Jeremy Lin recorded 14 points and 8 assists in 31 minutes off the bench, while Nick Young poured in 29 points and hit the game-winning trey with seven seconds left in the game as the Los Angeles Lakers edged the San Antonio Spurs 112-110 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The Lakers recorded their third back-to-back winning streak of the season a day after Kobe Bryant went berserk during a 5-on-5 practice in the team's training facility El Segundo, California.
In what was the most intense day of practice this season for the Lakers, the 36-year old Bryant called out his teammates, particularly Lin and Young, for not playing hard on the court. In fact, he even compared these players' fragileness to a tissue brand.
"You m-----f------ are soft like Charmin in this m-----f-----. God damn, is this the type of s--- that's going on in these practices? Now I see why we've lost 20 f---ing games. We're soft like Charmin. We're soft like s---."
According to ESPN LA correspondent Arash Markazi, Bryant also expressed his frustration in seeing Lin being passive in shooting the ball since head coach Byron Scott pulled him out of the starting lineup after assuming the role as the team's primarily ball handler in the first 21 games.
"This m-----f----- don't got s---. He ain't got s--- right now. Shoot! Shoot!" After Lin missed a pull-up jumper, Bryant said, "I talked his ass right into that bulls---. I talked his ass right into that bulls---."
While many considers Bryant's motivating tactics a bit rough, the Lakers superstar did not regret calling out his teammates if he didn't see them putting in enough work for the team.
Bryant wound up 10 point short of surpassing Michael Jordan for no.3 in All-Time scoring list, but the win nevertheless had given the Lakers star hope that his team could stay relevant in a very competitive Western Conference playoff race.
For Lin, his recent performance against the Spurs might be what he has been looking for. Obviously, Scott's decision to relegate him to the bench has somehow hurt his morale, but the Asian-American star has finally given signs that he can still be an impact player off the bench of the Lakers.
On Sunday, Lin and the Lakers will have the chance to keep their momentum going as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game in which they are considered the slight favorites.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
