- Howard Beck of The New York Times: This was billed as Asian Heritage Night, but the crowd did not seem to know what to do with Lin. There were cheers during pregame introductions, periodic boos when he had the ball, then cheers again when he scored. There was plenty of love in a series of holiday-themed signs like, “Jeremy Lin, Will You Be My vaLINtine?” Another hailed “The Asian Linsation.” The greatest tribute came on the newsstands, where Sports Illustrated featured Lin on its cover, under the headline “Against All Odds.” Stoudemire was just happy to be part of the fun after a week spent mourning his older brother, Hazell, who was killed in a car accident. Stoudemire returned with a new tattoo, a single teardrop on his right cheekbone. “Forever crying inside,” Stoudemire explained, choking up. “It’s just hard to explain how close me and my brother was. He was more like a father figure, more like a mentor and a brother. He’s the reason I play basketball now. He’s the reason why I made it to where I am now. A big part of my success.” After Lin’s final shot ripped through the net, Stoudemire and Chandler just stared at each other in happy disbelief. “Then we started hugging each other and just dancing at halfcourt, as if we won a championship,” Stoudemire said. “I was simply amazed by, and still somewhat amazed, by the way he’s playing.”
- Keith Bradsher of The New York Times: The clearest sign that Jeremy Lin’s appeal has spanned the Pacific to mainland China may lie not in the 1.4 million Chinese microblog messages mentioning him in recent days, but in a rare failure to meet demand here in the heart of one of the world’s largest centers of pirated garment manufacturing. "His jerseys have sold out, even including the counterfeit ones,” said Zheng Xiaojun, a 24-year-old clerk here in the capital of Zhejiang province, near Shanghai. Lin’s stunning success with the Knicks over the last week and a half has captured the imagination of the Chinese, from Communist Party bosses to the often-persecuted Christian minority. He has been particularly popular here in northern Zhejiang province, from which his maternal grandmother fled to Taiwan in the last days of China’s civil war in the late 1940s. Lin is commonly described in the United States as Taiwanese-American because his parents grew up in Taiwan before moving to the United States, where Lin was born. But mainland China is already starting to claim him as its own, part of an incessant rivalry across the Taiwan Strait.
- Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: This is not just Jeremy Lin anymore, this Cinderella story came from nowhere. This is spooky. This is now Tebow-like. This is beyond explainable. Or as Lin said early in the latest crazy day at the Air Canada Centre, “God’s fingerprints are all over the place.” (As if we had any idea that God, in fact, had fingers.) There is no doubting the Lord anymore, at least not today, at least not in the sporting sense, not when this kid who was kicked to the
curb keeps winning basketball games the New York Knicks have no business winning. The great Lin story just got a little larger Tuesday night, a little more difficult to believe, a little more detailed and a little more incredible. It began from the museum of the hard to believe. It has now entered the mystical. ... For the fans who packed the Air Canada Centre, selling out for just the second time this season, they left with a memory, with something to talk about. For the second game in a row, it was the perfect ending, almost, for the going-nowhere Raptors. They excited and then they lost. What more could a serious fan ask for? And still, on a night when it looked like the hype would quiet, that the legend would be exposed, the story of all stories would begin to fade, it just got better. There has never been anything like this in the NBA or any other league, Tebow included. Enjoy: There may never be anything like this again. - Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: Remember when the Indiana Pacers were the feel-good story of the early part the season, the team opponents didn’t want to face because of their athleticism and blue-collar playing style? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who can’t remember it, either. The Pacers have gone from a success story early on to now being in the midst of a downward spiral that’s in danger of spinning out of control. They dropped their fourth straight game when the Miami Heat put on a show without much effort in their 105-90 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday. The Heat have beaten the Pacers by an average of 25 points in two meetings this season.
- Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: The Heat knew the history. "Our guys were well aware," Erik Spoelstra said. That's because the coaches made them aware. Made them aware that no team in the NBA this season had swept back-to-back-to-back games on the road, with Chicago and Oklahoma City sweeping mixed three-game sets. Made them aware that no team had won three road games on consecutive nights since the 1979 Suns. Made them aware that no team had won all three in double figures since the 1970 Bucks. Made them aware of the opportunity. "We didn't want to overlook it," Spoelstra said. "We didn't want to understate it. You look for these mini-battles during the long season." So, after the 105-90 victory Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers, Dwyane Wade and his teammates didn't need to look anything up. Wade knew all of the aforementioned numbers by heart, well enough to recite all to the media without assistance. "We knew all the elements," Wade said. "When you're playing three games in three nights, you need some motivation, you need something to get you through it." You need a carrot. You need something that would inspire LeBron James to arrive an hour before the first bus did, to take some extra shots. "You want to add yourself to the category of greatness," Wade said.
- John Rohde of The Oklahoman: Given all the criticism that surrounds Russell Westbrook, it's hard to fathom he now is surrounded by the two greatest point guards in NBA history. Westbrook entered Tuesday night's home game against the Utah Jazz needing 11 points to reach 5,000 in his young career. He already had surpassed 1,900 in career assists and 1,300 in career rebounds. By reaching the scoring plateau, the 23-year-old Westbrook joined Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history to reach these totals through their first 274 games. “That's pretty good, huh?” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said, confronting doubting reporters with a smile. “Just think if he played the way you want him to play.” Westbrook got his 5,000th point with 2:54 left in the second quarter of OKC's 111-85 victory over the Jazz. Oddly, the milestone came on an alley-oop pass from Thunder point center Kendrick Perkins, who stole the ball at the opposite free-throw line and dribbled 50 feet before delivering the assist.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune: By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, no one moved. Al Jefferson never got off the bench. Neither did Devin Harris, Raja Bell, Gordon Hayward or Paul Millsap. The Jazz’s five starters were stuck to their seats Tuesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena, silently staring and helplessly watching as the NBA’s best team blitzed away at will, hammering home shots and shredding Utah apart. Final score: 111-85, Oklahoma City Thunder. Final outcome: even worse. After watching the Jazz (14-14) fail to show up for the second consecutive game, several players said a team that’s lost seven of nine still lacks an identity nearly midway through an unforgiving lockout-shortened campaign and is playing its worst basketball of the year at the worst possible time. The self-criticism wasn’t limited to post-blowout interviews. With Utah down 44-33 to the Thunder late in the second quarter, Bell was overheard near the scorer’s table talking to reserve point guard Earl Watson, pounding home the Jazz’s poor execution. "We consistently do dumb [crap]," Bell said. "We can’t even help it."
- Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Rudy Gay entered the night without a free-throw attempt in three of the previous four games. His inability to get to the free-throw line is the one knock critics have of Gay’s game with reason. Gay went 4-of-4 from the foul line against the Rockets. It was another game that showed Gay’s few attempts is a two-prong dilemma. He sometimes lacks aggressiveness in the paint. There are other times when Gay just doesn’t get the benefit of hearing the official’s whistle.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: When the Rockets headed out on their six-game road trip, Kevin Martin was on a roll. He had led the team in scoring in seven consecutive games in which he played, topping 20 points in six of them. He returns home having been stuck to the bench again — and far less happy about it. With the Rockets stumbling long enough for the Memphis Grizzlies to build a 15-point lead before holding on late for a 93-83 victory Tuesday night, Martin finished the worst road trip of his career with the first scoreless game of his eight NBA seasons. He took just three shots, missed them all and played just seven second-half minutes. “Sometimes, it’s nothing about the number of shots,” Martin said. “It seems like a lot of things have changed in the past two weeks. If we’re winning and I’m sitting, I’m happy. Tonight, we got beat, and I’m on a 10-day-contract leash. I’m not happy about that, just because we lost. If we’re winning, I’ll sit over there for 48 minutes.”
- Eric Lacy of The Detroit News: If Pistons coach Lawrence Frank had a vote, he wouldn't hesitate voting Ben Wallace into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Frank's endorsement Tuesday came about 90 minutes before Wallace set an NBA record for games played by an undrafted player (1,055). "Oh, yeah," Frank said. "Who knows in terms of the voting? But (from my perspective), without a doubt (Wallace is in). "You look at what he's done — he's a champion, four-time defensive player of the year. I think without a doubt he has credentials to be Hall of Fame-worthy." Wallace set the record when he replaced Greg Monroe with 54.8 seconds remaining in the first quarter of Tuesday's game against the Spurs. The Pistons trailed 29-20 at the time, and eventually lost 99-95. The record had been held by former Spurs guard Avery Johnson. Wallace said he's not worried about the Hall of Fame, but would gladly accept the nod if he gets voted in. "It doesn't matter what (the player) thinks, it's all up to what everybody else thinks," Wallace said. "If (voters) say I'm a Fall of Famer, then I gotta agree with them."
- Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: Danny Green is beginning to get comfortable with life as the Spurs’ starting shooting guard. But he knows better than to get too comfortable. “Manu’s back,” Green said. In all likelihood, Green is just warming the spot for a time when Ginobili, recently returned from a 22-game absence while a fractured left hand healed, is in enough of a groove to rejoin the first five. When that day might come, however, remains to be seen. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before Tuesday’s 99-95 victory at Detroit that Ginobili had the stamina to give only “15 to 20 minutes.” He noted the 34-year-old Argentine was worn out by the end of his 17-minute stretch a game earlier in New Jersey. It is a claim Ginobili did not deny. “Those first five minutes (in New Jersey), I felt slower than I’ve ever felt in my life,” he said. “Then, I felt pretty good for awhile. Those last three minutes, I really was tired.” Popovich stretched Ginobili out to 24 minutes, 48 seconds in Detroit, including 6:20 of a tight fourth quarter. By the end, Ginobili’s legs were jelly.
- Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: After the game, Afflalo said he wants to set an example with energy. Perhaps no Nugget was more incensed after Denver lost its fifth straight Thursday. Back at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, Afflalo was fiery all night on both ends while leading his team with 20 points. "Hustle is a big part of the game," said Nuggets coach George Karl, whose team is 17-12. "When you have one of your best players hustling, it can enhance my ability to demand it from everybody else." Afflalo missed the majority of training camp because of his contract negotiations, and his inconsistent stats suggested that affected his play. But for three consecutive games, Afflalo has put up Gallo-type numbers (sure enough, while Danilo Gallinari has been out with an ankle injury). Afflalo scored 26 points in Thursday's loss. He scored 23 points and hit 8-of-11 shots Saturday in a big win at Indiana. Against the Suns, he made 7-of-11 shots. For the first time ever, he has scored 20 points in three consecutive games. Afflalo is peaking at an imperative time. Denver starts a difficult three-game trip tonight at Dallas. Memphis and Oklahoma City also await the Nuggets on their trip.
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: One carries the offense. The other carries the defense. Those heavy workloads meant a break Tuesday night for Suns co-captains Steve Nash and Grant Hill. Though they are not injured, both were given the night off at Denver with the Suns in the midst of their first back-to-back-to-back set of the season. The Suns return home Wednesday night for a game against Atlanta at US Airways Center, where the Suns are only 5-7 this season. "They're run down," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "I just don't feel that it's necessary to stick them out there with the possibility of an injury or something. They've played a lot of minutes. We've asked Grant to do a lot of things defensively. And obviously we've asked Steve to do a lot of things offensively. "We just feel like, at this stage, why risk putting them out there. We'll just let them recover today and we have a game tomorrow." Gentry said he consulted with head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson and both players. Nash, 38, and Hill, 39, are among the league's oldest five players. Since the schedule came out, Gentry has talked about the possibility of sitting out veterans for a stretch such as this, which includes four games in five nights.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post: Nick Young wasn’t the only Wizard on a roll offensively Tuesday night, as John Wall again directed a solid floor game with 29 points and nine assists. Jordan Crawford came off the bench, looking to shake off a season-long slump and scored 21 points with a flurry of difficult long jumpers, and JaVale McGee recorded his third consecutive double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. “It felt like everything was working for everybody,” McGee said. The Wizards (7-22) set new season-highs in points and field goal percentage (60 percent) and improved to 2-0 on this five-game road trip. After recording their most lopsided victory of the season with a 21-point trouncing two nights before in Detroit, the Wizards became the first team in franchise history to win consecutive road games by at least 15 points. “That’s as complete a game as we’ve played all year,” Coach Randy Wittman said. “I thought our guys were in tune. We told them this is a tough place to play.”
- Kerry Eggers of The Portland Tribune: When I heard a colleague observe on a Monday radio show that McMillan could get fired before the end of the season, I thought the comment premature. Would an owner who goes an entire season without an interim general manager fire a coach at midseason? I figured if McMillan didn’t get the Blazers out of the first round of the playoffs again this year, yeah, maybe his time would come. But after watching Tuesday’s debacle, I wonder if his demise could happen sooner. McMillan’s was as tight-lipped as I’ve seen him before Tuesday’s game when he was asked during his regular pregame media briefing about his starting lineup. Word had leaked that he had decided to start Batum at shooting guard in place of Wesley Matthews. “I’m not going to talk to you guys about changes in the lineup,” he said twice in response to questions. An NBA coach must have thick skin, and McMillan has taken some heat for a lot of things this season, including sticking with Felton as the starting point guard. ... the Blazers are going to need more than solidarity if they are to rise from the abyss and get their ship on course. If Aldridge is lost for an extended period, the challenge gets even more difficult. McMillan pleads patience, but I’m wondering how much of it his owner has left these days.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: At last year's All-Star Game player and coach introductions in Los Angeles, the steam swirled, music pulsated and several players gyrated. Then a solemn-faced Derrick Rose took the stage, motionless and uncomfortable at the showy exhibition. Just wait until Feb. 26 in Orlando, Fla. That's when Tom Thibodeau will be introduced as coach of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, an honor achieved Tuesday night with the Bulls' 121-115 victory over the Kings at United Center. Wonder if Thibodeau will break down sets of Western Conference All-Star teams from years past? "I just hope they don't have to do defensive slides and closeouts," Joakim Noah joked. Thibodeau will save those for the Bulls, who allowed 38 fourth-quarter points and an opponent-season-high as a 19-point, fourth-quarter lead dwindled to two. "We're trying to take it back to the ABA," Thibodeau said. "Obviously, our defense needs a lot of work."
- Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie didn't have to travel with the team to know he sees the players progressing under coach Keith Smart. Petrie is with the team for part of this season-long six-game trip. He'll break away later this week to scout college games. Petrie echoed the feelings of ownership, which likes the approach Smart has taken with the Kings' young players since he took over for Paul Westphal on Jan. 5. "I think we're still trying to find ourselves in some areas in terms of trying to generate more efficient offense," Petrie said. "But the structure is better; the intensity has generally been pretty good. "It's just a process now of continuing – and I think Keith's done a great job – of working individually with our young players and trying to educate them about what he wants and what they need to do to be better players and put that together into a team concept. And I think it is showing into some results."
- Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: For how super-charged as the words metta, world and peace were meant to be in the former Ron Artest's name change, his favorite word during this Lakers season has been "consistency." Like many Lakers fans, Metta World Peace is still waiting for this team to play the same way on a regular basis instead of blowing defensive assignments at inopportune times and forgetting all the second, third and fourth options on their offensive plays. But the Lakers showed more than a few signs of solidity Tuesday night in an 86-78 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Andrew Bynum was consistent at both ends with 15 points and 15 rebounds, the Lakers' defense was the star of the game and their home record improved to 12-2 – just as good as the NBA title favorite Miami Heat's home record. Lakers coach Mike Brown said the team's commitment to defense gets firmer at home, referring to "extra energy" on defense the Lakers seem to play with when the crowd is behind them. World Peace played well again as he continues to make his case with Brown to play him with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Bynum at the ends of games in addition to the beginnings.
- Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: At 27 years old, 6-foot-8, 255-pound Ivan Johnson is an unlikely NBA rookie who has helped the Atlanta Hawks to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Before Atlanta’s Tuesday night game against the Lakers at Staples Center, he had posted averages of 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 14.8 minutes per game as a regular piece of coach Larry Drew’s playing rotation. If you are wondering how a rookie from San Antonio escaped your purview, understand that when he made the Express-News’ All-Greater San Antonio Class 4A team as a senior at Fox Tech in 2002, Johnson was known as Ivan Wilkerson. It’s confusing, but Johnson has an easy explanation. Before his mother, Sandra Johnson, died in 2007, he promised her he would not give up on his dream to play in the NBA someday. He also began using her name. “I’ve still got Wilkerson,” he said. “But I’ve got two last names, and I want to keep using my mom’s name.”
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