Lakers Coach Byron Scott can’t watch loss to Clippers again

After further review, Byron Scott still stewed.

He called the Lakers “soft� four times after they lost to the Clippers on Wednesday, and a day later he understood the ramifications.

“It’s almost like walking up to another man and slapping him,� the Lakers coach said Thursday. “I’m not pulling punches…. I was just looking at a [Clippers] team that was having a good time at our expense and we had nobody out there to do anything about it.�

Scott refused to watch the game video before the Lakers practiced Thursday. Didn’t want to make himself any madder, he said.

The Clippers led by 43 points before winning, 114-89, the latest blowout in a rapidly growing number between the teams at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant had an awful game — four points on two-for-12 shooting — and Nick Young called the team’s effort “very embarrassing� after scoring 11 points on four-for-15 shooting.

“Especially to go out there and lay an egg like that, all the celebrations they was doing and the concert they had,� said Young, alluding to an appearance by pop star Fergie, who grabbed a microphone and performed on the court during a first-half timeout after attending an awards show across the street.

“We’ve been called soft before … that’s just been the saying all year,� Young said.

Maybe Bryant was right in his infamous “Charmin� rant at practice last month.

Then again, the Lakers (11-25) were playing hard against good teams, coming close to a victory in Portland and at home against Memphis. The Clippers game was an obvious departure.

The Clippers are enjoying the best run against the Lakers in their franchise’s 44-year history, winning nine of the last 10 games.

“We didn’t have no fight [Wednesday],� Young said. “They were doing whatever they wanted to. They was dunking and joking around. It was embarrassing.�

In reserve

Jeremy Lin’s return to the starting lineup lasted one game.

Ronnie Price practiced Thursday after missing Wednesday’s game because of a broken nose and flu symptoms. He is expected to play against Orlando on Friday.

Lin was one of many non-factors for the Lakers against the Clippers, totaling 12 points and three assists with three turnovers in 26 minutes.

He initially lost his starting status after 20 games, replaced by the more defense-minded Price.

Lin’s numbers understandably slipped with eight fewer minutes a game, but the one glaring drop was his shooting accuracy — from 45.7% as a starter to 41.2% as a reserve.

“I think it’s just the consistency. I don’t think it’s a lack of effort,� Scott said. “It’s just a lack of putting the games together on the back-to-back-to-back type nights where he plays well on both ends of the floor.�

Lin had 20 points on nine-for-14 shooting last week against Memphis and followed it up with 10 points on two-for-six shooting against Indiana.

Before that, he scored 19 points against Phoenix and then only four against Denver in the next game.

“He seems to just struggle after one really good game,� Scott said. “The next game he comes in and just plays OK or he doesn’t play well at all.�

Etc.

Young saw a doctor Thursday because of a sore right knee but listed himself as day to day. He fell while coming off a screen and hit his knee in the second quarter Wednesday.

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Twitter: Mike_Bresnahan