Jeremy Lin (Photo : Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters)
The Los Angeles Lakers, already the most injury-hit team in the NBA this season, missed the service of point guard Jeremy Lin for second consecutive game due to upper respiratory infection in Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, while shooting guard Nick Young are still out with a fractured left knee.
Lakers beat writer Mark Medina of Inside SoCal.com announced on his Twitter account that the 26-year old Lin was ruled out two games in a row as a sinus illness continues to bother him.
Lin, who is arguably the best-performing Lakers after All-Star break, recorded a game-high 29 points on 10-for-16 field goal shooting and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in the Lakers' first meeting with the Sixers on March 22.
The Asian-American started the first 20 games of the season before he was relegated to the bench due to inconsistencies and defensive lapses. However, Lin came out from a one-week All-Star break like a man on a mission, as he delivered his best stretch of basketball in the second half of the 2014-15 season to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 assists per game, the 26-year old Lin will become an unrestricted free-agent this offseason.
Meanwhile, Young will wait another week before his fractured left knee will be re-evaluated. Young, who is averaging 13.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, last saw action in Feb. 22 game against the Boston Celtics, in which he scored 19 points in 26 minutes.
"But in the past month, it has become reduced to non-injury updates. The Lakers said on Sunday that the condition surrounding his fractured left knee has not changed, sidelining him for approximately another week until the team evaluates him again. Young has missed the past 18 games, and appears in jeopardy in not playing any of the team's 10 remaining contests," vis Inside SoCal.com.
