Jeremy Lin returned triumphantly to Madison Square Garden in the Rockets' only visit this season and led his team to a 109-96 win. He shot a respectable 9-15 on the night for 22 points, and considering that he was only 1-6 from the 3 point line (the lack of a consistent 3 point shot is one of the major areas he must address), he was actually 8-9 from inside the arc. Jeremy was had a game-high 8 assists to go with his 4 rebounds. Most impressively, the Rockets were +18 when he as on the floor, by far the biggest ratio on the night.
In comparison, the Knicks' point guards - Kidd and Felton - combined for only 19 points and 7 assists. The Knicks were actually -20 with Kidd on the floor and -11 with Felton.
We've talked about how poorly the Knicks handled Lin's departure, but Jeremy handled his return with nothing but class. Knicks fans fittingly applauded him during introductions.
In the Rockets' other game vs the Knicks earlier this year in Houston, Jeremy also directed Houston to a 131-103 win and the Knicks had Carmelo on the court that night. Surprisingly, NY only has 6 losses overall and yet 2 of those were to Jeremy. Here's hoping the Knicks miss the playoffs, right alongside Lakers as the year's biggest disappointments.
Ultimately, Jeremy and Harden need to find a good balance between the two for success. If Harden dominates the ball as Carmelo did, Jeremy will probably not be the best fit for the Rockets. At the very least, he would have to improve his 3 point shooting to be more effective. But I don't think that's why Houston signed him. They wanted him to be the facilitator and to keep the offense from stagnancy. On this night in NY, he reminded everyone of what Linsanity was all about.
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