Lin '10, Knicks Snap Losing Skid While D'Antoni Resigns

A lot changed for Jeremy Lin ’10 and the New York Knicks on Wednesday. For starters, the team’s head coach, Mike D’Antoni, resigned. And for the main course? The team won its first game since February, defeating the Portland Trailblazers in resounding fashion, 121-79.

The Knicks led by 26 at halftime and, despite getting outscored in the third quarter, completed a 40-point fourth period to earn the 42-point victory.

"I think everyone was obviously very emotional, but we sat down and said, 'This is where we want to go, and this is what we had to do to get there,'" Lin told reporters after the contest. “We came out with a lot of energy...more than we have in a long time."

This energy paid off. New York forced its opponent to commit 27 turnovers and had five players with at least 16 points. J.R. Smith and Steve Novak, two bench players, combined for 43 points, while backup point guard Baron Davis added 10 assists to the group’s efforts.

Lin, however, continued to struggle despite his team’s new found success. The Harvard alum took only four shots on the night; he made two of those attempts along with two free throws for a total of only six points. And though he managed to assist on six baskets, he also continued his streak of high-turnover games, giving the ball up, again, six times.

As emphasized in an article by Allen St. John of Forbes.com, D’Antoni’s resignation may prove to be detrimental for the second-year guard. Lin, a player who thrived in the free, fast-paced, high-energy system of his former coach, may not shine quite so brightly in an offense with more strict, half-court sets.

Following the game, Lin tweeted his thanks to the coach who gave him his true start in the league.

"Glad to get a win! A huge thank you to coach dantoni for everything he did for the team and me!! Truly a class act who will be missed!"

Only time will tell whether the end of the D’Antoni era also marks the end of Linsanity. As D’Antoni’s playing of Lin back on Feb. 5 may have dragged out the coach’s time with the Knicks until Wednesday, Lin fans may want to hold their breath to insure that this new direction of the organization does not also render the guard Lineffective.