Lakers guard Jeremy Lin scored game-high 23 points and added 8 assists in a 104-103 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Lin played 30 minutes coming off the bench, once again getting key hoops to keep the Lakers close–especially in the second and third quarters. Coach Byron Scott was again frustrated with his team’s inexplicable complacency after halftime, saying “We come out lackadaisical and the other team comes out with more aggressiveness…We have to come out like we are down 15 or 20 points.” (Note to Scott: that hasn’t worked either, being down 20!) But Lin has been excluded from Scott’s recent criticism.
Lin entered the Charlotte game averaging 17 points per game since the All-Star break. Lin is consistently able to get into the paint and make things happen on offense for the Lakers. Scott–who has made Lin’s time in LA difficult–is having a hard time ignoring the fact. Before the Charlotte game, Scott even teased about returning Lin to the starting five. After Lin scored 20 against OKC, Scott said he was “really happy with the way he’s starting to show that consistent effort for every single night.” Lin’s take on the change? “I’m being given the minutes and the spacing and the style of play,” he said.
