Mavs' Rondo has back injury, out indefinitely

Apr 22, 2015 - 9:38 PM Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Already down 2-0 in their Western Conference quarterfinals series with the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks now figure to have even more of an uphill climb.

The team announced Wednesday that point guard Rajon Rondo will be sidelined indefinitely with a back injury that limited him to just 34 seconds of playing time during the second half of Tuesday's Game 2 loss to the Rockets.

Additionally, forward Chandler Parsons has been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason due to an ailing right knee that caused the former Rocket to miss Tuesday's game.

Speculation had existed that Rondo was benched by Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle during Tuesday's 111-99 loss. The four-time All-Star picked up two quick fouls as well as a technical in the opening minute of the third quarter, and did not take the court for the remainder of the contest.

Rondo has had previous run-ins with Carlisle since joining Dallas in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics in December. The two engaged in a shouting match during a timeout of a game against Toronto on Feb. 24, leading to the Mavericks suspending Rondo for the team's following game.

A free agent at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, Rondo's brief tenure in Dallas has been mostly disappointing. In 22 regular-season games with the Mavs, the 29-year-old has averaged just 9.3 points -- his lowest mark since his rookie campaign of 2006-07 -- and 6.5 assists.

Rondo tallied 15 points and five assists in Dallas' Game 1 loss, but was whistled for four fouls in only 10 minutes of time in Tuesday's setback.

Parsons, one of Dallas' top perimeter shooters, returned from a 16-day absence to log 37 minutes in Houston's 118-108 win in Game 1. He was too sore to go on Tuesday, however, and is considering undergoing surgery to address his knee problems.

On a positive note, the Mavericks expect to have guard Devin Harris back in the lineup for Friday's Game 3. The 11-year veteran sat out Game 2 with a sprained left toe and was limited to just 10 minutes in the series opener.