Lin has come a long way in a month

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Jeremy Lin walked off the TD Garden court on Feb. 3 unsure if he had just blown his one chance. But those seven forgettable minutes he played against the Boston Celtics soon became a distant memory as "Lin-sanity" swept across New York City.

On Sunday afternoon, the budding NBA star returns to the site of the game that preceded his Feb. 4 breakout against the Nets. And this time, Lin is planning to have different results.

Lin missed all three of his shots in that two-point loss to the Celtics, but the experience helped ease his transition toward becoming an NBA starter the following week. "I was like, 'OK, now I know what to expect,' " said Lin, who attended several Celtics games while a student at Harvard.

Lin will match up against Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, whom he called "unorthodox." Lin added, "But he's crafty, he's smart and he's one of the best point guards in the league. So I definitely need to come ready, because the way he's playing right now is unbelievable."

Beginning with his 25-point game off the bench against the Nets, Lin has averaged 22.3 points and 9.0 assists in leading the Knicks to a 10-3 record. Mike D'Antoni said Lin has "passed all the tests."

"Now it's just a matter of learning and getting better and getting older and wiser as a point guard," the coach said. "But there's definitely no test. I don't have to see anything."