Knicks-Timberwolves Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Feb 11 2012 12:02PM

Jeremy Lin's dizzying rise to NBA prominence continues.

Now, he'll try to lead the New York Knicks to their longest winning streak of the season.

Fresh off his most impressive performance yet, Lin takes the floor again for the Knicks on Saturday night when they visit Ricky Rubio and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the only meeting between the clubs this season.

Previously seldom-used, Lin is averaging an improbable 28.5 points and 8.0 assists during New York's four-game winning streak. His 114 total points in that stretch are six more than he collected in his first 38 career games with Golden State and the Knicks (12-15) after going undrafted out of Harvard in 2010.

Lin's 89 points since entering the starting lineup three games ago are the most for any NBA player in his first three career starts since the NBA-ABA merger.

He certainly didn't look like a flash in the pan Friday, scoring a career-high 38 points and adding seven assists in a 92-85 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He outscored Kobe Bryant by four points.

"I didn't try to see this game as any different," Lin said. "I just try to make sure that when I get there on the floor, I play as hard as I can and try to do everything I can to help the team win.

"I'm not too worried about proving anything to anybody. As a team we're growing and trying to build on the momentum."

Without worrying about it, Lin has proven plenty to Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni.

"What he's doing is amazing," D'Antoni said. "He answered a lot of questions (Friday). Can he make an outside shot? Can he pull the trigger in a big moment? He hit two 3s that just broke the game open. There's so much stuff that he's doing."

Lin has helped the Knicks surge despite the absences of stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. Anthony is out with a strained right groin, while Stoudemire isn't expected back from grieving the death of his brother until Tuesday at Toronto.

Improbably, New York is on the brink of its longest winning streak since a seven-game run March 28-April 10, when Lin was wallowing on the Warriors' bench.

Lin and the Knicks get their first look at Rubio, whose flashy play has earned him plenty of attention in his first NBA season after being drafted fifth overall in 2009.

Fifth in the league with 8.7 assists per game, Rubio has struggled a bit recently. He's shooting 21.7 percent (5 for 23) in his last three games, and had four of the Timberwolves' season-high 28 turnovers in Friday's 104-97 loss to Dallas.

Rubio has had eight turnovers and nine assists as Minnesota (13-14) has suffered back-to-back losses.

"We threw passes away when we worked hard defensively and got the ball back. We just threw it away like there was no value to the ball," coach Rick Adelman said, lamenting what he called a lack of concentration.

Kevin Love finished with 32 points and 12 rebounds in his return from a two-game suspension. The All-Star is averaging 29.7 points and 19.0 boards over his last three games versus the Knicks, including a 31-point, 31-rebound effort in last season's home win, the NBA's first 30-30 game since Moses Malone in 1982.

The Timberwolves have won six of seven at home against New York.

Lin, Knicks rally for 5th straight, beat Wolves

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Posted Feb 12 2012 1:39AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) In his first three starts, Jeremy Lin's out-of-nowhere emergence all but saved the New York Knicks' season.

In his fourth, his teammates returned the favor.

Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

Steve Novak scored 15 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 36 seconds to play and Lin used his quickness to draw a foul and get to the line in the closing seconds. He finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Lin had just five points on 1-for-13 shooting and four turnovers in the second half. But Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert combined for 39 points on 17-for-26 shooting to keep an exhausted Lin in position for one final push.

"It was an ugly one, it was a gutsy one, it was a road win, everybody was tired," Lin said. "That's the beauty of basketball. That's the beauty of our time. We never gave up."

Kevin Love had 32 points and 21 rebounds for the Wolves, who missed two chances to win the game in the final five seconds.

The Knicks trailed by seven with 6:41 to play and it looked as if a week of Tebow-like hype was finally catching up to Lin. His shot selection was erratic, his ball-handling was sloppy and his jersey was drenched with sweat as fired-up Wolves fans chanted "Over-rated!"

But the Wolves scored a season-low 11 points and missed 16 of their 19 shots in the fourth quarter to let the Knicks hang around, and Lin managed to find the energy for one final drive to the basket.

Playing yet again without the injured Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, who was mourning the death of his brother, Fields scored 19 on 8-for-10 shooting and Shumpert added 20 points.

Fields hit a short jumper to make the score 94-93 with 2:10 to go and Shumpert added another for a 95-94 lead with 1:22 to go to give them their first lead since early in the second quarter.

But Love, who had 31 points and 31 rebounds in win over the Knicks last year, hit two free throws and Rubio drove to the rim for a left-handed layup for a three-point lead with 39 seconds to play.

Novak's 3-pointer tied it at 98 on the next possession and Lin drew a foul from Luke Ridnour to get to the line. He missed the front end of a pair of free throws before sinking the go-ahead shot.

"Once I missed the first one, I was fine," Lin said sheepishly. "I just needed to shoot that first one and get it out of the way. The first one's always the tough one."

Bill Walker added free throws to seal it for the Knicks, who scored 29 points on 23 Minnesota turnovers. Two of those came from Rubio in the final minute.

"I just made two huge mistakes," Rubio said. "I have to learn from that."

The matchup of two of the most dynamic young point guards in the league made this an extremely hot ticket. The Timberwolves sold standing-room only tickets to pack in an announced crowd of 20,232, the largest crowd here since 2004.

Lin and Rubio were the headliners, with each having energized dormant franchises in their own way.

Rubio's unselfish play and flair for the dramatic have made the Wolves cool again, as evidenced by the fifth sellout this season.

The Knicks were lost at 8-15, with rumors of Mike D'Antoni's job security swirling before the coach moved to Lin out of desperation.

All he's done since is re-ignite a basketball-loving city's enthusiasm for the game, help fill the league's void in Asia after Yao Ming's retirement and help the Knicks survive the losses of Anthony and Stoudemire.

He scored 89 points in his first three starts, including an incredible 38 to beat the Lakers in the Garden on Friday night. His 109 points are the most by a player in his first four starts since the ABA-NBA merger, surpassing Allen Iverson.

"It's been unbelievable," center Tyson Chandler said. "He's really changed the mindset and mentality of this team."

The first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent is already drawing the casual fan even in road games. He was cheered heartily in pregame introductions and gave the curious crowd exactly what it was looking for. His quickness gave Rubio fits on defense and he scored in every manner imaginable.

There was the crossover of Luke Ridnour and step-back jumper, a tear-drop drive into the lane and stutter-step blow-by for two, and that was just in a three-minute stretch of the first quarter.

"In the first half he killed us in the pick-and-rolls," Rubio said. "He drives and scores and creates baskets, too."

As he emerged from the shower long after the game was over and limped to his locker, Lin fell into his chair and let out a big sigh.

"I just feel like I'm in a dream right now," Lin said. "Tomorrow is an off day. I can't wait."

NOTES: The Timberwolves wore Minnesota Muskies uniforms in tribute to the ABA team that spent one season here in 1967. "I'm still trying to figure out what a Muskie is," F Anthony Tolliver said. ... Timberwolves C Darko Milicic missed his fifth straight game with a sprained right ankle. Coach Rick Adelman said he hoped Milicic would be ready for the game Monday at Orlando. ... The Wolves in-house DJ played Whitney Houston songs during halftime after news of the singer's death at 48.

Notebook: Knicks 100, Timberwolves 98

Posted Sunday February 12, 2012 12:02AM

Tom Coyer, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: New York extended its winning streak to a season-high five games with a 100-98 victory over Minnesota. Jeremy Lin kept his 20-point scoring streak alive, Iman Shumpet matched him also with 20 and Landry Fields had 19 as the backcourt trio set the pace for the Knicks. Minnesota led for virtually the entire second, but a late surge by New York carried them to the comeback win.

QUOTABLE: "We knew that guys were tired and we knew that this was a hump game that we had to get over. It was an emotional win for us."
-- Landry Fields on New York's fatigue, having played three games in four days.

THE STAT: Kevin Love had an outstanding statistical night, scoring 32 points and 21 rebounds while going 10-of-10 from the free throw line. Over the past two seasons, Love is averaging 32 points and 22 rebounds in his last three games against New York.

TURNING POINT: Scott Novak hit two threes in the final five minutes, but the one with 36.2 remaining tied the game and gave a tired Knicks team the boost to finish off Minnesota. Then, after a defensive stop by New York ,it was Lin's free throw with 4.9 seconds left that was the game-winner.

HOT: Who else? Lin. After scoring 38 points last night in New York, Lin remained hot. He battled the fatigue of back-to-back games and managed to score 20 to go with eight assists, six rebounds and three steals in the New York win. His 20th point was also the game-winner from the free throw line.

THE STAT II: 23. That's how many turnovers Minnesota committed, leading to 29 points for New York.

BAD MOVE: For several minutes late in the fourth quarter, Minnesota went with a "small-ball" lineup. Coach Rick Adelman's lineup was three point guards -- Ricky Rubio, J.J. Berea and Luke Rinour to go with two forwards -- Love and Michael Beasley. The intent was to reduce turnovers but it made scoring difficult and New York closed the gap to 5 points before re-inserting starting center, Nikola Pekovic. Minnesota scored just 11 points in the entire fourth quarter.

NOTABLE: The combination of a Saturday night home game, the white-hot Lin and an exciting and resurgent Timberwolves squad saw an announced attendance of 20,232. This is the largest Target Center crowd since 2004.

UP NEXT: For the Knicks Tuesday @ Toronto, Wednesday vs. Sacramento and Friday vs. New Orleans. For the Timberwolves Monday @ Orlando, Wednesday vs. Charlotte and Friday @ Houston.

• Knicks: Davis, Harrellson
• Timberwolves: Lee, Milicic

• Knicks: Chandler
• Timberwolves: Rubio

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #38 Michael Smith, #66 Haywoode Workman, #65 Sean Wright
• Attendance: 20232
• Duration: 2:16