Anthony Davis adds to the legend of ‘Playoff Rondo’

Lakers star big man Anthony Davis heaped praise on point guard Rajon Rondo after the veteran sparked the offense in Game 3 with a fantastic performance.

Los Angeles Lakers star forward Anthony Davis did not hold back his praise when asked about veteran point guard Rajon Rondo’s magnificent Game 3 performance, pinpointing the former All-Star’s basketball IQ as a major reason behind a Lakers win.

Rondo provided a much-needed spark for the Lakers in the second half, with the Houston Rockets keeping the game close despite a dominant scoring performance from LeBron James. Houston dared the journeyman to shoot, and he made them pay, tallying 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a 3-of-5 mark from behind the arc.

The breakout performance was much-needed for a Lakers team which has lacked a tertiary scorer throughout the playoffs, and Rondo’s superb passing was merely an added bonus. He tallied nine assists in Game 3, and the offense simply felt smoother with him running the show.

Rondo could be the key to a more potent Lakers attack

With Danny Green and other perimeter shooters struggling, getting production from unexpected places will be crucial to the Lakers’ title chances. If the offense has the same dynamic feel that it had in the second half of Game 3, Los Angeles could be bound for the NBA Finals.

While Tuesday’s performance could prove to be nothing more than a flash in the pan, having Rondo contribute in a meaningful way could be the key to a deep postseason run. James and Davis are fantastic players, but asking the two of them to shoulder the entire scoring load is a recipe for disaster.

Having “Playoff Rondo” to orchestrate the offense and allowing James to focus more on scoring could bring out the best version of the Lakers, with James attacking in transition and not feeling the pressure to be the main distributor, a tendency which has made him look passive at times this season.