The legend of Jeremy Lin extends for one more night after the Knicks’ 92-85 win over the Lakers at Madison Square Garden.
New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin reacts after scoring during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)The legend of Jeremy Lin extends for one more night.
Undrafted and cut twice, Jeremy Lin’s short tenure with the Knicks continues to astound. After games against New Jersey, Utah and the woeful Wizards, Lin faced his first real test Friday and didn't disappoint. He finished with a career-high 38 points and added seven assists.
He was at his best in the first five minutes of the game, scoring nine points against the stunned Lakers guards. Then Derek Fisher stopped going under screens, and Steve Blake did away with all pretension and simply pushed Lin.
Lin didn’t fold. He pushed back.
"He's been hot," Lakers center Andrew Bynum said. "Today we just added to his hype -- probably kept him in the league for 10 years."
In his first 11 games with the Knicks, Lin played a total of 63 minutes. Starting with the game against the Nets on Feb. 4, he played 117 minutes in the next three, and added 39 minutes to those tired legs on Friday night. So it made perfect sense that fatigue set in once his initial excitement wore off.
Again, Lin pushed through. He found teammates and beat the Lakers’ aggressive defense to make more trips to the free-throw line, where he was 10-of-13.
"Great story," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said of Lin. "Testament to perseverance and hard work. Good example for kids everywhere."
After his fourth straight game of more than 20 points, tabloid headlines and TV chyrons will continue to be littered with Lin puns. It's easy to forget it was only a few years ago when a Cal staffer accidentally called him ‘Ron' during a visit to the school.
Kobe's big second half at MSG
Kobe Bryant is often the main attraction when he visits Madison Square Garden.
Before the Friday night tip, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said he expected Bryant to try to light up the Garden as he usually does. That wasn’t exactly the case through two quarters.
Bryant and the Lakers got off to a slow start. They began the game 1-of-13 and shot only 22 percent in the first quarter and trailed by eight at the half.
It was three years ago when Kobe set the modern Garden record with 61 points, a mark that still stands. But this didn't begin as a vintage Kobe game. That is, until the second half started and the pressure was on.
Bryant took over in the second half. He converted only one field goal in the first two periods, but finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds.
Chandler, supporting cast benefit from Lin’s success
In this abbreviated NBA season, teams have found it hard to carve out time for practice and film study. On Friday, however, Lin used film to show what the Knicks have been missing.
View full sizeThe Knicks' Jeremy Lin (right) drives against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden in New York tonight.Lin had trouble finding center Tyson Chandler over 7-footers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. He was determined to do a better job distributing and used halftime to look at film.
The Knicks have struggled with chemistry all season, even with stars such as Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony on board. A successful night for Anthony has not always meant a good night for the Knicks. Lin is intent on having others succeed.
With Lin in the fold, several Knicks have improved their play. Chandler has averaged 15.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in the past four games, Jared Jeffries is playing with more confidence and Iman Shumpert looks more comfortable playing off the ball, especially on defense, where he helped stifle Bryant in the first half.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/02/who_is_jeremy_lin_kobe_bryant.html
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