BASKETBALL/Jeremy Lin to miss at least 4 games due to foot injury

Taipei, Jan. 27 (CNA) Jeremy Lin (林書豪) will not play in the New Taipei Kings' next four games due to a lingering foot injury, the team said Saturday after Lin's latest examination.

That means the former NBA guard will not suit up for the Kings in their P.LEAGUE+ (PLG) game on Sunday against the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers as well as the team's two other regular season games in February before the Lunar New Year or for their East Asia Super League (EASL) game with the Seoul SK Knights on Jan. 31 in the South Korean capital.

Big man Byron Mullens will also miss all the Kings' games before the Lunar New Year due to a foot injury, the team said.

"Yesterday's MRI showed a plantar fascia injury, so I'll be out for a period of time until cleared to play by our amazing doctor," Lin wrote in an Instagram post Saturday.

"I know the best thing I can do right now is to fully recover. I'll give my 100% during this rehab process and do my best to fully trust God with the timeline and surrender to the results."

The team said Lin has already received platelet-rich plasma injections to speed up the healing process.

This will be the first time the 35-year-old veteran will have been sidelined for an EASL game this season.

Lin played at least 30 minutes in the Kings' first four EASL games, averaging 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and seven assists, before logging only eight points and turning the ball over seven times in the Kings' 90-67 loss to the Golden Kings in Okinawa on Wednesday.

Lin, who played around 20 minutes in the game, seemed to hurt his ankle following a second quarter collision. He returned in the second half but was benched early in the fourth quarter due to the Golden Kings' big lead.

Injuries have plagued Lin during the month of January, limiting him to playing in only one of four of his team's PLG games after playing all 12 of the Kings' games in 2023 this season.

He missed his first game on Jan. 6 against the Formosa Dreamers, after the team said Lin felt discomfort in his left ankle due to a tight schedule.

The Kings played three games in five days from Dec. 30, 2023, and Jan. 3, 2024 -- two P.LEAGUE+ (PLG) games at Xinzhuang Gymnasium and an East Asia Super League (EASL) matchup against the Meralco Bolts in Metro Manila.

Lin being sidelined could dim the Kings' hopes of clinching the top seed in Group B of the EASL. The Kings currently lead the group with a 4-1 record, while the Ryukyu Golden Kings are 3-3 and the Knights are 2-2.

A win over the Knights on Jan. 31 will give the Kings the top spot in the group, enabling it to avoid playing the Chibe Jets, which finished 6-0 in Group A, in the opening round of the EASL Final Four.

If the Kings lose on Jan. 31, they could fall to second place in the group, depending on the result of the Knights' game against the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) on Feb. 7.

Meanwhile, the 11-5 Kings are tied for first in the PLG with the 10-4 Dreamers.