Jeremy Lin returned from a six-game absence on Thursday, playing just 15 minutes for five points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal. His knee sprain kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 27, so the he'll get the built-in rust excuse here. Lin was excelling off the bench before going down, averaging 14.8 points, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 triples on 51.3 percent from the field in eight outings this season. Things should get better on Friday when he takes on the Warriors.