The Los Angeles Lakers were finally able to come out with a win on Sunday night by getting the best of the visiting Charlotte Hornets at the Staples Center. Not only are the Lakers no longer winless, but Jeremy Lin had arguably one of his best games in purple and gold thus far.
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Following the win over the Hornets, Lin spoke to the media about the first win of the season and stressed the team’s play defensively for their success on Sunday:
“From an X’s and O’s standpoint, I think we played really hard tonight. Everybody gave everything they had. We had big contributions all around the board. If you talk about which stretch was the best stretch, it was the stretch where we were doing it right on the defensive end, and the defense is what is going to carry us.”
Lin tied a team-high with 21 points while also adding seven assists, three rebounds and a steal. In the third quarter, Lin turned it on and started to shine scoring 12 of his 21 points.
Throughout the first five games of the season, Lin struggled to get into a groove offensively and was criticized for his play. The veteran point guard has been hesitant to be aggressive on that side of the floor, but seems to be getting more and more comfortable as the season progresses.
If Lin can become that consistent scoring threat, with Nick Young still recovering from surgery on his injured thumb, Kobe will no longer have to shoulder the load. There’s no question that Lin is more than capable of being a force offensively, but it is a matter of consistency.
The Lakers will be put to the test heading into their next matchup against one of the better defensive-minded teams in the Western Conference. Lin and company will travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies in the first game of a back-to-back on the road.
On Wednesday, the New Orleans Pelicans will host the Lakers in another tough matchup. Anthony Davis is already a legitimate MVP candidate and will test the likes of Jordan Hill and Ed Davis in the frontcourt.
[divide]Ed Davis With A Hilarious Tweet To Charles Barkley After Lakers Win