HOUSTON -- It was halftime in Houston. The Rockets led by six, and Russell Westbrook was rolling, already up to 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, when Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo made a coaching suggestion.
Why not try putting Kyle Kuzma on him?
Kuzma, known more for his scoring potency than his penchant for defense, took on the assignment admirably, as Westbrook was limited to 13 points in the second half of L.A.'s 124-115 win.
"Hey, I had to contribute somehow," Rondo, who missed his second straight game with a fractured right ring finger, told ESPN afterward.
Kuzma was the principal defender on Westbrook for 26 possessions Saturday -- with 25 of those coming in the second half, according to Second Spectrum data. When Kuzma guarded Westbrook, the Rockets' offense averaged 92.3 points per 100 possessions. When anyone else was on Westbrook, that number spiked to 101.9 points per 100 possessions.
"Rondo kind of pulled me to the side at halftime in the locker room and just asked me if I could guard him, and I said, 'Of course,'" Kuzma said. "Westbrook was really hurting us in the first half, posting up our guards, and he's just tough, he's a tough load. He's a big, strong, physical guard. In the second half, that kind of got eliminated, putting a bigger body on him."
Kuzma was asked to detail his defensive game plan against the former MVP.
"Just keep him in front," he said. "I'm confident in myself defensively. Just try to keep him in front, take tough shots and just not foul. These guys, they look for fouls. And if you keep them off the line, it bodes pretty well for you."
Westbrook attempted only three free throws in the second half after six trips to the line through the first two quarters.
Meanwhile, Kuzma's offense also took off. He had 17 of his 23 points after halftime, finishing an efficient 8-for-16 from the floor while getting the start in place of Anthony Davis, who missed his fifth straight game with a bruised backside.
"A lot changed in the third quarter, but most importantly, Kuz switched off on Russ and just made it tough on Russ," LeBron James said. "Russ is incredible when he gets on the break and his ability to finish, his ability to play at a fast pace, his athletic ability, but Kuz just kept his body in front of him, made him take tough shots. He made a couple, but Kuz made it tough on him, so that helped changed the game for us."
This is why we need Rondo, Vet leadership, even when hes hurt
This post was edited by VeryUnknown on Jan 19 2020 12:46pm