Jeremy Lin, who is having the best stretch of the season, missed the Los Angeles Lakers' 107-99 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday with an upper respiratory infection, according to a Lakers insider.
After dropping 18 points along with seven rebounds against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, Lin had to sit the Lakers' second showdown with the Nets this season after his mild sinus symptom worsened a day after the game.
Few weeks ago, Lin recorded 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting in 24 minutes in an earlier loss to the Brooklyn Nets, 114-105. Setting aside the outcome of the game, it served as a breakout game for Lin, who then put up a string of strong performances for the second half of the 2014-15 NBA season.
According to TWC Sports Net reporter Mike Trudell, his recent absence marked the first time Lin would sit out a game due to injury. Prior to Sunday, the Lakers topped the league in most missed games due to injury and illness this season with 273 games.
With Lin missing in action, Byron Scott inserted Wayne Ellington to the starting lineup and paired him with another up-and-coming guard, rookie playmaker Jordan Clarkson. Ellington and Clarkson combined for 31 points, but Jordan Hill was the brightest spot of the night with his 22-point and 16-board effort.
In the end, the Nets' 11-point lead in the second half was just too much for the Lin-less Lakers to overcome. Brook Lopez recorded 30 points and 11 boards while Joe Johnson tallied 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 36 minutes of action for the Nets (32-40), who put themselves in contention for a playoff spot with roughly three weeks left in the season.
The Lakers, on the other hand, fell to 19-53 in the season but they have a solid shot at retaining a top-5 first round pick in the upcoming draft.