Lakers sit Jeremy Lin, go with younger starters in 99-85 loss to Spurs
“Linsanity” wasn’t yet part of basketball lexicon the last time this happened.
But amid a rapidly disintegrating Lakers season, Jeremy Lin was a healthy scratch Friday, a DNP-CD, whatever parlance you chose, for the first time since Feb. 2, 2012 … otherwise known as a handful of days before his out-of-nowhere two-month outburst with the New York Knicks.
Rookie Jordan Clarkson got the start at point guard, Ronnie Price was the backup and Lin watched from the bench in a 99-85 Lakers loss to San Antonio.
Clarkson’s promotion was part of a bigger reshuffling by Coach Byron Scott, who also sat Wesley Johnson and Ed Davis in favor of Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre.
Clarkson, the 46th overall pick in last year’s draft, did fine in his first NBA start, totaling 11 points and four assists while showing good burst in 29 minutes.
“He just looked like he was very poised and the moment wasn’t too big for him,” said Scott, who added the Lakers hadn’t “turned the page” on the season by stocking the starting five with younger players.
As for Lin…
“I know what Jeremy can do, so the next game it might be different,” Scott said.
Lin left the locker room after talking to one reporter while a majority of them were still interviewing Scott outside the door. Lin later said on Twitter that he thought nobody had any questions for him and he would gladly talk to reporters after Saturday’s practice, which was subsequently canceled by Scott.
The Lakers (12-32) lost their seventh consecutive game and continued to wait for Monday, when Kobe Bryant was expected to make a final decision on surgery for a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
The Lakers surprised the Spurs here last month, 112-110, on Nick Young’s 30-foot three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime. Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich was so incensed that night, he twice referred to his team as “pitiful.”
Young had 17 points Friday but the Spurs (28-17) were hardly ornery afterward, getting 17 points from Tony Parker and never looking back after a 31-15 first-quarter lead.
More TV cancellations
TNT dropped its coverage of the New York-Lakers game March 12, replacing it with Memphis vs. Washington.
Earlier this week, ESPN canceled its broadcast of the Lakers-Knicks game Feb. 1 in New York.
Last week, ABC dropped the Oklahoma City-Lakers game March 1, though ESPN later picked it up. It was the Lakers’ only home game on ABC this season.
Twitter: Mike_Bresnahan
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