Rajon Rondo had a career defining night in the Mavs game two loss to the Houston Rockets. Rondo played only 34 seconds of the second half — Rick Carlisle reportedly consulted with Mark Cuban on how to proceed for game 3 — and Charles Barkley believes the point guard should be benched.
“He was not engaged whatsoever tonight,” Barkley said on TNT. “If he is not going to play, then Rick (Carlisle) has an obligation to the other guys in that locker room. If he is just going to go through the motions, they have to move on.
“I’m not going to play Rondo anymore.”
At halftime, Monta Ellis of all people — had a long talk with Rondo on the bench.
Afterwards, Carlisle blasted Rondo.
“You can ask him that question,” Carlisle said. “All I know, right now, is that we need everybody at their competitive best. This isn’t about one guy who did or didn’t play. This is about everybody pulling in the same direction for the organization.”
https://youtu.be/Dxfw8vFxQko