Lakers News: Latest on Anthony Davis' All-Defense Honor, Rajon Rondo and More

The Los Angeles Lakers sit just two wins shy of their first trip to the Western Conference Finals since 2010.

For the second straight series, the Purple and Gold have followed a Game 1 loss with multiple consecutive victories.

In the first round, they reeled off four straight wins to dispatch the Portland Trail Blazers in five games. Now, they've built a 2-1 lead over the Houston Rockets with Tuesday's 112-102 triumph and will look to make it three in a row when these teams meet again Thursday night.

For now, let's break down all the latest happenings in Laker Land.

Anthony Davis Becomes Sixth Laker Named To All-Defensive First Team

For the first time since 2012, the Lakers had someone named to the All-Defensive team.

Anthony Davis took first-team honors and garnered the second-most voting points (187), trailing only Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo's 195.

The 27-year-old, who ranked third in blocks and was one of two players to average at least 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals, joins Kobe Bryant, Michael Cooper, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as Lakers first-team honorees.

This was the fourth All-Defensive selection for Davis and his second time on the first team. The Lakers landed third in defensive efficiency in his debut season in Hollywood, a dramatic jump from last year's 13th-placed finish.

While Davis was the club's only honoree, he wasn't the only one to catch the voters' eye. LeBron James (seven points) and Avery Bradley (one) also received voters' support.

Rajon Rondo Bringing Back 'Playoff Rondo'

Before this series started, it was fair to question whether Rajon Rondo would impact it. And even if he did, there was no guarantee it would be a positive impact.

The 34-year-old had just finished one of the least productive seasons of his career (7.1 points and 5.0 assists per game) and missed the final portion of it with a fractured thumb. But the bright lights always seem to capture him at his best, and it's been no different in the conference-semifinal round.

Rondo's first outing was choppy, as he had more shots (nine) than points (eight) and registered a minus-10 across 25 minutes. But he started finding his form in Game 2 (10 points, nine assists and four steals), then took it up a notch in Game 3 with 21 points, nine assists and a plus-7 across his 30 minutes of floor time.

"I experienced it first hand in New Orleans. Playoff Rondo is real," teammate Davis told reporters. "His intensity picks up ... he's shooting the ball really well, making the right passes. His IQ is on another level."

Lakers Winning Big By Going Small

The strategic matchups in a playoff series can sometimes require a nuanced assessment, but even casual fans could spot the dilemma facing coach Frank Vogel and his staff.

With the center-less Rockets on the docket, would the Lakers try imposing their will with a jumbo lineup, or would they conjure up some small-ball magic of their own?

They tried taking the super-sized route in Game 1, as JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard combined for 24 minutes. But the Lakers were outscored by three points with their traditional centers on the floor, so they went with more non-traditional options in Game 2. Howard never saw the floor, and McGee played just eight minutes—that L.A. lost by eight points.

The Lakers started McGee in Game 3, but they limited him to just seven minutes (drawing even this time) and again went without Howard. Since they can go "small" while still playing the 6'10" Davis, 6'9" James, 6'8" Kyle Kuzma and 6'8" Markieff Morris, they still clobbered Houston on the glass (43-30), had six blocks to the Rockets' one and enjoyed a 56-46 edge in paint points.

"The way we're guarding now it makes more sense to have mobility," Vogel said of playing small.

As long as Davis is comfortable manning the middle, the Lakers should probably stick with this approach. It helps open up the paint on offense and makes them more versatile defensively.