Jeremy Lin, the newest sensation in the NBA, will lead the New York Knicks against the lowly Sacramento Kings in inter-conference action on Wednesday night in Madison Square Garden.
The Kings have been searching to find some kind of consistency on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. They have won four of their last six games following a five-game losing streak.
The Knicks have turned their season around thanks to the emergence of Lin. They are on a five-game winning streak after it looked like they were toast in the Eastern Conference. With Amar'e Stoudemire coming back on Tuesday and Carmelo Anthony possibly back next week, the future is bright for the Knickerbockers.
Where: Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
When: Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST
Watch: Comcast Sports Net (Sacramento); MSG Network (New York)
Betting Line: New York (-7), according to Vegas Insider
What's At Stake?
The Kings are trying to find themselves—not only on the court, but as a franchise as well. While they won't be able to solve the latter problem in this game, a win would make the former much easier to achieve.
Young teams need to take small moral victories whenever they can get them, and the Kings have not had a lot to celebrate this year.
On the other side of the coin, the Knicks have become playoff contenders again thanks to Linsanity. They can't afford to have a let down against one of the weakest teams in the NBA. This is a game they should dominate.
Sacramento Injury Report
No injuries listed
Out: PG Baron Davis (Back), SF Carmelo Anthony (Groin), C Josh Harrellson (Wrist)
What They Are Saying
While Jeremy Lin has made the Knicks relevant on the court, he is keeping his modesty in the midst of so much media attention. He even told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that his success has been a pleasant surprise:
Anytime something like this happens, a lot of stuff has to be put into place, and a lot of it is out of my control If you look back at my story, doesn't matter where you look, but God's fingerprints are all over the place where there have been a lot of things that had to happen that I couldn't control.
You can try to call it coincidence, but at the end of the day, there are 20, 30 things when you combine them all that had to happen at the right time in order for me to be here. That's why I call it a miracle.
His ego and attitude are refreshing in today's NBA. Where other players are doing what they have to in order to promote themselves, Lin is doing his best to not let this early success give him an overinflated ego.
Most Important Player To Watch: Knicks PF Amar'e Stoudemire
While Lin is going to be the reason that casual fans tune in, Stoudemire's integration into this new offense will be critical to the success or failure of the Knicks going forward.
His numbers have been down this season thanks to the lack of a true point guard, but Lin will provide the boost that he needs to be the dominant force in the middle that we have gotten accustomed to seeing throughout his career.
Key Matchup: Jeremy Lin vs. Tyreke Evans
The two point guards are going to dictate the pace of this game. The Kings have struggled to score points, and Evans is having the worst season of his young career. His scoring is down, and the players surrounding him aren't strong enough to make up for his drop in production.
Lin is single-handedly carrying the Knicks on offense. Even when he struggles shooting the ball, like he did against Minnesota, he can still have a profound impact on the game with his passing. His teammates also play inspired basketball when he is on the court.
Prediction
The Knicks are the hotter team right now, they have more talent and they are ready to make a move in the Atlantic Division.
Knicks 105, Kings 95
