Rondo Out With Broken Thumb

Chicago Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo will be out for the next three games of his team’s series against Boston. The Bulls announced on Friday that Rondo suffered a broken thumb in Game 2. The injury occurred in the third quarter and he played the rest of the game. The team said Rondo is wearing a cast and will be evaluated in 7 to 10 days. He is also dealing with a wrist injury that caused him to miss time in the final week of the season. The injury took place when he hit the elbow of Boston’s Kelly Olynyk.

Rondo is no longer the player he was with the Celtics, but was playing big against his former team in the playoffs. In the first two games he averaged 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10 assists. For the season, he averaged 7.8 points per game and 6.7 assists to go with 5.1 rebounds. He was one rebound shy of a triple-double last game. Scottie Pippen had the last triple-double for the Bulls 20 years ago.

Chicago will turn to second-year player Jerian Grant to handle the point guard duties. Grant will be backed up by Michael Carter-Williams. Grant has only played 26 minutes in the playoffs and is 2 for 12 shooting. Carter-Williams has played a total of three minutes in the two games.

While Rondo’s offense will be missed a bit, his defense is still pretty solid. The team’s defensive efficiency is 11 points higher, meaning they allow more points, with him on the bench in the playoffs. The offense is much the same, being nine points less when he isn’t on the floor.

“We can’t change the way we’re approaching things right now because one of our star players is out,” Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told ESPN. “We need to pick up for what he gives us, and I’m confident our guys will do that.”