 |
When Lin entered the NBA in 2010, he was already defying odds. He became the first Ivy-Leaguer to play in the NBA in eight years. Not only is he the first Asian-American in league history, but he was also one of three players to ever make it in the NBA after playing college ball at Harvard.
The Jeremy Lin Experience started a mere six days ago, when Lin rejuvenated the Knicks off the bench, scoring 25 points to beat the Nets. The next game, with Amar'e Stoudemire out mourning his brother, the Knicks went small and started Lin. They haven't lost since.
In his first start Lin didn't disappoint, putting up 28 points, eight assists, and shooting over 50% in another Knicks win. On Wednesday, Lin out-dueled former #1 pick John Wall, and recorded his first career double-double (23 points and 10 assists) in yet another Knicks victory.
And then came tonight. I was sure my Lakers would put an end to "Linsanity". The Lakers had won their last nine games against the Knicks, and with Amar'e and Melo still out, it looked like they'd extend their streak to ten games.
Think again.
While I thought Kobe would steal the game away, with a typical Kobe-MSG performance, it was Lin who again was the star. In the first five minutes of play, Lin already had nine points and two assists, accrediting himself with 13 of the Knicks first 13 points. While Kobe ended the half 1-6 with under ten points, Lin already had 18 as the Knicks led by eight.
Every time the Lakers would make a run to cut the Knicks lead, Lin would answer with a basket of his own. He finished the game with a Knick season-high 38 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. When the Lakers made one last push in the game's final minute, Lin took a charge to put the game out of reach.
When Lin was approached by ESPN's Lisa Salters after the game, she asked Lin about how he led his team to victory over the Lakers. His response?
"Again I'm just gonna thank my team".
He is so humble, almost too humble. But with so many conceded players in the game today, it's nice to see at least one humble player.
Jeremy Lin is exactly what the Knicks need. Their struggle at the point guard position was one of the key factors why the team was at one time eight games under .500. Even when Melo and Amar'e return, something tells me this kids gonna keep up his game. His points per game will definitely decrease, but his playmaking abilities will stay put.
With the win, the Knicks have won four straight games and are half a game behind eight place with a 12-15 record.
For now though, I guess we'll be hearing a lot of "Linsanity", "Linning", and "All he does is Lin" puns. Stories like this don't happen often, so embrace the Jeremy Lin Experience while you can.
----
Josh Reichman covers various sports topics for FootBasket and is also a great young writer. Follow more of Josh at his blog, Hall of Fame Sports. Follow @jreichman511
