After Game 3 loss, Chicago Bulls in trouble without Rajon Rondo

CHICAGO – At another point in the season, it would’ve been ludicrous to say the Chicago Bulls needed Rajon Rondo.

Well, the Bulls need Rondo. That much is true after the Boston Celtics defeated the Rondo-less Bulls 104-87 Friday in Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference series.

Rondo is out indefinitely with a fractured right thumb sustained in Game 2. He became indispensable, and the Bulls miss him.

Let us count the ways.

The Bulls had just 14 assists – none in the third quarter – in Game 3. Rondo had 20 in the first two games, including 14 in Chicago’s Game 2 victory.

Chicago shot 50%, including 40% on threes in Game 2. They shot 39.3% from the field and 28.6% on three-pointers in Game 3.

Guards Jerian Grant, starting in place of Rondo, and Michael Carter-Williams were a combined 3-for-10 from the field with eight points and seven turnovers.

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Per 100 possessions, the Bulls scored 114 points and allowed just 99.4 points with Rondo on the floor in the first two games. In Game 3 with no Rondo, they scored 93.8 and allowed 110.8.

Boston led 37-17 early in the second quarter, their biggest lead of the series.

“We are going to miss Rondo, no doubt about it,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said.

Though Chicago leads the best-of-7 series 2-1 after two surprising victories in Boston, Rondo’s return in this series is unlikely. Doctors told Rondo he will miss a couple of weeks, and he said, “Right now, I can’t even use a fork with my thumb.”

Rondo had been stellar for the Bulls in the final two months of the season, and in Games 1 and 2, the 2012-13 All-Star version of Rondo was on display.

“It couldn’t have come at a worse time,” he said.

Rondo said he injured the thumb in the second half of Game 2 trying to steal a pass intended for Celtics big man Al Horford.

“I swiped up to make a play on the ball, I knew right then and there something was wrong with my thumb.”

Adrenaline carried him through the rest of the game.

Rondo watched Game 3 from the bench and will try to help where he can.

“I’m going to go home and watch film and see what we can do better,” Rondo said.

If guards want input, Rondo is ready to help.

“I try not to be too much in their ear and let them play the game. If they have any questions, they ask me. But I also let them know what I see every once in a while.”

Hoiberg said he and his staff will watch film and determined what, if any changes, he will make with the starting lineup and rotation.

Disappointed as the Bulls are with Rondo’s injury, they aren’t deflated. Or at least aren’t admitting it.

“We have confidence in our other guys,” Hoiberg said. “Tonight, they threw the first punch at us, and it took us a whole quarter before we responded.”

The bright spot? After falling behind by 20 in the second quarter, Chicago cut the deficit to 44-41 by halftime. Boston then controlled the second half.

It didn’t help that All-Star guard Jimmy Butler shot 7-for-21 from the field and had no assists. He had 11 assists in the first two games, and the Bulls need more of that playmaking.

He sat in the locker room waiting for the Celtics to finish their postgame press conference at the dais and told USA TODAY Sports the loss had less to do with Rondo’s absence and more to do with the way Chicago played.

“We need to play better defensively,” Bulls shooting guard Dwyane Wade said. “Our offense is going to take care of itself in the end. We didn’t lose the game because of offense. … They made some adjustments like you’re supposed to do in the playoffs. Now, it’s our job to come back, make the defensive adjustments that we have to make on some new things they did.”

The complexion of a series can change from game to game. The Celtics still need to win three of the next four games, including two in Chicago.

“We have to come in and take care of business at home,” Wade said.

If the Bulls win Game 4 on Sunday, the complexion of the series will change again.

Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt