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Rockets smash Knicks on Lin's return to NY
Source: AFP |
December 19, 2012, Wednesday
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JEREMY Lin put together another signature performance at Madison Square Garden as the Houston Rockets defeated his former team, the Knicks, 109-96 in his first game back in New York.
Lin, who took the basketball world by storm during last season's "Linsanity," scored 22 points and had eight assists on Monday night as Houston handed the Knicks their first loss of the season at home.
The sellout crowd at the Garden gave Lin a loud ovation during the pre-game introductions. "It was a lot of fun playing out there," said Lin, who heard some boos once the game started. "I think our team took a step in the right direction. For me, it was great to be back and it was a lot of fun to play on that court again."
James Harden scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed 10 boards for the Rockets, who snapped a seven-game road losing streak. It was the second time this year the Rockets beat the Knicks, who were unable to keep pace on Monday. The Rockets outscored the Knicks 54-29 over the second and third quarters.
Chris Copeland notched a career-best 29 points for the Knicks, who had a 12-game unbeaten streak at home dating back to last season.
Copeland, who was starting in place of injured Carmelo Anthony, scored all of his points in the second half.
"It's one bright spot," said Copeland. "But we lost and we have to go back to the drawing board and figure out exactly what we didn't do right."
Lin is one of the few Asian Americans in NBA history, and the first American of Chinese descent to play in the league.
The talented point guard and Harvard University graduate parleyed his success last season with the Knicks into a generous free agent contract with Houston.
"It was fine," Lin said of the reaction from the Knicks fans on Monday. "I had fun. A lot of people showed up and supported me and wore my old jersey. It was a lot better than I thought."
The Los Angeles-born Lin averaged 2.6 points per game before joining New York, then exploded in the winter of 2012. Between February 4 and February 22, Lin averaged 23.9 points per game, sparking the "Linsanity" phenomenon. He became the toast of the basketball world, appearing on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" in consecutive weeks.
Lin, who took the basketball world by storm during last season's "Linsanity," scored 22 points and had eight assists on Monday night as Houston handed the Knicks their first loss of the season at home.
The sellout crowd at the Garden gave Lin a loud ovation during the pre-game introductions. "It was a lot of fun playing out there," said Lin, who heard some boos once the game started. "I think our team took a step in the right direction. For me, it was great to be back and it was a lot of fun to play on that court again."
James Harden scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed 10 boards for the Rockets, who snapped a seven-game road losing streak. It was the second time this year the Rockets beat the Knicks, who were unable to keep pace on Monday. The Rockets outscored the Knicks 54-29 over the second and third quarters.
Chris Copeland notched a career-best 29 points for the Knicks, who had a 12-game unbeaten streak at home dating back to last season.
Copeland, who was starting in place of injured Carmelo Anthony, scored all of his points in the second half.
"It's one bright spot," said Copeland. "But we lost and we have to go back to the drawing board and figure out exactly what we didn't do right."
Lin is one of the few Asian Americans in NBA history, and the first American of Chinese descent to play in the league.
The talented point guard and Harvard University graduate parleyed his success last season with the Knicks into a generous free agent contract with Houston.
"It was fine," Lin said of the reaction from the Knicks fans on Monday. "I had fun. A lot of people showed up and supported me and wore my old jersey. It was a lot better than I thought."
The Los Angeles-born Lin averaged 2.6 points per game before joining New York, then exploded in the winter of 2012. Between February 4 and February 22, Lin averaged 23.9 points per game, sparking the "Linsanity" phenomenon. He became the toast of the basketball world, appearing on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" in consecutive weeks.
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