Rajon Rondo sprains his right ankle in Wednesday’s game against Utah Jazz – NBA Update
Boston Celtics managed to earn a win against Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, but that came at a price – a right ankle injury to star swingman and playmaker Rajon Rondo.
With 4:55 left in the third quarter, Rondo tried to cut towards the cup from the baseline for an attempted layup. The shot missed its mark and so did Rondo’s right foot, which landed awkwardly. The point guard immediately hobbled towards the bench and was soon taken into the locker room by the team trainer.
Rondo returned later in the game and the medical staff had apparently cleared him for further play. However Doc Rivers, the Celtics coach was in no mood to take risks and benched his ace player for the rest of the game;
"I just felt like it's too early to take that chance," Rivers said when asked about his decision after the game. When asked about the severity of the sprain, Rivers insisted that it was too early to tell;
"I have no idea. Look, with a sprained ankle -- tomorrow, you'll know more."
With Rondo out, Rivers inserted Leandro Barbosa at 1 and the Brazilians swingman reaped his coach’s faith by dropping 16 points in just 23 minutes of action. Rivers did not forget to appreciate the Brazilian reserve in his post game comments;
"It's going to happen. He's not going to play all 82 (games)," Rivers said. "You know how I think: The next guy -- somebody has to step up and figure it out. Tonight was a great example that we did that."
After an injury ridden journey in the lockout affected last season, the Celtics made sure to assemble a deep roster this summer. They still have Avery Bradley on the sidelines though and it will not be before Christmas that he would be able to recover fully from his shoulder surgeries. In his absence, the C’s still had a more than decent back court headed by Rondo and having the likes of Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Leandro Barbosa as well. That depth will now pay dividends as Rivers looks to give ample time to recover to his star point guard, who is tipped to be the leader of the team in the years to come.
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