Lakers News: Rajon Rondo Felt He Needed To Shoot Bevy Of 3-Pointers; Luke Walton Content With Majority Of Attempts

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Andrew D. Bernstein-NBAE via Getty Images

While the Los Angeles Lakers relied on Kyle Kuzma to defend Giannis Antetokounmpo and had LeBron James disrupting Brook Lopez out on the perimeter, the Milwaukee Bucks countered by sagging off Rajon Rondo and daring him to beat them from deep.

Rondo, who entered the night shooting a career-high 40 percent behind the arc, certainly was happy to attempt doing so. He shot seven 3-pointers within the first six minutes of the game, tying a career high in attempts.

Rondo missed his first five before finally scratching. The Staples Center crowd groaned with each miss, then erupted once Rondo connected. “If it’s the right shot, it’s the right shot. Take it,” Lakers head coach Luke Walton said of his message to Rondo.

“Whether you’re open or not, that doesn’t always determine if it’s the right shot. It’s whether it the pass comes to you in rhythm, from penetration, if the ball is moved a little bit. We don’t want him just dribbling down and shooting threes every time. Even if he’s wide open. I thought most of the ones he took in the first half were good shots.

“They were swings or kick-outs from teammates. If he doesn’t take that, what else are we going to get? There’s five guys in the paint. We feel very confident he can knock those down. He shoots them all the time in practice.”

Rondo finished just 4-of-12 from three-point territory. Despite the poor start to his night, the 33-year-old did have a stretch where he connected on 3-of-4 attempts.

“Shooters shoot,” Rondo deadpanned after the loss. “I was open, so I had to shoot it.”

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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