Comfortable with Jeremy Lin, willing to use Baron Davis
Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks drives to the net as Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics defends. (March 4, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
BOSTON -- Jeremy Lin made some plays late in regulation that helped give the Knicks the lead Sunday. But he missed six of the seven shots he took in overtime and did little to prevent Rajon Rondo from doing whatever he wanted in the Knicks' loss.
Mike D'Antoni said he's sticking with Lin, but he didn't rule out using Baron Davis at the end of games when Lin struggles like that. "Maybe," he said. "We'll see. I'm comfortable going with Jeremy. I think at the end of games, Jeremy finds a way to be positive, and he was.
"Jeremy's going to finish games right now. He's going to start games. And then we'll see what happens as we go forward. But I'm comfortable with him."
Davis had eight points, seven assists and six turnovers in 20:35.
Melo rips himself
A critical play occurred when Carmelo Anthony picked up his third foul with nine-tenths of a second left in the first half. His fourth came with 6:29 to go in the third and sent him to the bench early in what became a 25-5 Celtics run.
It was risky for D'Antoni to keep Anthony in the game in the first half, but the small forward took the blame for fouling Rondo in the final second.
"Coach believed in me," Anthony said. "Coach believes I'm a smart player. That was a boneheaded play on my behalf."
Young and dumbThe Knicks' last win in Boston was Nov. 24, 2006, and D'Antoni was asked why the Knicks haven't won here in so long. After praising the Celtics' talent and intelligence, he said, "We've been young and dumb and we haven't executed."
Surgery for WalkerBill Walker will have surgery on his left elbow Monday and will miss four to six weeks. It's questionable whether Walker, who started when Anthony was injured, would be in the rotation, given that Anthony and Iman Shumpert are healthy and the Knicks signed J.R. Smith.
Buzzer-beaters
Kevin Garnett on Lin: "Lin has obviously taken over the world. You always like to see someone succeed. He plays with a lot of passion. He's given not just the city but the team life." . . . D'Antoni said Jerome Jordan likely will return from the D-League's Erie BayHawks when the Knicks get back from this trip Saturday.
