Rajon Rondo expected to return in second round?

The Los Angeles Lakers fairly easily dispatched of the Portland Trail Blazers without Rajon Rondo. Now Rondo could be back for the next series.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Monday that the team is hopeful Rondo will return at some point in the second round of the playoffs, per Melissa Rohlin of Sports Illustrated. The Lakers will face either the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder in that series.

Rondo, who fractured his right thumb in mid-July, is back in the bubble and has cleared quarantine. He appeared close to playing in the first round but developed back spasms that ultimately kept him sidelined.

The Lakers seem to be in good spirits right now, and having the former All-Star Rondo back in the lineup should be a further boost for them.