Lakers will be without Rondo for a bit

LOS ANGELES — With his broken right hand dressed in a splint, Rajon Rondo was on the practice court Thursday offering instructions and advice to the Los Angeles Lakers’ second unit even though he knew he was going to be having surgery to repair the third metacarpal of his right hand.

The Lakers said that Rondo had a successful procedure Thursday night and is expected to be sidelined four to five weeks while recovering from an injury suffered in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at Staples Center.

“We have to shake it off,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “Of course you’re always aware of the reality of what’s going on. We don’t act like it didn’t happen, but we acknowledge it and we move forward.

“As a group, we’ll figure out what rotations are working the best, who’s handling certain responsibilities giving our team the best shot of winning. And we said it earlier in the season, and we’ll say it again, it’s adversity. How do we respond? And if we respond the right way, we’re stronger when we get to the other side of it. And it won’t be the last time this season we have some.”

Rondo and Lonzo Ball have split the minutes almost equally at point guard, with Rondo averaging 25.3 minutes a game and Ball 26.1.

Walton can use LeBron James, Brandon Ingram and Lance Stephenson as backup point guards while Rondo is sidelined.