"Linsanity" Gains Momentum, Takes Down Lakers

Day eight and no signs of stopping yet—114 points in that time-span and no hints of slowing down. Three games started and the only thing bigger than the stats of Jeremy Lin ’10 on Friday night was the smile on his face after hitting yet another shot.

When the final buzzer sounded and the New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 92-85, the Madison Square Garden crowd chanted and chanted “MVP”, held up masks of Lin’s face and signs reading “Nothing is Linpossible.” And for the night, that slogan held true for the Harvard alum, as he posted a game-high 38 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals, leading his team to its fourth-consecutive win.

In just the two hours following the win, nine topics relating to Lin trended worldwide, including “Legend in New York [LIN]” and “Super Lintendo”.

“I am really not too worried about proving anything to anybody,” said Lin in his post-game interview. “As a team, we are growing and I think everyone is buying into it and that is why we are becoming more dangerous.”

Modesty aside, his game was nothing short of record-breaking. Lin has scored 89 points in his first three games starting for the Knicks, a number that proves to be the most since the ABA/NBA merger in 1976.

This game was anticipated by many as a test for the second-year guard, who would, for the first time, face one of the league’s leading defenses. The Lakers boast of two seven-footers in their front-line, making their height a formidable challenge for many opponents—but, in this game at least, L.A.’s bigs could not stand as tall as the 6’3 guard, who topped his previous career-high by 10 points.

Prior to the game, when the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was asked about Lin, the NBA veteran’s response equated to a shoulder shrug and a shake-off of the question: “I know who he is, but I don’t really know what’s going on with him. I don’t even know what he’s done.” After more prodding from reporters, and having acquired Lin’s recent stats, Bryant added: “He’s averaging 28 and eight? No [expletive]. If he’s playing well, I’ll just have to deal with him.”

After tonight’s game, Bryant was a little more complimentary.

“It’s a great story. It’s a testament to perseverance and hard work and a good example for kids everywhere.”

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni agreed with Bryant’s sentiments, emphasizing Lin’s big plays down the stretch.

“What he’s doing is amazing,” said Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni. “He answered a lot of questions tonight. Can he make an outside shot? Can he pull the trigger in a big moment? He hit two 3s that just broke the game open. There’s so much stuff that he’s doing."

With the Knicks’ website now advertising a new “Lin-Sanity” iPhone app and ESPN finishing a Harvard alumni montage that included the likes of John Adams and JFK with Lin’s smiling face, the entire league is awaiting for his next move. Fans won’t have to wait long, however, as Lin and his Knicks take on the Linnesota Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.