Lin-sanity starting to take its toll
New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin shoots baskets before the start of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards. (Feb. 8, 2012) Credit: AP
Jeremy Lin's lower legs and feet were red and he limped over to his locker Saturday night after completing his second straight 39-minute game on back-to-back nights.
Lin said he was fine and that his leg was a little numb from being in ice, but there is no one happier than he was that the Knicks didn't practice Sunday.
"We've all played what, seven games in 10 nights," Lin said. "If anyone's feeling fresh, I need to know what they're eating."
For Lin, it hasn't been seven in 10 as much as it's been his life turning upside down in an eight-day span.
Since leading the Knicks past the Nets on Feb. 4 -- the night all the Lin-sanity began -- he has become basketball's version of Tim Tebow. Lin has been the hot sports story while leading the Knicks to five straight wins. He has been serenaded with "M-V-P" chants, outdueled Kobe Bryant on national television Friday night and hit the winning free throw in the Knicks' 100-98 win in Minnesota on Saturday night.
"I feel like I'm living a dream," Lin said. "I feel like I'm in a dream right now."
The way Lin has handled the workload and demands that have come with his sudden fame have been impressive. The undrafted point guard from Harvard who nearly was waived by the Knicks recently continues to stay poised and is producing at an unprecedented pace.
He's scored 109 points in his first four starts, surpassing Allen Iverson (101) for the most in NBA history. It would be stunning if he's not the Eastern Conference player of the week. Lin averaged 27.3 points and 8.3 assists in four wins.
But he showed he is human one night after scoring 38 points against the Lakers. Lin looked worn out Saturday night against the Timberwolves, shooting 8-for-24, including 1-for-12 in the second half. Lin has played 194 minutes during the winning streak. Before that, he had played 339 minutes in his NBA career.
"He's not used to these type of minutes," Tyson Chandler said. "We've been talking about it the last couple of games. He said, 'I don't understand how you do it all the time.' These games are coming back-to- back, and for any young player not used to playing these many minutes, it's going to take its toll."
Lin still made critical plays late to lift the Knicks over Minnesota.
He finished with 20 points, had two huge assists on three-pointers by Steve Novak and drove to the basket with the game on the line and drew the foul. Lin then made the second of two free throws, giving the Knicks the lead for good with 4.9 seconds left.
It capped a mind-blowing eight days for Lin.
"It's been pretty surreal," he said. "I'm just trying to wake up every day, enjoy it, soak it all in. At the same time, stay focused on what we're doing, which is playing basketball games and trying to help the team win. And besides that, I'm just really enjoying the whole experience."
