Jeremy Lin scored a season-high 29 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers get past the lottery bound Philadelphia 76ers, 101-87.
Lin had his best game in a Lakers uniform, as he added five assists and five rebounds on 10 of 16 shooting to his 29 points. He was also 2 for 2 from three-point distance and had a plus and minus of plus-10.
The Lakers started the game off slowly, committing six first quarter turnovers compared to only two by the Sixers. They went down 20-18 at the end of the first and fell behind by six, 47-41, at halftime.
Jordan Hill put in a perfect first half, scoring 12 points on 6 for 6 shooting to go along with five rebounds.
The Lakers came out of halftime reenergized and ready to play. Third quarters have been a problem area for them this season, but in this game, they played much better, outscoring the 76ers 33-28. The defense was still not up to par, but the Lakers were moving the ball more and finding quality shots.
The fourth quarter was completely controlled by Lin, who gathered 12 points and three assists in the period. It also helped that Philadelphia shot 4 of 18 in the quarter, scoring just 12 points.
Jordan Hill, who had the aforementioned 12 points at halftime, finished the game with the same total, having shot just one field goal in the second half. He added eight rebounds and three assists to his total. Meanwhile, Jabari Brown, who was signed to a second 10-day contract recently, Wesley Johnson, and Wayne Ellington all ended with 10 points apiece.
Brown has been a pleasant surprise, efficiently shooting the ball and not forcing the issue. He is likely to be signed for the rest of the season, as he continues to impress the coaching staff with his solid play.
For the Sixers, Thomas Robinson shined off the bench with 14 points and eight rebounds on 7 of 8 shooting in 16 minutes. He has been seeing some action in Philly which is allowing him to show some of his potential. Veteran Luc Mbah a Moute added 13 points, while Robert Covington put in 11 of his own. Rookie of the Year candidate Nerlens Noel had a quiet night, placing nine points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in 33 minutes.
The benches for both teams were phenomenal. The Lakers bench put in 59 points, while the 76ers bench pushed in 50 points. However, the Lakers had a huge edge in rebounding, out-boarding the Sixers, 52-39, and out shooting them, 48 percent to 36 percent.
This win obviously doesn’t mean much for the Lakers since they are already eliminated, but the Lakers did end their four-game losing streak. They improved to 18-50 on the season, which is still fourth worst in the league, while the Philadelphia 76ers dropped to 17-53, which is third worst in the league. These two teams will meet again eight days later in Philadelphia.
The Lakers will now hit the road for five games, starting Tuesday against the eighth seeded Oklahoma City Thunder where they will try to play spoilers. The Sixers, who are on a short West coast trip, will visit the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, March 24th.