Jeremy Lin vs. Rajon Rondo in a "Crucial" Game in the Atlantic Division
By Jason McIntyre
The last time Lin had a road game on national TV, the Knicks were rocked by the Heat, and the point guard from Harvard shot 1-for-11 and had eight turnovers against heavy pressure. Rajon Rondo’s a terrific defensive point guard – he was 2nd in the league in steals last year; 1st two years ago – and I imagine he’ll be aggressively attacking Lin at both ends and looking to quell all those trade rumors.
The Celtics (18-17) lead the Knicks (18-18) by 1/2 game in the Atlantic; both are chasing Philadelphia (22-15). With games at Dallas, San Antonio and Milwaukee in a 4-day stretch this week, this is actually a crucial game. Yes, even with 29 games left in the season.
* Technically, they saw Lin briefly before he became a star. In early February, Lin faced Boston in a few minutes as a reserve and was awful. The very next night Lin had that explosion vs. New Jersey and hasn’t looked back – he’s averaging 22 points and nine assists in 12 games as a starter.