NBA: Knicks rally to beat Heat while NBA Sixers rip Clippers

New York reserve guard Immanuel Quickley scored 20 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to spark the Knicks over NBA Eastern Conference leader Miami 111-103 on Friday.

R.J. Barrett added 18 as the visiting Knicks rallied from 17 points down in the fourth quarter, closing the game on a 38-13 run to beat the Heat.

"We had to battle back for sure," Quickley said. "We just stuck with it. Thibs (Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau) was real calm in the locker room. Guys were staying together.

"That's just what we want to do. We want to stay together and try to get a win so I'm really proud of the guys."

The Heat, led by 30 points from Jimmy Butler, fell to 47-27, only one-half game ahead of defending champion Milwaukee and Philadelphia and one game in front of Boston.

Philadelphia's James Harden had 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists -- all game highs -- to spark the 76ers over the host Los Angeles Clippers 122-97.

"As long as I'm aggressive, the plays open up for themselves," Harden said. "Tonight was one of those nights where I had it going for four quarters."

Combined with Cameroonian big man Joel Embiid, who had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Harden led a two-man domination as the Sixers took their fifth victory in six games.

"Our 1-2 punch is still a work in progress," Harden said. "We have to find that balance but I think we're getting there," said Harden. "We're building every single day, trying to figure each other out."

New York improved to 32-42 but remained five games behind Atlanta for the final East play-in spot with only eight games remaining in the regular season.

Charlotte and Atlanta, holding the last two East play-spots, took home triumphs over top Western Conference clubs to solidify their spots.

Trey Young scored 33 points and passed off 15 assists while Clint Capela had 19 points and 13 rebounds to spark Atlanta over the Golden State Warriors 121-110.

Klay Thompson scored a game-high 37 points and Jordan Poole added 24 points and 10 assists to lead the Warriors, third in the West at 48-26.

Miles Bridges scored 26 points and passes off 11 assists and Terry Rozier added 25 points to spark the Charlotte Hornets over visiting Utah 107-101.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 26 points and French center Rudy Gobert grabbed 19 rebounds for fourth-place Utah, which fell to 45-29, three games behind Golden State and level with Dallas, which missed a chance to move ahead with a road loss as well.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points to lead seven double-figure scorers and also grabbed nine rebounds to spark the Minnesota Timberwolves over visiting Dallas 116-95.

Luka Doncic had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, who fell to 45-29, trailing Utah on tiebreakers.

Minnesota improved to 43-32, one-half game behind Denver for sixth place and the last automatic playoff berth in the West.

Kristaps Porzingis sank the go-ahead basket with 29 seconds remaining and Deni Avdija added two free throws in the dying seconds to give Washington a 100-97 victory at Detroit. 

Rodney McGruder missed a tying three-point try and Porzingis grabbed a final rebound to seal the Wizards' triumph.

Latvia's Porzingis had 30 points and 10 rebounds to lead Washington while Avdija added 21 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Jalen Green scored 23 points to lead the NBA-worst Houston Rockets to a 125-106 home victory over Portland.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Julius Randle triple-double leads Knicks past Magic

Reggie Bullock scored 20 points and came up with a big steal with 5.9 seconds left as the host New York Knicks held on for a 94-93 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

Bullock saved the Knicks from completely collapsing after they blew a 16-point, third-quarter lead and trailed by five points twice in the fourth. 

The Knicks held a 94-90 lead after Alec Burks hit a floater in the lane with 31.5 seconds left but Orlando drew within 94-93 on Evan Fournier's 3-pointer with 27.6 seconds left.

The Knicks had a chance to clinch the win but Bullock got tied up by Fournier and lost a jump ball with 19.5 seconds left. 

After Orlando called a timeout, Aaron Gordon inbounded to Fournier, who moved around a screen by Nikola Vucevic but Bullock trailed Fournier and came up with the clutch steal beyond the 3-point line.

Burks led the Knicks with 21 points and also added 10 assists. 

Julius Randle posted his third triple-double of the season with 18 points, a career-high 17 assists and 10 rebounds as the Knicks shot 43 percent and bounced back from close losses to Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

Fournier scored 23 points for Orlando, which lost its ninth straight game. Gordon and Vucevic added 17 apiece for the Magic, who shot 42.7 percent

After allowing the game's first five points, the Magic took a 20-10 lead on Fournier's one-legged 3-pointer with 5:50 left in the first quarter. 

New York outscored Orlando, 14-6, the rest of the frame to get within 26-24 after 12 minutes, before taking a 45-44 lead by intermission.

Randle's 3-pointer put New York up 72-56 with 1:59 left in the third but Orlando scored the final 10 points of the quarter and got within 72-66 after Khem Birch hit a bank shot with one second left. 

Orlando regained the lead when Fournier's 3-pointer made it 75-74 with 9:54 left in the fourth.

Orlando took its second five-point lead of the fourth at 87-82 on Vucevic's 14-footer with 5:15 left but the Knicks took an 88-87 lead on Frank Ntilikina's 3-pointer with 3:49 remaining. 

Randle then hit two jumpers to give the Knicks a 92-87 edge with 2:39 left.

Orlando had a chance to retake the lead when Bullock missed a 3-pointer with 56.4 seconds left in the third but Dwayne Bacon missed a wide-open 3-pointer with 44.7 seconds to go.

-reuters

Kyrie Irving gets cheers and a win at MSG as Celtics beat Knicks

NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving heard the “We want Kyrie! We want Kyrie!” chants that echoed through Madison Square Garden.

He seemed more annoyed than flattered.


“It’s nothing but a distraction at this point,” he said.

Irving and the Boston Celtics handled it as easily as they handled the overmatched Knicks, winning 113-99 on Friday night in the first game since New York traded Kristaps Porzingis.

Irving had 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists before a crowd eager to start the free agent wooing five months early.

The trade to Dallas gave the Knicks money to chase two top free agents this summer and fans showed Irving that they want him to be one of them, cheering him before and during his return from a two-game absence with a hip injury.

Irving is one of the headline names in the 2019 free agent class, and though he said at a Celtics fan event last fall that he intended to re-sign in Boston, that may be no guarantee. He told reporters at the morning shootaround to “Ask me July 1” if his plans had changed.

Discouraged earlier this season by the play of some of his younger teammates, his frustration now is with the talk about matters beyond basketball, with the trade deadline less than a week away and his name being tied to Anthony Davis’ future as he seeks a trade from New Orleans.

So the former New Jersey high school star figured it would be a scene when he was back in the area.

“Like I said, I’m appreciative of the fan support I get in any arena, but of course coming back home,” he said. “Obviously what’s going on in terms of that noise and commentary is just a bunch of nonsense right now. Can’t do anything about it so I’m just accepting, I’m appreciative, but at the same time I’ve got a game to focus on.”

Marcus Morris added 18 points for the Celtics, who won for the eighth time in nine games and remain supportive of Irving.

“He’s a guy that’s very polarizing in the NBA and the world so everything he says, even if it’s not really that serious, it’s going to be taken out of proportion,” Morris said. “But like I said, he still comes in, he’s a professional. We all love him, we all want him here.”

Damyean Dotson scored 22 points and Kevin Knox had 21 for the Knicks, who dropped their 12th straight.

The Knicks dealt Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke to Dallas along with the injured Porzingis, getting Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews in return, plus two future first-round picks.

The new players weren’t available, so the Knicks started with a backcourt of Dotson and Kadeem Allen.

The short-handed lineup hung around into the fourth quarter before opening February with a loss after going a combined 3-24 in December and January.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Al Horford and Gordon Hayward each had 14 points. … Irving gave his jersey to his father after the game.

Knicks: Coach David Fizdale said the new players had been in the arena Friday before the game. … Luke Kornet started at center and scored nine points after missing the last five games with a sprained left ankle.

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK

Fizdale said he and Porzingis had a nice chat Thursday, wishing each other and joking about never getting onto the court. He said he didn’t question whether there was more he could have done to keep Porzingis happy in New York. 



“I can’t think that way. He’s obviously been here and has dealt with whatever he’s had to deal with throughout the course of his career. I can’t personalize that and put that on me,” Fizdale said. “Obviously I really worked hard to build a great relationship with him, going over to Latvia and everything, and really trying to involve him in a lot of the stuff that we’re doing.”

KYRIE’S CHEERS

Fizdale, on the chants for Irving: “You know, I am on a whole other planet when it comes to that stuff. I am just constantly into how do I help these guys win the next play, how do I get them past the last play?”

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Knicks: Host Memphis on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons spark 76ers rout of Knicks

PHILADELPHIA — Ben Simmons was angry at himself by halftime. The New York Knicks paid for it after the break.

Joel Embiid had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Simmons got his second triple-double in his last three games, and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped out of a funk to beat the Knicks 131-109 on Wednesday night.

Simmons finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, but said his numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“I was just frustrated,” Simmons said. “I want to play well and perform for the team. I want to make sure we win every game we play. I think the second half was a different kind of Ben.”

Jimmy Butler added 20 points and rookie Landry Shamet had a career-high 17 off the bench for the Sixers (21-12), who shot 53.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.

Philadelphia had lost three of four, including a lopsided defeat in San Antonio on Monday.

“For most of the game, our offense was humming,” said JJ Redick, who finished with 14 points, surpassing the 10,000-point milestone for his career. “I thought Ben was great in terms of being on the attack. They really had no answer for Jo (Embiid). And the biggest thing was the second half, we were pretty good defensively.”

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 27 points and Kevin Knox had 21 for the Knicks (9-24), who have lost three straight and eight of their last nine. Emmanuel Mudiay, averaging 20 points per game in his previous nine contests, was held to 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting.

“It’s tough when you have Ben Simmons, who’s really fast, who’s running downhill the whole game,” Knox said. “You’ve got Embiid, who’s hard to really guard in the post. … They’ve just got a lot of weapons.”

The Sixers were clicking offensively from the start, scoring 38 points on nearly 70 percent shooting in the first quarter, capped by a four-point play from Furkan Korkmaz. They led by as many as 14 in the first half and took a 69-61 lead into halftime, though the Knicks closed the half on a highlight-reel alley oop from Hardaway to Knox.

After the Knicks cut Philly’s lead to three early in the third, Embiid and Simmons had back-to-back one handed slams to get the home crowd going and help the Sixers pull away.

“We hung around,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said. “That’s kind of what we do. We’re pests. But when we miss open shots and they’re knocking every single one of them down, that’s how the game broke open.”

TIP-INS

Knicks: The Knicks were without Mitchell Robinson (sprained left ankle) and Allonzo Trier (strained left hamstring). … Damyean Dotson had 14 points off the bench after missing the last two games with a sore shoulder.

76ers: Some of the loudest cheers came before the game when Hall of Famer Julius Erving rang the ceremonial bell. . The Sixers had their best shooting first half of the season (58.7 percent).

MR. 10,000

When asked about becoming the 47th active NBA player to score 10,000 points, Redick was self-deprecating before pausing to appreciate his longevity.

“If you had told me 10 years ago as a third-year guy struggling to get into the rotation that I would score 10,000 points, I would think you were crazy,” he said. “It’s a cool thing for me. I didn’t realize I was that close.”

EASY TRIPLE-DOUBLES

Just because Simmons had his fourth triple-double of the season — and the 16th of his career —doesn’t mean he was happy with his performance.

“Some guys don’t ever get (triple-doubles) in their career,” he said. “I’m fortunate to have a playing style where it’s pretty easy.”

TIMMY TIME

Fizdale said Hardaway, the team’s top scorer who missed New York’s last game, has been dealing with plantar fasciitis but added that he has no thoughts of shutting him down.

“Only a couple of us knew it was really bothering him,” the Knicks coach said. “I think just one game of rest really helped him. He came back and felt like himself.”

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host Atlanta on Friday night.

76ers: Host Toronto on Saturday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Westbrook has triple-double, new-look Thunder rout Knicks

OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook had a triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New York Knicks, 105-84, on Thursday night in their first regular-season game with All-Star additions Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

Westbrook, the NBA MVP last season when he averaged a triple-double, had with 21 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.

Paul George, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Indiana Pacers, led the Thunder with 28 points. Anthony, who was traded from the Knicks to the Thunder right before training camp began, had 22 points against his former team.

Kristaps Porzingis had 31 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Enes Kanter, who joined the Knicks in the deal that sent Anthony to the Thunder, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. No other New York players scored in double figures.

George broke away for a dunk as time expired in the first half to give the Thunder a 53-42 lead. Porzingis scored 19 points before the break to keep the Knicks in it.

Kanter made three buckets early in the third quarter to keep the Knicks in it, but Westbrook found Steven Adams and Andre Roberson for back-to-back alley-oop dunks to give the Thunder a 69-52 lead.

After that, it was time for the Westbrook triple-double watch. He reached double digits in points and assists midway through the third quarter. He grabbed his 10th rebound with about four minutes remaining in the game.

TIP-INS

Knicks: Kanter and F Doug McDermott, the other player sent to the Knicks in the Anthony deal, got a standing ovation during pregame warmups. … McDermott scored four points on 2-for-5 shooting. … The Knicks shot 55.6 percent in the first quarter and still trailed 27-24, in part, because of 11 turnovers. They finished with 26 turnovers.

Thunder: Kanter and Adams are best friends who were known as the ‘Stache Brothers when they played together with the Thunder. … The game marked the start of the 10th season for the Thunder in Oklahoma City. … Thunder C Dakari Johnson scored four points in his NBA debut. He was a G League All-Star last season. … F Jerami Grant’s fadeaway at the third-quarter buzzer gave Oklahoma City a 79-59 lead.

UP NEXT:
Knicks: Host Detroit on Saturday night.
Thunder: At Utah on Saturday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Knicks beat Sixers 102-92 for 4th win in a row

PHILADELPHIA —Amare Stoudemire scored 21 points and Carmelo Anthony added 18 to lead the New York Knicks to a 102-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

J.R. Smith returned from a one-game benching for unsportsmanlike conduct and contributed 11 points for the Knicks (14-22), who have won four straight. Anthony added nine rebounds and seven assists. Stoudemire went 8 for 10 from the field.

Spencer Hawes and James Anderson each had 17 points to lead the Sixers (12-25). Thaddeus Young chipped in 15 points for Philadelphia, , losers of four in a row.

After outscoring the Sixers 32-12 in the second quarter to take a 52-40 halftime lead, the Knicks came out strong after the break. They scored the first four points to open their biggest lead to that point – 10:56 left in the third quarter.

The Sixers never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.

After dropping 13 of 16 to start the season, the Knicks have turned things around. Defense has been a big reason for their success of late. New York has given up just 87.3 points per game and limited opponents to 29.3 percent 3-point shooting during the winning streak that includes Thursday’s 102-92 home victory over defending champion Miami.

The Sixers, meanwhile, entered ranked last in the league in scoring defense (111.2 points per game) and have been even worse lately, allowing 113.3 points during their losing skid that followed a four-game road winning streak.

New York got a big boost from Smith in the second quarter that began with the Knicks down 28-20.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson benched Smith for the entire first quarter before inserting him at the start of the second. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year was benched on Thursday and was fined $50,000 by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct after untying or attempting to untie the shoelaces of opponents in two straight games.

Smith nearly eclipsed his season average of 11.3 points per game entering Saturday in the second quarter alone, scoring 11 points by making all four of his field goals, including a pair of 3-pointers, to go with four assists and two rebounds.

The shoelace incident was the latest in a series of transgressions this season for Smith, who was fined $25,000 in November for sending a threatening Tweet to the Pistons’ Brandon Jennings. That followed a five-game suspension without pay to start the season due to a violation of the league’s anti-drug policy in the offseason.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Knicks beat Heat for third straight win

NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points, Andrea Bargnani had 19, and the New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 102-92 on Thursday night for their season-high third straight victory.

Raymond Felton had 13 points and 14 assists for the Knicks, who seized control with a 16-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters and beat the Heat for the fourth time in five meetings over the last two seasons.

New York was second to Miami in the Eastern Conference last season when it won the series 3-1, but there was little reason to suggest the Knicks were ready to compete with the NBA champions this season. New York is only 13-22, though it has won four of five in 2014.

With Tyson Chandler out sick and J.R. Smith stuck on the bench as an apparent punishment, Amare Stoudemire contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

LeBron James scored 32 points for the Heat, who played without injured starters Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier and didn’t get much from Chris Bosh, who was held to six points on 3-of-10 shooting.

Dwyane Wade scored 23 points but missed all six free throws after sitting out the morning shootaround as Miami had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Smith didn’t play after the reigning Sixth Man of the Year’s latest trouble, a $50,000 fine when he attempted to untie an opponent’s sneaker for the second straight game, after he’d been warned by the NBA not to do it again. Knicks coach Mike Woodson criticized Smith’s behavior during a radio interview Wednesday but said before the game he wouldn’t discuss Smith any longer.

But the benching did the speaking for him. Smith often stood far away from the huddle during timeouts, but his teammates sure didn’t miss him on the court.

Though the roster is different and the results are way worse, Woodson said before the game he believed the things that worked so well against the Heat last season could still do so, and for this night he was right as New York shot 54 percent from the field.

The Knicks surged into the lead late in the third. Bargnani answered back quickly after James blew by him for a dunk, converting a three-point play to tie it and ignite a 9-0 spurt that helped New York lead 75-71 entering the final 12 minutes.

New York ran off seven in a row to open the fourth, making it 82-71 on Stoudemire’s basket, and there was never really a run for the Heat, who couldn’t get closer than five from there.

The Heat were opening a six-game road trip, but the start of it couldn’t be more convenient. They are just a few miles away Friday to visit the Nets in a game in which both players from both teams will wear nicknames on their jerseys.

But the best they can do is salvage a New York split, even after shooting 54 percent in this one.

Miami scored the final seven points of the first quarter, capping it when James broke free to catch a lob and dunk an inbounds pass from behind the basket, to take a 27-21 lead.

The Knicks scored 11 in a row early in the second, but Rashard Lewis made two 3-pointers from the corner in the final 1:11 to help the Heat grab a 48-43 halftime edge.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Knicks win big in coach Woodson's debut

NEW YORK - Mike Woodson did not have long to wait for his first win as new coach of the New York Knicks as his team trampled the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time) to end a six-game losing streak.

Woodson is acting as interim head coach after Mike D'Antoni resigned earlier in the day.

"For our team, this was an important game," said Woodson. "We're still trying to stay in the playoff hunt."

The Knicks kept pace with Milwaukee after the Bucks beat Cleveland to remain tied with New York (19-24) for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth.

Portland, losers of six of their last eight, dropped to 20-23.

"It's kind of an emotional day, you lose your head coach, who I have a great deal of respect for," said Woodson, praising his players' effort at a difficult time.

"They stepped up, they made plays on both ends of the floor.

"The thing I was very impressed with was how they defended and how they shared the ball offensively," he added.

The Knicks squeezed the Trail Blazers with some zealous defending, holding them to less than 40 percent shooting and forcing three 24-second violations.

Playing with enthusiasm and energy, the Knicks raced to a 25-12 first quarter lead with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire setting the tone by running the floor and feasting on fast breaks.

The lead increased to 55-29 at intermission and by the fourth quarter, long-range shooters J.R. Smith and Steve Novak found their touch and finished as the game's top scorers with 23 and 20 points.

In all, the Knicks made a sizzling 19-of-38 from beyond the arc.

Anthony contributed seven assists to go with his 16 points, while Stoudemire shot 8-for-10, mostly on dunks, in scoring 17.

"It was an unfortunate day," said Anthony, who had seemed to struggle under D'Antoni's offensive system. "We responded well."

Jeremy Lin said he felt a debt of gratitude to D'Antoni for giving him a chance to escape the bench and become a surprise sensation at point guard.

"Obviously, I miss him a lot," said Lin, who had six points, six assists and six turnovers in just under 23 minutes on the floor. "I am not going to forget what he did for me personally. I am sad to see him go. I owe him a lot.

"We just played really hard," added Lin. "We came out with a chip on our shoulder and obviously wanted to get Coach Woodson his first win as our head coach."

Woodson said he knew many players felt a bond with D'Antoni.

"You look into their eyes when something like this has happened, you wonder as a coach are they mentally there," he said.

"I just told them to take a deep breath and relax. Let's go out and have fun and play basketball the way I think we're capable of doing and I think they responded." - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

NBA stars, celebs help fans learn English on website

Rising New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin has not only sparked NBA basketball interest in Taiwan, he may also inspire fans to learn English, according to people at the website "English, baby!"

With 1.6 million registered members and about a million hits a month, the educational website (www.englishbaby.com) has been using National Basketball Association players and celebrities to draw visitors to their English lessons, taught by guest stars who explain idioms associated with their work.

"We're really excited about that," Jason Simms, of English, baby!, said in a telephone interview from his Portland, Oregon office about the emergence of Lin on the NBA stage.

"There are lots of businesses out there that are tied to the enthusiasm for the NBA in Asia. We, like many people, were very disappointed when Yao [Ming] retired. It seemed like that might put a damper on that trajectory," he said about the Chinese star who played for the Houston Rockets.

But thanks to Lin, the 23-year-old Taiwanese-American sports sensation and media darling who propelled the struggling Knicks to several victories and sparked a craze dubbed "Linsanity," the trajectory may continue.

"We're really excited that Jeremy Lin is back to connecting the conversation between Taiwan and China and the United States about basketball."

China makes up the biggest audience for the service, comprising about 25 percent of the site's members, followed by Turkey at 7.1 percent and India, Brazil, Egypt and the United States. Taiwan is No.7 on the list at 2.2 percent.

John Hayden, who taught English in Japan and decided students advanced faster armed with cultural, as well as language fluency, started the company 10 years ago.

At first actors were used to stage conversations. But about three years ago he got the idea to tap into the Asian interest in basketball by inviting players to participate in an impromptu lesson, explaining a basketball term and engaging in a chat, which is accompanied by sub-titles on the screen.

NBA players including All-Stars Dwight Howard, of the Orlando Magic, and the New York Nicks' Carmelo Anthony, and Shane Battier, of the Miami Heat, and Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks have participated along with singer Sheryl Crow, DJ Girl Talk, and rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

"A lot of players just perk up at the mention of China because they do interviews every day at media sessions during the season, but they don't get a lot of chances to speak directly to the fans in China," said Simms, who catches players at practice when their teams are in Portland to play the Trail Blazers.

"A lot of these players do tours and promotional events in China in the summer, but during the season they are mostly speaking to the American audience. This gives them a chance to reach out internationally."

The strategy seems to be a hit with teachers and students. The website receives lots of emails and comments, according to Simms.

"People say, 'Thank you for teaching us the real English. This is awesome. To know what this stuff means, I feel more confident I can talk like a real basketball fan,'" he explained.

"Sometimes we get stuff from teachers saying, 'I brought this video into the class and they really liked it.' As an educational outlet, our goal is to be complementary to a classroom experience." - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Yao Ming: 'Everyone wants to be next Jeremy Lin'

Shanghai (CNN) -- When Yao Ming retired from professional basketball seven months ago, there were fears that interest in the NBA among China's 1.3 billion people would dwindle.

But now the former Houston Rockets center -- one of the most successful overseas players in the league's history -- could be forgiven for feeling like yesterday's star in China thanks to Jeremy Lin, the American-born New York Knicks point guard with roots in mainland China and Taiwan.

"We have a lot of talented young athletes here who are passionate about basketball," Yao told CNN in an interview Wednesday. "They all want be the next Jeremy.

"I think they can relate more to Jeremy because they're more common-sized."

For Yao, 31, who stands at seven feet six inches (2.29 meters) tall and remains a towering presence off court, Lin's natural talent more than makes up for his below average six-foot-three-inch (1.91 meters) frame in the league.



Cha: In Lin, China loves a winner

"The easy part is to find a strong basketball player -- I have the size; Shaquille O'Neal: big and strong; Kobe, LeBron, all those names," he said. "Jeremy has basketball IQ -- you can't program that.


"He's the kind of player I'd like to play with if I'm still a player -- he's a team player and everybody likes the way he wins a game," he added. "Honestly, he did much more than I'd expected."

Lin, 23, only recently a little known back-up player sitting on the Knicks bench, has been leading his team to a wave of recent victories without their established stars -- pulling off an average of 20 points and eight assists in six successive games.

source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/22/sport/china-yao-ming-jeremy-lin/index.html?iref=allsearch

NBA: Linsannity stung as Hornets end Knicks' winning run

Jeremy Lin coughed up nine turnovers in his first defeat as a New York Knicks starter with the lowly New Orleans Hornets claiming a surprise 89-85 victory at a sold-out Madison Square Garden on Friday.

'Linsanity' has gripped America and spread throughout Asia as the Chinese-American guard, rejected by a string of NBA teams, became the unlikely driving force behind the Knicks' seven consecutive wins.

However, that run came to an end on Friday as the 23-year-old Harvard graduate turned in a season high turnover rate.

"Nine turnovers is obviously never gonna get it done from your primary ball-handler," Lin, who scored a joint team-high 26 points, told reporters.

"It's on me in terms of taking care of the ball and the game in general. If everyone's going to credit me for these last seven games, then I definitely deserve this one. So that's fine by me."

The Knicks fell to 15-16 for the season while the victory was the Hornets' seventh this season against 23 defeats.

The Hornets capitalised on Lin's five first quarter turnovers to build a 27-13 lead and led wire to wire. The Knicks rallied to within two points at 82-80 on two free throws by Lin with one minute remaining but could not complete the comeback.

Although disappointed by defeat, Lin hoped that the hysteria surrounding him might dampen for the good of the team now the winning streak had ended.

"I don't think this is good, because I hate losing." Lin said. "But I know what you're saying in terms of everything dying down a little bit.

"I think from that end, it may help me, it may help the team a little bit in terms of just having everything off the court cool down for a little bit."

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said he was pleased with how Lin responded in the second half after he recorded eight of his nine turnovers in the first.

"I just told him he was trying to make the hardest pass out there, he was trying to make the home run pass," D'Antoni told reporters.

"That'll happen for young guys. "He'll learn. He'll get through it. I thought he played well. Second half, he adjusted."

Lin was given his chance to play because of injuries and the struggling form of the Knicks, who were 8-15 before he took charge on the floor in the absence of their two top scorers, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire.

The winning run included scoring 38 points in victory over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers and dropping a game winning three-pointer with one second remaining to beat the Toronto Raptors.

However, many Knicks fans missed those efforts.

Friday's game was the first Knicks outing to be aired to more than one million TV viewers in New York after a month and a half blackout for Time Warner Cable Inc subscribers.

They will be hoping for better from their talisman when the Knicks host the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Sarah Palin I'm Going LINSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Call her Sarah Pa-LIN ... because the former Vice-Presidential candidate is the new Knicks' sensation's biggest fan -- even showing off her brand new "LINSANITY" t-shirt on the streets of New York today.

According to Sarah, Jeremy Lin is everything America stands for -- calling him "an American story ... uplifting, positive ... he unifies our country!"

But when it came to deciding between Lin and Tim Tebow -- Sarah reverts to politician mode, telling us she can't decide between the two ... she loves them both. Lame.

source: TMZ

Jeremy Lin hopes more Asians, Asian-Americans will play in NBA in near future

NEW YORK - Jeremy Lin says he plans on going to Taiwan after this NBA of "Lin-sanity" is complete, the new NBA Asian-American star saying he would return to a basketball camp he took part in last year.

Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan and whose grandmother is from China, said on Wednesday after helping lead the New York Knicks to a 100-85 victory over Sacramento that he looks forward to his trip to Asia.

"I have a strong passion for the game and a strong passion for Taiwan," Lin said. "Last summer it was one of the highlights of my summer so I'm going to do it again."

Asian NBA fans have a strong passion for the first US-born NBA player of Taiwan and Chinese heritage, having helped make his souvenir jersey the most popular seller over the past week.

Knicks games have become an internet sensation because of Lin, a former Knicks bench-warmer who was given a chance to play and responded with the most points in his first five starts of any NBA player since 1976.

That has taken the Knicks from an NBA also-ran to 15-15 and made Lin, a 23-year-old point guard, a media darling in New York despite being undrafted when he came out of Harvard University.

Lin said he hopes to disprove stereotypes about athletes from Ivy League colleges known more for academics that sports, and he hopes to similarly change outlooks and stereotypes regarding Asians and Asian-American NBA players.

"Ivy League basketball is on the rise," Lin said. "Over time, hopefully, you will see that stereotype go away.

"I think there are definitely (Asian) stereotypes. There are a lot of them. The more we can do to break those down every day the better we will become.

"Hopefully in the near future we will see a lot more Asians and Asian-Americans playing in the NBA." — Agence France Presse

source: gmanetwork.com