Road To Redemption

[Jumpman14]

Just wating on a decent roster to start this up. May just use the opening night rosters when they come out.

[Jumpman14]

Warriors beat Lakers 120-105 with 25 from Thompson

Recap | Box Score | Highlights

LOS ANGELES -- Klay Thompson scored 25 points and backcourt-mate Stephen Curry added 20, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 120-105 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Kobe Bryant, playing his first game at Staples Center since Dec. 10, 2013, scored 15 points in 23 minutes before sitting out the fourth quarter. The two-time scoring champion appeared in only six games last season because of a ruptured Achilles tear and a fracture in his left knee.

Coach Byron Scott rested 40-year-old point guard Steve Nash. The two-time MVP was limited to 15 games last season due to nerve-root irritation in his left leg. Newcomer Jeremy Lin started in Nash's place, finishing with 14 points and four assists. Carlos Boozer had a team-high 16 points.

Scott said before the game that he and his staff will eventually map out a schedule for Nash in back-to-back scenarios. The Lakers have 16 sets of back-to-back games on their schedule, the fewest in the league.

Thompson powered Golden State to a 62-44 halftime lead with 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting and was 4 for 4 from 3-point range. He made his first three shots, all from behind the arc during the first 3:27. The Warriors attempted 20 free throws in the first quarter and made 13, but didn't get to the line again until Andre Iguodala converted one of two with 36 seconds left in the half.

Bryant stole the ball from Curry and converted it into a breakaway dunk, then intercepted a pass by Andrew Bogut to set up a breakaway layup by Lin 13 seconds later. That trimmed Golden State's lead to 30-21 with 2:40 left in the first, but the Warriors pulled away with a 14-2 run during the final 3 1/2 minutes of the half and held a 96-75 lead after three quarters.

[Jumpman14]

Updated: October 10, 2014, 12:32 AM ET

Jordan Clarkson (calf) out at least one week
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ESPN.com news services

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson will be out for at least one week with a strained left calf muscle.

The Lakers announced the rookie's diagnosis Friday.

Clarkson

Clarkson was hurt during the second quarter of the Lakers' preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

The Lakers drafted Clarkson in the second round last June. He played two seasons at Tulsa before finishing his college career with one season at Missouri.

He is hoping to catch on as a point guard with the Lakers behind Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin.

[Jumpman14]

Updated: October 11, 2014, 2:29 AM ET

Lin sprains ankle during practice
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ESPN.com news services

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin suffered a sprained left ankle during practice Saturday and will be re-evaluated Sunday.

“I think Robert Sacre stepped on his ankle when they were playing five-on-five,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said after practice. “He turned it a little bit that way so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He was a in a little pain. He got up and kind of walked out on his own but he was in a little pain.”

Lin

Scott said if Lin felt like he could play during Sunday’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors, he would not hesitate in playing him but wanted to see how he felt.

“It just depends of how he feels because he’s still trying to get acclimated to what we’re doing as well,” Scott said. “So the more I can play him and the more he’s out there, the better it is for him, but if that thing is real tender tomorrow, we’ll probably have to sit him down.”

Steve Nash, who sat out the Lakers’ last preseason game Thursday, and Kobe Bryant are still game-time decisions for Sunday’s preseason game in Ontario, Calif. Scott has been cautious with Nash during training camp and has wanted to give Bryant a rest during a preseason game and had previously pointed to Sunday as a possibility.

“I don’t know yet,” Scott said. “A lot of it will depend on how they feel. Steve felt a lot better today and did everything except the last part of the scrimmage. He said he felt pretty good. He just wanted to get some treatment and get off his feet. Kobe did everything except for the last part of the scrimmage as well. He said he feels great.”

Nick Young, who had surgery Monday to repair the torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb, returned to practice Saturday and went through running drills and layup drills with his left hand.

“I love the fact that he was out there,” Scott said. “He didn’t do anything but dribble with his left hand and then running in drills that didn’t have anything to do with basketball. I thought that was a good sign.”

Young said he is hoping to be back on the court sooner than the initial eight-month diagnosis and is planning to get the cast off his right hand in five weeks.

“It’s tough but I’m feeling a lot better,” Young said. “I’m just running right now and doing left hand layups.”

Xavier Henry, who has been dealing with back spasms, went through his first full practice of training camp but will not play as he works himself back into shape.

“He looked OK,” Scott said. “He looked rusty. It’s obviously been awhile since he’s been on the basketball court, but just to have him out there was a good sight to see. He went through pretty much everything. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and hopefully take the next step in getting him in better condition and getting him to understand what we’re doing on both ends of the floor.”

[Number999]

Hah! When I saw you were doing a Lakers franchise and recently Scott said that 3s aren't reliable to make the playoffs, I was gonna say you shouldn't try to attempt any in the franchise.. good to see you've decided it!

[Jumpman14]

Warriors blitz Lakers early in 116-75 rout

Recap | Box Score | Highlights

ONTARIO, Calif. -- Stephen Curry scored 12 of his 25 points in the first 2 1/2 minutes, helping the Golden State Warriors get off to a fast start and beat the banged-up Los Angeles Lakers 116-75 in a preseason game Sunday night.

Klay Thompson added 16 points and David Lee had 14 for the Warriors, who started the game with a 24-5 run. Andre Iguodala, whose nose was broken during a loss to the Lakers on Thursday, wore a facemask and finished with four points and eight assists in 21 minutes.

The Lakers were outscored by 39 points during Kobe Bryant's 24 minutes on the court. He scored six points on 3-for-13 shooting. Los Angeles missed 11 of its first 13 shots, finishing at 37 percent overall. Reserves Robert Sacre and Wayne Ellington scored 12 points apiece.

Curry and Thompson converted four-point plays during the Warriors' early surge after fouls by Steve Nash and Wesley Johnson, respectively. Johnson added to the Lakers' futility by blowing a breakaway slam dunk attempt moments later.

Golden State led 39-13 after the first quarter as Bryant and Steve Nash combined to shoot 1 for 14. The lead was 63-36 at halftime.

Jeremy Lin (sprained left ankle), Jordan Clarkson (sprained calf) and Xavier Henry (back spasms) were all out for the Lakers.

[Jumpman14]

Updated: October 12, 2014, 10:18 PM ET

Steve Nash asks out of game vs. Warriors, status uncertain
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ESPN.com news services

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash asked out of Sunday night’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors and did not return to the game.

“We talked a little bit before the game, and he said he just wasn’t feeling quite right. But he wanted to play, he wanted to give it a try,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “After the first quarter he said, ‘Coach, you know what, I’m done.

Nash

“I don’t know what’s really going on with him, but he said he didn’t feel quite right.”

Nash played the full 12 minutes in the first quarter alongside Kobe Bryant and finished with three points, two rebounds and an assist as the Warriors jumped out to a 39-13 first quarter lead.

Scott had said he sat Nash out of the Lakers’ preseason game on Thursday against the Warriors just to give him some rest.

But Scott hinted after Saturday’s practice that there may have been more to that when he said, “Steve felt a lot better today and did everything except the last part of the scrimmage. He said he felt pretty good. He just wanted to get some treatment and get off his feet.”

Nash was not made available to reporters after the game and his status for the Lakers’ next preseason game on Thursday against the Utah Jazz is still be to determined.

Nash, who turns 41 in February, played in only 15 games last season due to nerve root irritation in his left leg.

[Jumpman14]

Updated: October 12, 2014, 10:18 PM ET

Lin or Nash?
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ESPN.com news services

Entering what is probably his final NBA season, two-time MVP Steve Nash faces the very real prospect of spending it in a new role: as a backup.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott said Jeremy Lin could become the team's starting point guard because of Nash's nagging health issues.

Nash

Lin

"That is something I'm definitely thinking about it," Scott said after the team's practice Tuesday. "Is it in our best interest to start Jeremy or Ronnie [Price] or do we wait day by day, game by game? We'll play these last five preseason games out. We'll figure it out from there."

Said Lin: "Whatever position [Scott] calls me to, I'll do my best. It doesn't change that much to me. No question I want to be a starter. But it's one of those things that game by game it changes so much.

Nash played in the Lakers' preseason opener, sat out the second exhibition game and played briefly in the third before asking to come out, saying he didn't feel right.

Nash hasn't practiced for two consecutive days and hasn't spoken to reporters since Sunday's game. His status for Thursday's exhibition game against the Utah Jazz is unclear.

At 40, Nash is the NBA's oldest active player and is in the final year of a three-year, $28-million contract. The 18-year NBA veteran played only 15 games last season, averaging 6.8 points and 5.7 assists.

"I have no doubt in my mind if I went to Steve tomorrow and said, 'I'm going to start Jeremy, and the games you're available we're going to bring you off the bench,' " Scott said. "He's such a professional that I don�t think it will be a problem whatsoever. He just wants to help the team win as much as he can. That's not a concern of mine. But we haven't talked about it."