The New York Knicks reassemble on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden against the Cleveland Cavaliers (7:30 p.m., MSG) after six days off due to All-Star Weekend festivities.
The Knicks gradually slowed down prior to the break, losing three out of five entering All-Star weekend after the initial surge of Linsanity resulted in seven consecutive wins. The most recent loss, a 102-88 thumping at the hands of the Miami Heat on Feb. 23, seemed to reveal some of New York's old demons, with the ball occasionally stopping in one player's hands on offense while four bystanders watched from afar.
But after Jeremy Lin's incredible emergence, there is still plenty of hope in the Big Apple heading into the season's second half. Lin stood up from the end of New York's bench and announced himself to the world, putting the Knicks firmly into the playoff race while quickly becoming an international symbol of hope. Next, he must learn to cut his excessive turnovers and continue learning how to co-exist with Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.
The Cavaliers have dropped two straight, including a tough, 86-83 defeat to Boston on Tuesday night. Rookie Kyrie Irving continued to impress Tuesday, scoring 24 points in the defeat.
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