MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ― Jeremy Lin did it again.
Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Steve Novak scored 15 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 36 seconds to play and Lin used his quickness to draw a foul and get to the line in the closing seconds. He finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin dunks against the Charlotte Bobcats. (AP-Yonhap News) |
Lin had just five points on 1-for-13 shooting and four turnovers in the second half.
Kevin Love had 32 points and 21 rebounds for the Wolves, who missed two chances to win the game in the final five seconds.
The Knicks trailed by seven with 6:41 to play and it looked as if a week of Tebow-like hype was finally catching up to Lin. But the Wolves only scored one field goal the rest of the way, and the Knicks hung in there.
Playing yet again without the injured Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, who was mourning the death of his brother, Landry Fields scored 19 on 8-for-10 shooting and Iman Shumpert added 20 points.
Fields hit a short jumper to make the score 94-93 with 2:10 to go and Shumpert added another for a 95-94 lead with 1:22 to go to give them their first lead since early in the second quarter.
But Love, who had 31 points and 31 rebounds in win over the Knicks last year, hit two free throws and Rubio drove to the rim for a left-handed layup for a three-point lead with 39 seconds to play.
Novak’s 3-pointer tied it at 98 on the next possession and Lin and Bill Walker each hit free throws to seal it for the Knicks, who scored 29 points on 23 Minnesota turnovers.
The matchup of two of the most dynamic young point guards in the league made this an extremely hot ticket. The Timberwolves had to sell standing-room only tickets to pack in an announced crowd of 20,232, the largest crowd here since 2004.
Denver 113, Indiana 109
LA Clippers 111, Charlotte 86
Philadelphia 99, Cleveland 84
San Antonio 103, New Jersey 89
Orlando 99, Milwaukee 94
Dallas 97, Portland 94
Phoenix 98, Sacramento 84
