Nick Young returned to the court for the first time since February 5 after going down with a fracture in his left patella and a bone bruise in his left knee. Young scored 10 points in 20 minutes in the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night, but is still bothered by the injury.
According to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, the Laker guard discussed how his knee felt after the game:
Nick Young said he's definitely still feeling pain in his left knee.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 24, 2014
Young was injured against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month and returned to a Laker team with a few extra guards since the team acquired Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks from the Golden State Warriors for point guard Steve Blake. He may be re-evaluated depending on how his knee feels tomorrow and could be out Tuesday for the Lakers game against the Indiana Pacers on the road.
As arguably the team’s best player behind Pau Gasol this season, Young has been a great addition off the bench for the Lakers. Unfortunately, pain persists and Young was advised to wait until his pain-free according to Winters:
Nick Young: “The coaches keep telling me to wait till it’s pain-free, but I just love the game of basketball.”
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 24, 2014
The veteran joins a long list of Lakers that have missed time this season, as the team leads the league in games missed due to injury. Before the injury, Young had scored in double digits in eight of his last nine games played, reaching 20 points in four of those games.
The 28-year-old was making a case for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 16.9 points on the season off the bench. He’s started just nine of the 48 games he has participated in and has been one of the bright spots for the team this season. The self-named “Swaggy P” has become a fan favorite at Staples Center, earning chants of his nickname when he plays.
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