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LOS ANGELES – After being out of the lineup since taking on the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, veteran point guard Rajon Rondo made his return to the floor on Thursday night for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Although the Lakers ultimately convincingly fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on their home floor, Rondo's impact was felt on both ends of the floor right out of the gate. The one-time champion helped dictate the pace that head coach Luke Walton likes his team playing while also being a force defensively.
“Rondo was great,” Walton said. “He was great. He was play-making at both ends of the floor, helping us get organized, getting guys shots, hitting his own shots. He was 3-of-5 from three tonight. He hasn’t played in however long it’s been. He came in, stepped up, and knocked down some big shots for us.”
Showing some rust or being a bit fatigued after missing as much time as he did is common for NBA players. However, despite admittedly being winded at times, Rondo felt good in his return.
“I felt fine,” Rondo said after his first game back. “I don’t know what I looked like. I got winded a couple of possessions. I tried to take a possession off offensively rather than defensively.”
Along with having no problems on the floor during his return after a month away while nursing his surgically repaired hand, the 32-year-old didn't suffer from any pain in his hand.
“It feels fine,” Rondo said of his hand. “The adrenaline is still going.”
Unfortunately for the Lakers, Rondo's presence in the backcourt wasn't even though to propel them to victory at the Staples Center on Thursday. The team is now only one game above .500 with a record of 25-24 and remain out of the postseason picture if the NBA playoffs were to start today.
On Sunday, the Lakers will try to bounce back from this loss as they'll host the division rival Phoenix Suns before taking on the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
