Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin chipped in seven points, three rebounds and two assists in a thrilling 96-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The 27-year old Lin is still getting above 20 minutes of playing time - he played 22 minutes vs. the Pacers - despite the arrival of natural shooting guard Courtney Lee. However, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is opting for Lee over Lin now down the stretch.
Kemba Walker recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 dimes, while Marvin Williams exploded for 26 points on 9-for-13 shooting (5-for-9 from beyond the arc) along with 13 rebounds.
With the game on the line, Walker drove hard to the basket and made the game-winning layup with 2.4 seconds left to give the Hornets its sixth victory of their last seven games (30-27 overall).
Paul George had a team-high 32 points on 13-for-26 shooting, but it wasn't enough to save the Pacers, who are now neck-to-neck with the Hornets in the Eastern Conference with a 31-27 record.
As for Lin, the lack of playing time down the stretch, in which he racked up most of his stats, could affect his fantasy value. It wasn't long ago that Lin became among the hottest pickup on any league because of his ability to pile up numbers across the stats shots in limited minutes.
"With Courtney Lee now getting heavy burn at shooting guard, there won't be much time available for Lin. He's a drop candidate in most leagues. Although, he would gain value with an injury to any starting non-center," according to Roto World.
Lin is averaging 11.9 points, 3.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 26 minutes per game for the Hornets this season.