Jeremy Lin recorded 14 points and 3 dimes in efficient 21 minutes of playing time, but the Los Angeles Lakers fell to their third straight loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic 103-97 at Amway Center on Friday.
After logging 30 minutes in an overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks 113-105 on Wednesday, Lin was placed back in Byron Scott's doghouse, despite dropping 18 points and 6 assists the last time the Lakers and Magic played each other at Staples Center last month.
Jordan Clarkson, who scored two points on 0-for-4 shooting in his last go-around, started at the point guard spot and played 31 minutes, recording 14 points and 6 assists while shooting 6-for-14 from the field.
Powered by a 29-12 run in the second quarter, the Lakers took a 14-point lead at the break. But the Magic stormed back with fury in the second half, as Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic teamed up to keep their team within striking distance entering the fourth quarter.
Playing for the first time since Jacque Vaughn was relief from his head coaching duties, the young Magic showed poised down the stretch, including the overtime period, to bag their 16th win of the season and first win under interim head coach James Borrego.
"It was a huge win for J.B; I think everybody was pulling for him in his first game," Harris said. "He deserves it more than anybody. ... That's the challenge, our task right now: Can we turn it around or will we just lie down and roll over ourselves? I thought this was a step in the right direction," Harris said of Borrego's first win as an NBA head coach via ESPN.
Harris registered 34 points on 14-for-18 shooting while Vucevic racked up another double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
It marked the second consecutive overtime loss for the Lakers, who now dropped to 13-37 in the season and have remained in 'contention' to finish in the bottom five of the standings overall. Ryan Kelly led way with 20 points and Carlos Boozer chipped in with 14 points in 18 minutes.
