Steve Nash sits out second half of Lakers’ 108-94 preseason win over Utah Jazz

Los Angeles Lakers host the Utah Jazz in the NBA preseason basketball game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. (Photo by Sean Hiller/Daily News)

Los Angeles Lakers host the Utah Jazz in the NBA preseason basketball game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. (Photo by Sean Hiller/Daily News)

In what eerily has become a persisting theme for most of preseason, Lakers guard Steve Nash sat out the entire second half of the Lakers’ 104-94 preseason win Tuesday over the Utah Jazz at Staples Center out of safety concerns.

“He had a little neck [issue]” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He said he felt pretty good. But he thought he’d push it if he went on. He had a good half of work.”

Nash finished with five points on 2 of 3 shooting, one assists and three fouls in 15 minutes, a performance that showed some flashes in decent shooting mixed with a whole lot of rustiness.

D’Antoni had considered him a game-time decision because of his undisclosed neck issues. Nash also sat out of the tail end of practices Sunday and Monday to mitigate the fatigue stemmed from a nine-day trip in China. But Nash had issues beforehand.

Nash sat out of the last three quarters of the Lakers’ preseason loss Oct. 10 against the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas because of a sore left ankle. He also sat out of second half of the Lakers’ preseason loss last Friday to Golden State in Shanghai to rest. All in all, Nash entered tonight’s game averaging a quiet 3.5 points on 42.9 percent shooting in 16.7 minutes.

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