The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their sixth straight game and first game of a seven-game road trip, but that was not the biggest story of the night.
In the second quarter, shooting guard Nick Young took a hard foul from Alex Len of the Phoenix Suns and immediately went after Len. He was involved in a scuffle and ended up being ejected for a punching foul.
According to Mike Trudell of TWC SportsNet, Laker point guard Kendall Marshall shared his thoughts on Young’s reaction:
Marshall on all the action starting w/Len’s foul on Young: “We got 7 guys, so maybe at that time you just have to chill out.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 16, 2014
It’s no secret that the Lakers are struggling with health issues and could not afford to lose a player, especially their leading scorer. Young had nine points at the time and was on his way to another double-digit game before the altercation.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN LA, Marshall had more to say about Young and his actions:
More Kendall Marshall on Nick Young’s claim that nobody backed him up: “Nick kind of saw what he wanted to see at the time”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 16, 2014
After the game, Young was disappointed in the fact that none of his teammates came over to assist him as the Suns’ team surrounded him. Marshall understood Young’s frustration, but stood by the fact that the Lakers are dealing with injuries and need all the players they can get. On the season, Young is averaging 16.4 points off the bench in just over 28 minutes per game. He will likely be fined and may be suspended for his actions. The Lakers will have to wait for the NBA to decide his fate.
Now, the team heads to Boston for a matchup against the Celtics on Friday and could be without Young.
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