2018-19 season, Paul and Rondo exchanged blows, leading to suspensions for both players.
Despite the frustration Rondo seemingly felt during Saturday’s win, he didn’t let it impact his production.
He served as the Lakers’ second scoring option on the night and finished with a near triple-double, posting 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Paul, on the other hand, finished with a more pedestrian effort on the night, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
