Still without their starting point guard Jeremy Lin, who is set to be reevaluated Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets lost their second straight game, falling 125-118 against the upstart Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nets got a solid performance from the returning Brook Lopez, who powered his way to 30 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, but ultimately didn’t have enough in the second night of a back-to-back against the young Lakers, who were led by D’Angelo Russell’s 32 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
Jeremy Lin has missed the last six games with a hamstring injury that he suffered in a Nov. 2 game against the Detroit Pistons. In the five games he has played this season, he looked to be poised to have a career year, averaging 15 points, 6.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals.
The Nets have also been playing without guard Greivis Vasquez (ankle), while Randy Foye (hamstring) has only played five games so far this season. Despite the rash of injuries that has led the team to field a mish-mashed lineup, the Nets have comparatively performed better thus far than their 21-win season last year, being relatively more competitive in most of their 4-7 campaign this season.
But Jeremy Lin has been making himself useful despite being in street clothes for the past six games. Speaking to Sarah Kustok of YES Network, Jeremy Lin said he has been charting plays while on the bench, for him to get a better understanding of the team’s offense under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. He added that he’s finding out which combination of plays work and in which situations. The practice has translated to him being very vocal on the bench, instructing his teammates on what plays to run and when.
Following back-to-back games in Los Angeles, the Nets get a two-day rest before visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday.
