Lin '10 Scores 20 in Win Over Irving, Cavs

After failing to break double digits in scoring on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks, Jeremy Lin ’10 put up 20 points during Saturday night’s contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-27).

On the way to a road victory, 112-104, the Houston Rockets guard also contributed four rebounds and five assists. In the win, the Rockets (20-14) retained their position as first among all teams in points per game, with 106.2, and extended their winning streak to four games.

Lin had a standout second quarter that saw him score 14 of his 20 points and drill all three of his attempts from behind the arc. Lin finished the game shooting 60 percent on treys, much better than the 26 percent he was shooting coming in. His performance helped the Rockets, who trailed 26-20 at the close of the first frame, regain the lead heading into the locker room.

“Sometimes all it takes is one and for me I’m glad I was able to get some to drop tonight,” Lin said in a postgame interview. “It felt good.”

A big fourth quarter from Houston’s James Harden, who had a team-high 29 points on the night and 16 in the final stanza, helped the Rockets to seal the win. Harden and Lin had to contend with the Cavaliers’ main scoring threat of Kyrie Irving, who finished with a game-high 30 points. Irving had eight turnovers, many of which were caused by defensive pressure from Harden and Lin.

“He’s a heckuva player,” Lin said of the Cleveland point guard. “I tried to make it difficult for him, but he’s one heckuva player and he’s tough to stop.”

With the win, Houston is now 14-2 versus the Eastern Conference. The Rockets remain in sixth place in the West, two games behind the Memphis Grizzlies.