KNICKS 92
LAKERS 85
Who is Jeremy Lin, you ask? He is the new sensation that has swept and won the hearts and minds of New York Knicks fans in a New York minute. A Taiwanese American, born and raised in California, who was largely ignored by the big California schools, UCLA, Cal, and Stanford, and who came to Harvard and shaped a incredible career at the Massachusetts-based university.
Lin then went undrafted in 2010 and bounced around the League from Dallas to Golden State and then, finally, the New York Knickerbockers. Nobody knew what to expect from Lin as recently as last week! He was picked up by the Knicks two days after Christmas and was called up after Amare Stoudemire went down with an injury. Then, Carmelo Anthony went down with an injury in Monday's game against the Jazz, and the rest even now is writing itself.Lin has taken an underachieving basketball team and given them hope. He has gifted them not only the point guard they desperately needed, but, apparently, the leader they needed as well. Lin's heroics were on full display the past three games, leading the Knicks in scoring in victories over the Nets, Jazz and Wizards.
Then came the confrontation Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers led by superstar Kobe Bryant. If Lin and the Knicks shrank under the pressure, nobody would have been that surprised; it was the biggest stage this team had been on all season.
But, the kid didn't disappoint; in fact, he led. Lin's 10 points in the opening quarter to spark the Knicks to a quick 13-4 lead proved to be the big difference for the night. After Lin's fast start, the Knicks never trailed again in this contest.
When the Knicks needed Lin to make a big play, he was there, whether it was his spin drive under the hoop and dish under the basket to extend the Knicks lead, or answering Kobe Bryant on multiple occasions, such as his deadly three-pointer in the corner to give the Knicks an 84-76 lead. Lin was there.
And it wasn't only Lin making big plays for New York. After Bryant connected on a layup and two free throws, and Jason Kapano nailed a three pointer to bring the Lakers to within three points, 70-67, it was Iman Shumpert who came to the Knicks rescue. Shumpert connected on a 21 foot jumper and scored on a drive through the lane to increase the Knicks lead back to seven.
Then the game turned into a battle royal between Bryant and Lin. Whenever Bryant scored, Lin answered. First Bryant hit a basket to cut the Knicks lead to eight, 79-71. Lin answered with a 23 foot jump shot to increase it back to ten; minutes later, Lin brought the house down with that killer three pointer. Box score.
Lin played the game of his young lifetime. He scored 38 points and carried the Knicks to victory over one of the NBA's best teams. Sure the Lakers struggled offensively; they only shot 37 percent from the floor, but the effort this kid displayed at the Garden on a Friday night when all of the attention was on his 23-year old shoulders, was incredible. He delivered big time.
Lin added four more points down the stretch to give New York a 90-82 lead with 0:52 to play.
Something has to be said about this kid's leadership because since he has arrived, the Knicks have played much better defense, going after the basketball like a mad pack of wolves; there is a fresh sense of comradeship that was not on the Knicks earlier this year.
Lin has even displayed the ability to orchestrate this offense. He is not afraid to dish it out to the likes of Landry Fields, Shumpert, Tyson Chandler and Bill Walker. Consequently, everyone was contributing on a high level for the Knicks.
It will be very interesting to see how much better Lin gets when Stoudemire and Anthony return to the lineup, and if that duo allows Lin to lead the offense the way he has the past four games.
Fact is, the Knicks are better today with Lin, then when they were without him just a week ago.
Jeremy Lin mania is alive and well in New York City.
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