At Rajon Rondo’s request, Kyle Kuzma slows Russell Westbrook in Lakers’ win

Out for the second straight game for a fractured finger in his hand, Lakers veteran guard Rajon Rondo still had a way of impacting Los Angeles’ win over Houston, by suggesting a defensive matchup of Kyle Kuzma over Russell Westbrook in the second half.

Kuzma was the principle 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.”