TORONTO — The clock was running down – on the game, on the Knicks and on Jeremy Lin’s mystical streak, which was teetering on the edge of disappointment. The seconds kept disappearing until Lin stopped his dribble, pulled up and launched from the 3-point arc.
The ball swished with a half-second remaining, setting off pandemonium at Air Canada Centre, which momentarily adopted the NBA.’s newest star as its own. The crowd had just witnessed another fantastic chapter in Lin’s growing legend.
The shot broke a tie and completed a furious comeback against the Toronto Raptors. And when Rasual Butler’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed badly, the Knicks had a 90-87 victory, and their Lin-inspired winning streak had reached six.
“You just watch and you’re in awe,” Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni said.
This was not Lin’s best night, to be sure. He forced a lot of shots, was 9 for 20 from the field, committed eight turnovers and struggled to contain Jose Calderon. But the night ended as so many have since Lin became the Knicks’ unlikely star – with giddy elation. Lin finished with 27 points (his sixth straight game with at least 20) and 11 assists.
Lin had tied the score moments earlier with a 3-point play, after driving into Amir Johnson in the lane. On the final play, he dribbled casually with Calderon in front of him before taking the shot.
On the bench, Amar’e Stoudemire could not stop smiling.
Stoudemire rejoined the Knicks after taking a week off following the death of his older brother. He was a bit erratic, going 8 for 22 from the field, but finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds.
The Knicks (14-15) have their longest winning streak since last March and April, when they won seven in a row.
The Raptors (9-21) rarely let Lin get to the basket without a bump, a bang or a bruise. He spent a considerable amount of time on his back. The Raptors also kept him occupied defensively, with Calderon (25 points) and Leandro Barbosa (13 points) repeatedly challenging him.
Lin and Stoudemire fueled a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 78-76. Other than a pair of missed free throws, Lin was superb, converting a tough driving layup and penetrating and dishing to Stoudemire for a powerful dunk. The Raptors responded quickly, with an 8-1 run that was capped by two driving Barbosa layups. But Lin kept attacking, and Tyson Chandler kept possession after possession alive with his rebounding.
source: mb.com.ph
