After starting for the first 20 games for the purple-and-gold, Jeremy Lin was demoted back to the bench as a backup point guard for veteran playmaker Ronnie Price on Sunday.
But despite Byron Scott's lineup changes, the Los Angeles Lakers still fell to their third straight loss at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans 104-87 on Sunday at Staples Center.
The 26-year old Lin might have seen the end of his days as the premier playmaker for the Lakers after just one month in his starting job.
Price, who was signed to be a third-stringer guard for the Lakers this season, has now vaulted into the starting lineup on Sunday, and there were signs that this setup will continue for the remainder of the season.
"If you look at our record, we have to make changes -- at least I think I do," Scott told the press after the loss via ESPN. "As a coach, I'm not going to stand pat and just watch it continue to be played this way. So to me, it was a no-brainer. The reason is obviously on the defensive end. The last five games I've been thinking about this."
The 26-year old Lin hardly made his presence felt, recording three points and four assists in 20 minutes of action. Still, Price had a worse output between the two Lakers guards as he contributed just three points and three assists in his debut as a starter.
Kobe Bryant led way for the Lakers with 14 points on 6-for-18 shooting along with four assists and three rebounds in 32 minutes, while Nick Young contributed 13 markers off the bench. Carlos Boozer also saw his starting streak (588 consecutive games) come to an end, as Ed Davis replaced him at the power forward slot.
The Lakers, who ended their three-game Eastern Conference road swing losing to the Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics, shot 40 percent from the field and allowed the Pelicans to shot 52 percent from the field, including 44 percent from beyond the arc.
MVP contender Anthony Davis put up another monster game with 23 points on 11-for-15 shooting along with six rebounds and two blocks and Jrue Holiday added 22 points and 8 assists to give the Pelicans its second win over the purple-and-gold this season.
With another defeat, the Lakers fell to 5-16 in the season - franchise's worst at this point of the season. The Pelicans, on the other hand, improved to 9-10.
