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It wasn’t a pretty end for Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets. They got blown out in an elimination game versus the Los Angeles Lakers and they looked really bad while doing it. To add insult to injury, Westbrook got into a heated shouting match with Rajon Rondo’s brother William.
While William probably shouldn’t have poked the bear, Rajon took a shot at Westbrook for getting so mad.
“I would ask the NBA to do their due diligence,” Rondo said, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “Talk to the people who were there. The people right beside him. He didn’t cuss. He called him trash from the stands. Obviously, it’s not an arena. You can hear things a lot clearer. If Russ had 30 tonight, I don’t think he wouldn’t say nothing to him and got that upset. But it was an exit game. He didn’t play well. You’re frustrated and you let things like that get to you.”
That’s pretty harsh from the Lakers guard but he’s not going to standby while Westbrook talks about his brother in a negative way. Plus, it’s true, the former NBA MVP didn’t have a great series and Game 5 was arguably his worst game. He only scored 10 points on 31% shooting from the field.
Rondo Praises His Brother
Rajon Rondo would probably prefer his brother not to start making headlines by getting into an argument with one of the faces of the NBA. However, he’s going to support Wiliam and thinks his presence is helping him play better.
“He actually gave me a hell of a boost in Game 2 against the Rockets,” Rondo said of his brother. “I was tired as hell and I was on [Rockets star] James [Harden] guarding him in the fourth quarter. He was like, ‘Dig deep. Get through it.’ I needed that. I actually told him that he helped me get through the fourth in terms of my fatigue. It wasn’t time for that. I heard him in the crowd and I’m always looking for him at the start of the games.”
Rondo’s debut in these playoffs wasn’t good but he stepped up and unleashed “Playoff Rondo.” His brother probably had something to do with him getting that boost. Family members aren’t supposed to cause issues so William is likely on thin ice. If he causes issues in the next series, he could get kicked out of the bubble.
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What’s Next for the Rockets?
The Rockets definitely weren’t hoping for the season to end this way. They were outclassed by the Lakers and didn’t play as well as you would expect from a team with so much talent. With this loss, head coach Mike D’Antoni appears to be jumping ship.
Houston’s unique style of play has yet to get them to an NBA Finals so maybe it’s time to switch things up. James Harden is obviously the face of the franchise and isn’t going anywhere but they might need to find him a better compliment than Westbrook.
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