Lin (28 points, 8 assists) lifts Knicks

Jeremy Lin proved he wasn't a one-game wonder.

In his first NBA start, Lin-sanity ran wild again on a night when the Knicks needed several guys to play over their heads. They were missing Amar'e Stoudemire because of a family tragedy and lost Carmelo Anthony to a groin injury in the first quarter.

But Lin led an unlikely cast of characters to an unexpected and inspiring 99-88 victory over the Utah Jazz Monday night in front of a loud Madison Square Garden crowd that chanted "M-V-P" on a few occasions.

"It's indescribable," Lin said. "This team has a lot of will."

Lin surpassed his performance from Saturday night's win over the Nets, registering new career highs in points and assists. He had 28 points and eight assists in 45 minutes -- playing the entire second half -- against Utah after producing 25 points and seven assists against New Jersey.

The undrafted point guard out of Harvard is surprised at what he's done to lead the Knicks (10-15) to two consecutive wins. "Oh, yeah," Lin said. "I'm not going to sit here and say I knew I was going to do this or whatever. But I got an opportunity. I thank God for it. I just have nothing but gratitude right now. I don't think anyone, including myself, saw this coming."

Not just from Lin, though. Steve Novak joined him on the list of the Garden's newest favorite players. Another seldom-used sub, Novak shot 5-for-8 from three-point range and scored a season-high 19 points against the Jazz (13-10).

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Jared Jeffries, who started for Stoudemire, isn't a fan favorite, but his coach loves him. Jeffries had 13 points and eight rebounds, drew several charges and was defended by Mike D'Antoni against the fans.

"Anybody who boos Jared Jeffries has got to re-examine their life a little bit," D'Antoni said. "I love our fans and I like Madison Square Garden, the arena, but here's a guy who . . . plays as hard as anybody could possibly ever play, with injuries, everything you ask him. He takes every charge, every dirty play, every rebound. He works every second."

Without Stoudemire, whose brother was killed in a car accident early Monday morning, Anthony was expected to carry the Knicks. But he strained his right groin while dribbling upcourt and left the game with 6:11 left in the first quarter.

Anthony will be re-evaluated Tuesday, but D'Antoni said it will take a couple of days to know the extent of the injury. He might not be available Wednesday night in Washington. The Knicks are not expected to have Stoudemire, either, but they are confident that they can win without them. Lin is a big part of that.

Like Saturday against the Nets, Lin had a big fourth quarter, although he appeared to be running on fumes. He told D'Antoni he could finish and the coach didn't blink. Said D'Antoni, "I'm riding him like Secretariat."

Lin -- who had seven assists and no turnovers in the first half and one assist and eight turnovers in the second -- fought off the fatigue and leg cramps and never stopped attacking.

He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, including a driving reverse layup in which he switched hands at the last second and was fouled. The three-point play gave the Knicks a 90-80 lead. Later, with the shot clock winding down, he hit a three-pointer from near the Knicks' bench to put them up 95-86 with 1:58 left. D'Antoni reacted by raising both of his arms.

"It was fun," D'Antoni said. "You can actually draw a play up and go, 'This might work.' It's good. He's smart, he's good, a playmaker."

"He doesn't get rattled out there," Tyson Chandler said. "He plays with a different confidence than I've seen from a young player."

Notes & quotes: Jeffries was told about D'Antoni defending him and gushed about his coach. "Me and Coach have a great relationship," he said. "I'll die for him. I'll leave blood on the court. That's why I take charges, why I dive out there -- because he's the best coach in the NBA. There's no coach in the NBA that's a better player's coach, and you see that with Jeremy Lin. No other coach in the league would have given Jeremy the opportunity he has now."