The Los Angeles Lakers looked better in a 105-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers because Jeremy Lin felt healthier and stronger, but it wasn’t enough. Meanwhile, the joke on the sidelines known as Byron Scott is using extreme measures to try and make it seem like he’s doing a good job.

But we’ll begin with the relatively decent news of Lin putting in his best performance since his infection which led to some missed games and weaker performances. He scored 14 points and finished with 5 assists, missing some open shots and probably should have been a bit more consistent when attacking the basket, not finding it hard to get to the line (6-of-6 from the line) when he did make his way there.

Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points for the Lakers who did a good job in the second half of coming back to the game 48 hours after getting blown out by the Clippers. This time the offense seemed like it had a clue of what’s going on (hint: more Lin on the floor, although probably not enough with just 24 minutes). The defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone all season long, so why should it begin with J.J. Redick, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin?

Lin said after the game who difficult it was chasing Redick, maybe the hottest player in the league right now outside of the Harden-Westbrook-Curry trio, and Paul. Paul finished with a 19 points, 10 assists double double while Redick scored 27 points, co-leading the Clippers in scoring along with Blake Griffin.

Meanwhile, Byron Scott is hard at work. Not in trying to improve his players, teach them from his experience as a player and coach, or implementing some sort of system on offense or defense (it’s a bit late for that). No, he’s busy doing the only thing he seems to be qualified to do: Throw his own players under the bus, removing any guilt from his own, useless shoulders.

After the last two games. I was probably as frustrated as anybody, because all season long, our guys have put in a hell of an effort, no matter if we’ve been outmanned or whatever the case may be. I thought the last two games, we didn’t come close. So that frustration boiled over. At that particular time, there wasn’t a lot of guys that I would want to be in the foxhole with. I want guys that I know I can go to battle with. That’s the bottom line no matter how the season is going. And this game? I don’t think anyone had a great game but our effort was greatly improved.

There’s also his long, ongoing feud with Nick Young. It doesn’t really matter at this point, with the Lakers breaking the franchise record for losses and playing with a team that’s going to look very different next season, with new faces and plenty of new teams for the current roster. But Scott is acting as if he’s some victim of circumstances, and deserves another chance with a better roster.

The truth is pretty much the opposite. A washed up coach who feels out of touch and out of place with the NBA, who never really was innovative or influential, clawing on to the last job he’ll ever have as a head coach by making sure the media knows it’s everyone’s fault but his own.

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