The Lakers will be without backup point guard Rajon Rondo for their eight seeding games and part of the NBA playoffs in the Florida bubble after Rondo suffered a right thumb fracture in practice Sunday.
Rondo will miss six to eight weeks with the injury, the Lakers acknowledged.
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Los Angeles' backcourt was already minus Avery Bradley, who opted out of playing in the league's restart over concerns about the coronavirus affecting his family. Now it will be without another veteran in Rondo, who was averaging 5.0 assists to go with 7.1 points in 20.5 minutes per game as a main reserve.
Rondo's injury and Bradley's absence should open up more opportunities for Alex Caruso, who has become a fan favorite as an LA bench player. Quinn Cook could also be given more ballhandling responsibilities behind Caruso and LeBron James.
The Lakers enter the league's restart with the best record in the Western Conference (49-14) and a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place Clippers.
