Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin returned from an ankle sprain injury and already made his presence felt in Tuesday's 114-108 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns, as his impressive play in limited minutes caught the attention of superstar Kobe Bryant.
After missing three preseason games due to a sprained ankle, the 26-year old Lin already put up some work as he finished with 15 points on 3-for-5 field goal shooting and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line along with five assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
Lin's plays on both ends of the floor at the end of the first half and in the fourth quarter were crucial in powering the Lakers back into the game after trailing the up-and-coming Suns for most of the night.
In fact, the Lakers had a chance to take the victory at 94-92 with 11.5 seconds left in regulation, but combo guard Isaiah Thomas buried a game-tying jumper from the corner to send the game into overtime.
Bryant, who rallied the Lakers in the fourth and finished the game with 27 points on 10-for-20 field goal shooting, gave some props to Lin for an excellent game in his first outing after injury, believing the former Harvard standout is a big difference for the team.
"Jeremy Lin makes a big difference - creating shots for others, somebody else that can penetrate and make plays for others and put pressure on the defense. It makes a really big difference," Bryant said in an interview with Lakers' Nation.
Lin, who is projected to be the team's starting point guard as Steve Nash continues to deal with his back problem, has also been handling the ball well this preseason by managing lesser turnovers.
With Lin starting to find his groove in purple-and-gold, many experts, including Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons, believed the Asian-American star is going to be a lot brighter this season with the immense opportunity given to him.
On Thursday, Lin and the Lakers will again test their mettle against the Portland Trail Blazers in Ontario at the Citizens Bank Arena.
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