Quick Kick: Knicks dispatch Hawks early, rest for Heat tonight
NEWS, SPORTS Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
By Ren Hsieh
Jeremy Lin: 17 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals
February 22, 2012/Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Not much to say about last night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Generally, there isn’t much to be gleaned from blowout wins or losses but a win is a win and the Knicks need them like JR Smith needed an edge up. What we did get to see is what the Knicks offense can look like when they’re clicking.
Though it didn’t make sense to me then, I think I can understand now why D’Antoni played Jeremy Lin to very near the end of garbage time while sitting Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire (even with the Miami Heat coming up tomorrow). You save your stars; it’s a subtle way of saying Melo, Stat and Big Chan, you’re still our stars, we need you for tomorrow. Lin is 23, he can finish the game. Also, the offense just flows better with him in the line-up and if D’Antoni was worried about putting that one away, keeping Lin in the game was a good move.
Baron Davis looked much better against the Hawks. BD makes it look real easy when he’s feeling the dimes and he definitely showed there’s still a lot of talent in that tummy. Taking him out late in the 4th was prudent. He’s not ready for extensive minutes yet even if he is looking good. And neither is Melo; his 27 minutes were much better to gradually bring him back into the line-up and with that transition dunk he threw down in the 2nd quarter he was definitely looking more spry. His 37 minutes against New Jersey overshot it. He needs time to ease in; the other Knicks who have been carrying the load in his absence need to ease out.
–
Ren Hsieh is OurChinatown’s resident blogger on Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks. Follow his live coverage of Knicks games at @ourchinatown. You can also find him on Twitter at @TheRealRenHsieh.
Tweet
Short URL: http://www.ourchinatown.org/?p=8324
Posted by 
