The New York Knicks picked up a 99-82 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. It looked more like an extra practice session ahead of a Thursday night trip to Miami for a tilt with the Heat ... and that other NBA super star, you know the one.
Headline writers everywhere should have no trouble coming up with an appropriate header for tomorrow's papers after Jeremy Lin's 17-point performance led the team. He added nine assists and two rebounds, before spending a sizable portion of the second half resting on the bench.
Lin's scoring was only part of the story as the Knicks' defense built a wall around the basket in the first half. They allowed the Hawks to score just 35 points in the first half of the game, a season-best for the Knicks. Atlanta also turned the ball over a season-high 24 times, which the Knicks turned into 30 points.
Steve Novak tied Lin's 17-point pace thanks, supplying the long-distance artillery with a five-for-10 performance from outside the three-point line. Carmelo Anthony, Landry Fields and J.R. Smith also scored in double figures for New York. It was only Smith's second game with the Knicks.
The win moves the Knicks to 17-17 with the All-Star break on the horizon. They trail Philadelphia by 3 and a half games in the Atlantic Division. Thursday night's game against the Heat figures to be one of the most-watched games of the season and a new chapter for Linsanity.
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