Knicks' Shooting Star Fizzles for a Night - New York Times

Andrew Innerarity/Reuters

The Heat's LeBron James, adding his own flair to a dunk above Tyson Chandler, finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals against the Knicks.

MIAMI — Jeremy Lin moved into the next phase of his N.B.A. education Thursday night, under a deafening din, amid a sea of black jerseys that seemed to blanket every inch of floorboard at American Airlines Arena.

The Miami Heat did not just guard Lin. They attacked, swarmed and engulfed him, using every ounce of speed and star power to tame the Knicks' point-guard sensation and power their way to a 102-88 rout.

Lin could not find a rhythm or room to operate and had his worst performance since this mystical ride began. He had as many turnovers as points (8) missed 10 of 11 shots and collected just three assists — his lowest total since he became the Knicks' primary point guard on Feb. 4.

"It's hard to be Peter Pan every day," Coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He just had an off day. He'll go back at it. He's not daunted at all."

With Lin stumbling, the Knicks struggled to generate much offense and slipped to 17-18 as they headed into the All-Star break. Miami pushed its record to 27-7, tied for the best in the league, and extended its winning streak to eight, all of them double digit-victories.

Carmelo Anthony tried to ignite the Knicks late and finished with 19 points, but he was 7 for 20 from the field, which was emblematic of the Knicks' night. Amar'e Stoudemire had few opportunities and scored 13 points.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade used the night as a warm-up act for the All-Star exhibition to come Sunday. They hounded the Knicks at one end and dunked at the other, combining for 42 points and 13 assists. Chris Bosh added 25 points and 8 rebounds.

Since exploding onto the N.B.A. stage earlier this month, Lin has grown accustomed to the increased attention, from fans and defenses alike. Teams are crowding him and forcing him to go left (his weaker direction) and making him a focus of their game plans. The Heat took it to another level.

"I can't remember another game where it was hard to just take dribbles," Lin said.

Despite his early struggles — including a 2-point, 6-turnover first half — Lin kept attacking the basket, drawing fouls on Mario Chalmers, Wade and James in a five-minute span in the third quarter.

The foul on James was questionable — he was firmly planted in the lane before Lin leaped into him — but the call indicated how far Lin has come, and how much respect he is receiving from officials and players alike. Lin hit his free throws, cutting the deficit to 66-59. But the Heat outscored the Knicks by 12-4 to close the third quarter and took a 14-point lead. The Knicks never got closer than 8 points in the fourth quarter.

The frenzy surrounding Lin, combined with the everyday frenzy of the Heat, made for an unusually intense atmosphere for what was, after all, a midseason game between two teams that are miles apart in the standings.

As much as the Knicks had improved since their last trip here — a 99-89 loss on Jan. 27 — they are far from a finished product. They opened the fourth quarter with three players who were not even in the rotation in January: J. R. Smith, Baron Davis and Steve Novak.

Davis, playing in his third game since returning from a back injury, went 0 for 7 from the field, finishing with no points and three assists. Smith, playing his fourth game since signing with the Knicks, scored 14 points.

"We're in the process of building our team up," D'Antoni said. "We're going to be a different team in a month hopefully, and we have to be."

None of that seemed to matter to the Heat, who attacked the Knicks from the opening tip-off, as if they hoped to quell Linsanity through sheer intensity. The Heat blocked seven shots in the first half and flustered the Knicks into 15 turnovers — six apiece by Stoudemire and Lin.

So the Knicks reached the All-Star break with a losing record but a renewed spirit, having won 9 of 12 games since Lin took control. The schedule gets much tougher from here, but the Knicks will open March with a string of practice days, the first they have had with their revamped lineup.

There is ample learning time yet for Lin as he makes the transition from a momentary sensation to an everyday player. After the game, the Knicks' veterans, including Anthony and Tyson Chandler, made their way to Lin to offer encouragement.

"His head was down," Anthony said. "So we all went over to him. 'Cheer up. We have nights like this. You're going to have nights like this. You're playing against one of the best teams in the N.B.A., if not the best team in the N.B.A. And they really focused in on trying to stop you tonight. You know, you're on the scouting report now.'

"He laughed about it," Anthony said. "You want to have fun and I want him to continue to have fun."

REBOUNDS

Tyson Chandler received a technical foul — his ninth — for angrily complaining about a noncall in the first quarter. Players get an automatic one-game suspension for their 13th technical, and for every two technicals after that. Mike D'Antoni also received a technical, for complaining about Chandler's technical. ... D'Antoni offered a sobering assessment of Baron Davis, who played his third game since returning from a back injury. "He's got a lot of rust," he said. "He tires easily."