Jeremy Lin Drops 28 Points in Beijing Ducks' Loss to Ty Lawson, Fujian Sturgeons

Jeremy Lin and the Beijing Ducks hit an unexpected snag on Thursday with a 111-107 loss to the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association. 

It appeared to be a mismatch on paper. The Ducks entered the contest with an 11-4 record and three straight wins in which they scored in triple figures, while the Sturgeons were just 3-12 overall and 1-7 in their previous eight.

However, North Carolina Tar Heels legend and former NBA guard Ty Lawson made sure things turned around on Thursday. He stuffed the stat sheet with 29 points, 13 assists, five rebounds and four steals, while Wang Zhelin added 27 points and eight boards for the Sturgeons.

Lin was impressive as well with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on 9-of-14 shooting. He and Ekpe Udoh (25 points, 12 rebounds and five assists) were a formidable inside-outside duo, while Justin Hamilton did not play.

Entering play, those three Ducks were averaging more than 20 points a night with Lin at 25.3 points per game, Udoh at 24.3 and Hamilton at 20.3.

All three players have NBA experience, with Lin as the household name among American fans.

The 31-year-old played for the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors from 2010-11 through last season. The California native won a title with the Raptors last season but is best known for the Linsanity period when he was on the Knicks in 2011-12 and turning heads on a nightly basis.

For as talented as the trio is, they were unable to provide enough spark to overcome Lawson and the Sturgeons.

Beijing is in action on Saturday when it faces the Shanghai Sharks.