Lakers News: Latest on Kyle Kuzma Injury, Rajon Rondo's Impact

The Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-107 on Tuesday night, but they did not emerge unscathed.

Kyle Kuzma suffered an eye abrasion in the second quarter when Thunder forward Darius Bazley made a sweeping move to the basket and elbowed him in his right eye.

Kuzma had to leave the game because he was bleeding from the eye and was cleaned up and examined by the medical staff.

According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, Kuzma was cleared to play, but head coach Frank Vogel decided to use his "better judgement" by playing it safe and holding him out for the second half.

"It didn't look good," Vogel told Oram.

Mike Trudell of NBA.com reported that Kuzma will undergo further testing on his right eye to ensure there's no reason for concern.

Before exiting the game, Kuzma had tallied five points, including a three-pointer. After taking care of his eye, he watched the rest of the game from the bench.

With him on the sideline, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the next man up.

KCP drilled a three-point dagger with 55.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter to seal the game. He finished with 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field.

Kuzma has been working his way back into game shape after rehabbing a stress injury in his left foot.

"He's a heck of a scorer," Vogel told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times last week. "It adds a lot of firepower that we didn’t have in the lineup when we first started."

Through 10 games, he's averaging 13.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per outing.

Rajon Rondo's Got Swag

Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press

Rajon Rondo was integral in the Lakers' 112-107 win over the Thunder.

He scored eight points, pulled down two rebounds and dished out 10 assists.

But the numbers don't tell the whole story, according to coach Vogel.

"Rondo had 10 assists, but Rajon's statistics are not measured on the stat sheet, it's measured in swag," Vogel said in the post-game presser. "He just gives us some confidence and an air about us that we know we're going into a battle with just a heck of a basketball player. He just helps our swag.

"You should put swag on the stat sheet."

The NBA doesn't have any plans to add that swag to its official statistics log, but that doesn't matter because Vogel's already taking his own notes.

Still, Rondo isn't one to toot his own horn.

"It's a sign that guys are making shots for me," Rondo told Broderick Turner of the L.A. Times. "Other than that, I can't put too much into it. LeBron had 10 assists as well. I'm happy, more so that the team is collectively moving the ball. i want to take pride in taking care of the ball tonight."

Outside of his assists, Rondo is also known for his basketball IQ.

"Listen, me and 'Do, when it comes to IQ and being cerebral out on the floor, we don't need to say anything to each other," LeBron James said. "'Do just threw it up there and I used my abilities at 34, almost 35, to go get it."

Rondo's play is also a sign that he's building great chemistry with James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the team.

He's only been back in action for four games since being out with an injured right hand, but he's averaging 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists per contest.

"We obviously want the ball in LeBron’s hands as much as possible, but when he runs the second unit when LeBron is out, and even with the two of them playing really well together, I think that’s when we’re going to be at our best," Vogel said.

Maurice Bobb covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow Maurice on Twitter, @ReeseReport.