Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo had a masterful performance in the Lakers’ 112-102 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 on Tuesday.
Rondo finished with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and added nine assists in 30 minutes off the bench.
The veteran guard addressed his performance after the game.
"Second half we wanted to take care of the ball, get good looks at the rim and exploit the mismatches."@RajonRondo talks with @LakersReporter after dropping 21 points in Game 3. pic.twitter.com/TKA95JH7Ep
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 9, 2020
“Just taking care of the ball,” Rondo said of what changed in the second half and fourth quarter. “First half, we were sloppy with turnovers. They capitalized off those. Second half we just wanted to take care of the ball, get good looks at the rim, exploit the mismatches and take care of the glass on the defensive end of the floor.”
Rondo also broke down the keys to the Lakers holding the Rockets to just 38 points in the second half.
“It started with our turnovers,” Rondo said. “First half I think they had 12 points off of turnovers. Second half we took better care of the ball and we boxed out. We got the rebound, we were able to push and get fast-break points.”
Rondo said he doesn’t exactly buy into the “Playoff Rondo” nickname, saying that he is only as good as the coach believes in him.
“I can’t do it without my teammates,” Rondo said. “My teammates have been doing a hell of a job of getting me the ball, giving me confidence and Coach has been calling plays for me.”
