#linsanity + Melo’s Return = Live Blogging

I’m a little bit behind on the #linsanity craze (my fellow PDW blogger, Patrick J, has taken to some light-hearted Lin detracting on our Twitter account–I haven’t seen enough to have much of an opinion) so I’m taking to some live blogging of this anticipated return of Carmelo Anthony, to see how the chemistry does or does not exist between these two big-name New Yorkers.

7:28 – 1st Quarter – Knicks rolling in the early going.  Lin and Fields are sharing the ball-handling duties, ball movement is flowing, and all players are involved.  Lin makes an especially-nice defensive play when D-Will posted him up and Jeremy fought around for position and stole the pass.  He also led transition in multiple sequences for easy Knick baskets.

5:46 – 1st – STAT, not known for his defense, shows great position and anticipation, stopping D-Will penetration and closing out on shooter (K-Hump).  STAT’s defense will probably decide whether and for how long he remains on the Knicks.  Meanwhile, Lin fouls D-Will on a jumper.  Did he learn that from watching tapes of Wes Johnson?

5:26 – Lin threads the needle to Anthony, who blows the (contested) layup.  Much of the action now begins with a Tyson Chandler high screen.

5:11 – This Knicks front line is ENORMOUS.

4:57 – Lin cannot stay in front of D-Will.  But who can?

4:37 – JR Smith enters the game.  This should be fun.

4:37 – So does Steve Novak.  Not as fun, but probably more effective.

4:16 – OK, Lin just shoves it upcourt to JR for a huge, double-pump dunk.  That was pretty sick.  Jeremy then takes D-Will to the hole for 2.  Didn’t look pretty, but 2 points is 2 points.

3:17 – Melo misses another layup.

2:33 – Lin steals and pushes, ends up caught in mid-air to pass, but shoots it and it goes in.  #linsanity

2:11 – Knicks leading 19-15.  Lin playing great, Melo is 1 for 5 from the floor, having missed 3 close-but-contested shots.

2:11 – BOOM DIZZLE LIVES! (Just checked in.)

0:56 – D-Will is the best player on the floor.  The next 5 (okay, not counting K-Hump) are Knicks.

0:00 – Boom Diz just drove the lane, whirled the ball around his back, and fired a rocket to Novak in the corner.  The three went in, but the shot didn’t quite beat the buzzer.  Still, we’re seeing signs of the MOTIVATED Baron Davis.  You know, the one that could swing this year’s title race.

2nd Quarter

9:20 – Okay, we’ve now seen JR Smith do a 360 kickout pass, and catch all backboard on a 3 of his own. 25-24 Nets.

9:12 – Tyson picks up Foul #3, tussling with K-Hump.  That’s a big matchup on the interior.  Ken Mauer didn’t look interested in his reaction.

8:36 – Baron spots up from 30 and hits.  Why 30 and not 24?  BECAUSE HE CAN.

7:49 – JR commits the most obvious carrying violation since the league banned the Iverson Crossover.

7:24 – K-Hump scores on Jeffries amidst a sea of boos from the crowd.

6:48 – Lin pushes, finds trailing Stoudemire for two points.  Nice play.

6:22 – I posed this question during Wolves-Nyets tilt, but I’ll ask again: Where would Deron Williams rank amongst NBA shooting guards?

5:55 – Melo just created a shot FOR JEREMY.  3 points.  These two can play together.

5:40 – My God Deron Williams is amazing at basketball.

5:14 – JR takes another terrible shot.  Love the highlights.  Hate most of the rest.

4:03 – Lin hits a contested, rainbow jumper.  Very nice form on that dribble jumper.  If there’s a Nash comparison with merit, perhaps that’s it.

3:24 – Melo with the hoop-and-the-harm.  Knicks trailing here by 5, but unless D-Will goes for 40 (not out of question) they should win.  Melo shouldn’t be fouling Brooks on 3’s anymore though, if that’s going to happen.

2:42 – STAT looked like his old (well, young I guess) self there, blowing by K-Hump.  He looked like his new self when he missed the dunk.

2:07 – K-Hump now at the line, more boos.  Wouldn’t have foreseen this scenario when he was a MN high school star.  At least not for THIS reason.

0:58 – Landry Fields is now forcing the action… wow is that not allowable considering his teammates.

HALFTIME THOUGHTS:

Jeremy Lin has looked good in this game.  He’s got solid numbers (9 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, 0 turnovers) and is splitting double teams to create action in the paint.  It really hurt the Knicks when Tyson Chandler got in foul trouble, and it hurt them more when JR Smith started doing dumb stuff with the ball.  Melo missed a few chippies that would normally go in, but has done a nice job of fitting in.  Deron Williams is dominating the Nets offense (with the ball and without) and is the key reason why the Nets lead by 8 at half.

12:00 – Annnnnd we’re back.  Chandler takes the floor with his 3 fouls.  Knicks need to make noise while he’s on the floor.

11:47 – Cool glasses, STAT, but it ain’t cool to let Shelden Williams take you to all the way to the rack like that.

9:44 – Deron is abusing the Knicks (sometimes Lin, sometimes Fields.) He can get to any spot on the floor and he’s big enough to do damage from most of them.

3:28 – Deron hits a 3 AND THE FOUL.  He’s the best point guard in the world. #kneejerk

3:18 – I watched this game for Linsanity & Melo, and all it did was remind me why I like D-Will’s game so much.  Where’s he playing next year?  Simmons & Stein speculated the other day about Mavs & Lakers.

[PATRICK J TAKING OVER]

0:34 – D-Will picks up his 4th on an offensive foul. Meaningful for 4th quarter??

0:00 – Lin misses buzzer-beating three. Symptomatic of Lin’s/Knicks’ night??

Beginning of 4th: Game getting boring. Considering turning to Wolves-Nuggets full time. Would that make me a bad blogger?

7:45 – JR Smith: No impact…BUT…DERON WILLIAMS PICKS UP 5th FOUL AND MOVES TO THE BENCH. MELO PICKS UP CAREER HIGH 6TH ASSIST. CALL ELIAS SPORTS BUREAU.

7:09: Lin not playing during #winningtime. What’s up?

(Eds. note: Lin’s back. That’s what.)

5:01: K-Hump with the And-1, while D-Williams waits to check back in. Nets on 7-0 run. Knicks down 13. Prokhorov happy.

Linsanity’s over, blame Melo. Yada, yada, yada.