The Brooklyn Nets rested Jeremy Lin, Brook Lopez and Trevor Booker in their final game of the regular season against the Chicago Bulls. Although Lin is a competitive player, he appreciates the Nets' effort to ensure his health heading into the offseason.
The Nets were without Jeremy Lin and five other players in the blowout loss to the Bulls on Wednesday. They were given the night off as the team played for the final time in the 2016-17 NBA season. Archie Goodwin led Brooklyn in the 112-73 defeat with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench, per NBA.com.
KJ McDaniels, who also came off the bench, added 15 points and six boards while Caris LeVert is the only starter to reach double figures. He finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists. Jimmy Butler had 25 points, six boards, four dimes and four steals to lead Chicago to the playoffs.
After the game, Jeremy Lin told Newsday in an interview that he wanted to play against the Bulls because he is a competitor. However, he appreciated the Nets for resting him to preserve his body heading into the summer.
"As a competitor, I would love to play but I definitely understand why the organization wants to look out for me, and I appreciate that. Kenny (Atkinson) talked to me, so, I understood where he was coming from," Lin said.
Jeremy Lin missed a total of 46 games this season with only one coming from a rest, which was the final game of the regular season. He suffered a couple of hamstring injuries at the start of the season and right after Christmas. He then had a setback during his rehab before returning to the lineup after the All-Star break.
The Nets would have been in a better position if Jeremy Lin did not get injured. He helped the team reached 20 wins and they were playing really well in the final couple of months of the season. They are looking to improve the team next season and possibly compete for the playoffs.
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
