Jeremy Lin adjusting to increase in minutes
Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. (Feb. 10, 2012) Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Jeremy Lin on Monday got what is known in the NBA as a "recovery day." That means he didn't have to practice with his teammates as the Knicks prepared for Tuesday night's game in Toronto.
Lin instead received treatment on his right ankle, which coach Mike D'Antoni said he "tweaked" Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But Lin couldn't resist emerging at the end of practice and working on his jump shot until the sweat soaked through his orange Knicks T-shirt.
Then it was time for media interviews -- all part of Lin's new life as the star of "Lin-sanity." With the Knicks needing to head to the airport to bring their five-game "Lin-ning" streak to Canada for the game against the Raptors, Carmelo Anthony had to tell his newly famous teammate to wrap up the interviews so the team could leave.
Someone joked that the team plane wouldn't wait for Lin. It probably would have, though. The Knicks seem to have found their point guard out of nowhere, and they are going to ride this wave as long as they can.
"It's going to last as long as we keep buying into it and we keep playing the way we are," said Amar'e Stoudemire, who returns Tuesday night after a four-game absence following the death of his brother. "It should last the rest of the year and so on. So it's just a matter of us continuing to buy into the system, playing smart, moving the ball, having great spacing. It should keep going."
It's unlikely that Lin, who Monday was named Eastern Conference player of the week, will be physically able to continue averaging 38.8 minutes, as he has during the five-game streak. He showed signs of fatigue in Saturday's 100-98 win over the Timberwolves, shooting 1-for-12 in the second half. But he still hit the winning free throw with 4.9 seconds left.
"I think my body has to adjust for sure just playing heavier minutes," Lin said. "But we just really want to win games, and I think even if I have to play less or have the ball less, I'm fine with that as long as we win."
Lin averaged 19.4 shots during the last five games, more than even Anthony (18.8) and Stoudemire (15.5) have this season. That should change with Stoudemire's return and Anthony's expected return from a strained groin as early as Friday.
"I think we'll help each other," Lin said of Stoudemire. "I think he commands a lot of attention, but at the same time, you can give it to him anywhere and he'll be able to make a play, so it's going to be fun. It's definitely going to be fun. We're looking forward to it. It's my job to get him going, to get him shots, get him the ball where he likes it."
