Rajon Rondo Is Out For Game 5, And Game 6 Against Boston Is Still In Doubt

On Tuesday night, Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo reportedly held a private workout to test out his broken thumb in an effort to give it a go for Game 5 of Chicago’s tied up series with the Celtics. The Bulls have looked dramatically worse in Rondo’s absence, as their depth issues at point guard have become abundantly clear in Games 3 and 4, but unfortunately for Chicago, a miraculous recovery has not happened and even the notoriously tough Rondo won’t be able to grit through the pain for Game 5.

His status for Game 6 also remains in question, which does not bode well for the 8-seed’s chances to upset the Celtics.

Rondo was hoping that he’d heal quicker than doctors anticipated, but it simply hasn’t happened yet. He told reporters that with his style of play there’s significant risk of damaging his thumb further, and noted that he has a torn ligament in his wrist as well.

All of this is to say, it doesn’t look good for the Bulls and their point guard, which is unfortunate considering how surprisingly well the team played in the first two games of the series to go up 2-0. It’s also incredible that Rondo, who was once ostracized from his own club in the middle of this season, has become a pivotal player in this playoffs.

Rondo’s on/off splits are staggering in this series. With Rondo, the Bulls have an offensive rating of 114 and a defensive rating of 99.4, when he is off the court, that flips to an offensive rating of 100.4 and a defensive rating of 110.2. Chicago will have to figure something out at the point guard position in Game 5 if they’re going to find a way to take the series lead back going into Game 6 at home.

Otherwise, it looks like Chicago’s dreams of a second round series are going to wither away with Rondo stuck on the bench.