Lin ready to work after bit of R&R

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Finally, Jeremy Lin got to hang up a "Gone fishin' " sign and take a break from it all.

No, seriously. Lin went fishing down in Florida on Sunday.

"We went to Cocoa Beach," Lin said Tuesday after Knicks practice. "Went on a fishing trip out there for a few hours. Just went out on a little estuary out there, caught some redfish, some trout, some catfish. Ate it. Had the chef down the street cook it for us. That was good."

Now?

"It's kind of back to business," Lin said. "Back to work."

For Lin, back to work means back to running the Knicks from the point guard spot as they start the second half of the season Wednesday night against Rookie of the Year candidate Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lin will be matched up against Irving, the No. 1 overall pick who went into last night's game against the Celtics averaging 18.1 points and 3.5 assists.

"Great player," Lin said. "I'm going to have my hands full. He does everything. What doesn't he do well? He can finish. He can drive. He can shoot. He can pass. He's going to keep me honest with his all-around game and I'm going to have to defend."

Lin had his worst game as a starter last Thursday when the Miami Heat held him to eight points with eight turnovers in a 1-for-11 shooting performance. Then it was a whirlwind couple of days of appearances at All-Star Weekend in Orlando before he finally got to relax on Sunday.

"It was good for me to just get away, clear my mind, spend time with family and kind of decompress," Lin said. "And now we're going to hit the ground running, hopefully."

The Knicks reconvened on Monday, but were unable to formally practice because of league rules. They went through a regular workout Tuesday. After Wednesday night, they don't play again until Sunday afternoon in Boston, where Lin will be matched up against Rajon Rondo.

In between there will be more resting and more practicing.

Lin already has played far more minutes than anyone could have imagined since he burst onto the scene on Feb. 4. In the 12 games since he scored 25 points off the bench against the Nets, Lin has averaged 22.6 points in 34.4 minutes. The Knicks (17-18) have gone 9-3 in the Lin Era.

Coach Mike D'Antoni is hoping veteran Baron Davis will round into shape soon to allow him to keep Lin fresh. But he's going to keep riding the 23-year-old Lin as long as he can.