Behind Jeremy Lin '10, Knicks Stretch "Linning" Streak to Two

Coming off of his career-record-setting, twitter-trending, ESPN-talked-about 25-point game on Saturday night, Jeremy Lin ’10 may not have been expected to perform like that again anytime soon. But that is exactly what he proceeded to do, as his New York Knicks took on the Utah Jazz Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

In the first NBA start of his young professional career, Lin managed to pull the Knicks past their opponents, tallying 28 points, eight assists, two steals, and two rebounds in the process. He was on the court for all but three minutes of game play and managed to shoot 59 percent from the field.  How good are these stats? Well, let’s just say that according to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, this was the best first start for any player since ex-Knicks coach Isiah Thomas posted 31 points in 1981.

Despite the fact that he committed eight turnovers, Lin had almost exclusively favorable press after his second consecutive 20+ game. NBC Sports’ ProBasketballTalk called him “king of New York,” ESPN labeled him a “point guard savior,” and the Harvard alum now even has a version of a popular song by DJ Khaled created exclusively for him.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni clearly understood the effect that Lin was having on the team and the fans, stating in a postgame interview that he was “riding him like freakin’ Secretariat.”

Not many people could have foreseen this chapter in Lin’s saga, considering only two weeks ago he was stuck playing in the NBA Development League. But one person who has watched Lin for years and helped hone his skills wasn't as surprised: Harvard coach Tommy Amaker. And as ESPN reported, Amaker had positive, encouraging things to say about his former player following the contest: “I was really happy for him…I think he’s showing everyone again that he belongs and he’s capable.”

Who knows where he will take us next, but for now, every step on this journey is pure Linsanity.