Jeremy Lin
Dec 12, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina

Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin suffered "a significant knee injury" during his team's 140-131 defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, according to a report. Lin and the Nets kicked off their season in a high-scoring contest against a new-look Indiana Pacers team without Paul George.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when Lin landed awkwardly on a drive to the basket. The eight-year guard was seen clutching his knee in tears, which indicated that he feared a serious injury. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, "there's concern that Lin suffered a significant injury." The report adds that the Nets will await MRI results upon returning home from Indiana.

Lin was limited to just 36 games last season due to a recurring hamstring injury. After he made full recovery during the offseason, the opening night injury has left some of Lin's teammates feeling devastated. “Definitely tough. He battled through injuries last year. To see him go down the first game, it has to be tough for him. So you can only feel for him,” starting power forward Trevor Booker told reporters.

Jeremy Lin injury update: Russell likely to switch back to PG role

D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn's prized acquisition in the offseason, could return to the point guard position in the wake of Lin's injury. Russell, after spending two full seasons as the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, was moved to the two-guard spot by coach Kenny Atkinson, to accommodate Lin.

“I hope he’s OK. I was waiting for him to say something, give us something. But we’ll see. We’re still waiting on the results and whatnot. Man, it happens, honestly. It’s something you try and prevent. When you jump in the air, it’s a high-risk. It’s definitely scary. We hope it’s nothing serious. We’ve definitely got prayers going out for him," Russell said after scoring a game-high 30 points in Brooklyn's defeat.

Allen Crabbe, also acquired via trade in the summer, could be moving to the starting unit after Lin's injury. Crabbe is hoping to see Lin return in the near future. “It’s tough. You never want to see one of your main guys go down, or anybody in general. We just hope it’s nothing serious. We’ll check it out later in the week what’s going on.”

Jeremy Lin joined the Brooklyn Nets on a three-year, US$38 million (AU$51 million) deal last summer. He averaged a tally of 14.5 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in his seventh season. After playing for five teams in over the last six years, Lin has finally landed a starting gig with the Nets. Stay tuned for the latest Jeremy Lin injury update.