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Lakers

Lakers make many lineup changes, will start rookie Jordan Clarkson

Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson, right, works his way around Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke last season.

Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson, right, works his way around Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke last season.

(Rick Bowmer / Associated Press)
By Mike Bresnahan
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Coach Byron Scott made wholesale changes to the Lakers’ starting lineup, benching Wesley Johnson, Ed Davis and Ronnie Price in favor of rookie Jordan Clarkson, Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre for Friday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Sacre had racked up a slew of DNPs in recent weeks, while Clarkson had been firmly behind Price and Jeremy Lin in the point guard rotation.

Clarkson had played sparingly after being a second-round draft pick last June.

“I just thought it was time, to be honest with you,” Scott said. “He’s been out here for 40-something games now…I just want to see him in a bigger role.”

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Clarkson is from San Antonio and several of his friends and family members were expected to be at the game.

The Lakers’ other starters Friday will be Wayne Ellington and Jordan Hill, who will move to power forward so Sacre can play center.

The Lakers (12-31) have lost six consecutive games.

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Mike Bresnahan

Mike Bresnahan previously covered the Lakers for the Los Angeles Times. He started the beat in 2004, a month after Shaquille O’Neal was traded, and covered several seasons of mediocrity before the Lakers won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. Now they’re back to mediocrity. Bresnahan is from Los Angeles, started with The Times after graduating the University of Wisconsin in 1994, and has also covered the L.A. Kings, pro beach volleyball and numerous colleges and high schools. He left The Times in 2016.

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