Jeremy Lin, where you have been all season?
The second-year point guard sensation notched the first double-double of his career Wednesday night as the New York Knicks (11-15) won their third straight in a 107-93 win against the Washington Wizards (5-21) at the Verizon Center. Lin finished with 23 points and 10 assists in his second game since being inserted into the starting lineup. Tyson Chandler led New York with 25 points (two shy of his career-high) and 11 rebounds, two nights after being limited to just 22 minutes of playing time and 10 points due to foul trouble.
The Knicks started slow in being outscored 23-17 in the first quarter, but scored 35 points in the second to lead 52-46 at halftime. With the Knicks once again without Carmelo Anthony (groin) and Amar'e Stoudemire (death in the family), Lin was efficient (9-for-14 shooting from the field, 5-for-6 from the free throw line) and played a critical role in distributing the ball (New York had just eight turnovers compared to Washington's 12).
Steve Novak also continued his string of breakout performances, scoring 19 points for the second consecutive night on 6-for-10 shooting from the field and 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
For Washington, John Wall almost hit 30 points for the second straight night. Wall finished with 29 points and six assists, while Trevor Booker finished with 17 points. No other Wizard scored more than nine points, due in large part to foul trouble limiting JaVale McGee (eight points, nine rebounds and three blocks) and Nick Young (seven points and four rebounds).
Friday night, the Knicks will go for four straight wins against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. The Lakers travel to Boston Thursday night, which could bode well for the Knicks as the latter end of back-to-back games has been a persistent issue for teams in this shortened season.