It took a quarter of a season, but Linsanity has reached Texas. The Houston Rockets point guard had a season-high 38 points Monday night in a 134-126 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets were without their leading scorer, shooting guard James Harden, and Lin filled the void as he proved so capable of last season with the New York Knicks. His previous season-high points total was 21, on Nov. 2.
Lin had been mired in a funk lately, scoring 15 total points in his previous three games while losing minutes to backup Toney Douglas. But the expensive free agent busted out without Harden around.
Lin started out slowly, scoring two points in the first quarter, but then took over in the second and third, scoring 24 of Houston's 66 points in the high-scoring stanzas.
He finished 11-for-21 from the field, 4-for-5 from three and 12-for-12 from the line and added seven assists, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals for good measure.
Characteristically, Lin brushed aside his individual contributions.
"I'm thankful that I was able to get comfortable out there, but that's definitely secondary to the fact that we blew another close game," he said.
It was the breakout performance the Rockets needed from Lin, whom they invested $25.1 million in over the next three years. Lin burst onto the scene last February when the injury-plagued Knicks shuffled him into a starting and starring role, but his career before his two-month hot streak was full of D-League and DNPs.
Lin's game was not perfect. Near the end of regulation, with the score tied, he was ticking down the clock to set up a last shot when Danny Green poked the ball away from him.
"I had the ball to win it and didn't even get a shot up," Lin said. "That one hurt."
But that hurt can be overcome if this is a sign of things to come. Lin and Harden, who sat with a sprained ankle, have not always been on the same page this season. Lin is at his best as an aggressive playmaker, but Harden is the star of the team and demands the ball.
If Harden misses a few games, Lin could find his rhythm. Harden can adjust to an aggressive point guard; he played with Russell Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Rockets coach Kevin McHale said before the game he wanted Lin more involved, with or without Harden.
"We have to find a way to get Jeremy playing with the ball more even playing with James," McHale told the Houston Chronicle. "We've got to make sure he's able to do some things and have some strong side, weak side action where he is involved, anyway."
He was involved Monday. And the result was spectacular. Linsane, even.
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