Just hours before the Chicago Bulls take on the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, the team announced that point guard Rajon Rondo will be out "indefinitely."
Rondo injured his right hand in Game 2 at Boston Tuesday night, the team announced. An exam revealed that he suffered a thumb fracture and while surgery is not required, he is "out indefinitely," according to head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Jerian Grant will start in Rondo's place at the point guard position, but with the Bulls' shorter rotations in the latter part of the season, one could expect that Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler will handle the ball a lot when setting up the team's offense.
Rondo played a pivotal role in the Bulls' getting a 2-0 lead in the series over the Celtics, with 11 points and 14 assists to the point guard's credit in their Game 2 win over Boston.
"We're going to miss him," Butler told media on Friday. "The pace that he sets for the team,t he leadership that he brings, and the way that he plays. We've still got to go out there. We're expected to win. We know what we're capable of."
The Bulls stunned the basketball world with their 106-102 victory over the Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series, then did it again on Tuesday night with a 111-97 win in Game 2 in Beantown.
Game 3 is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. CT Friday at the United Center.
