Jeremy Lin is defended by Archie Goodwin of the Phoenix Suns. (Photo : Getty Images/Streeter Lecka )
Jeremy Lin just put himself in position to get a major pay-hike this offseason. The former Harvard standout dropped 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting along with seven rounds to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a comeback win over Western Conference powerhouse, the San Antonio Spurs, 91-88 on Monday in Charlotte.
Lin, who saw his minutes decreased following the arrival of Courtney Lee at trade deadline, got the green light from Steve Clifford to attack offensively, and he never disappointed a bit.
Down by 23 points after the first half, the 28-year old Lin pulled off a Linsanity-liked performance the rest of the way as he scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to stun the Spurs, who is coming off a marquee victory over the Golden State Warriors in San Antonio.
Hornets big man Cody Zeller grabbed 14 rebounds, while starters Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker chipped in with 17 and 15 points, respectively.
All starters except Danny Green scored in double-digits for the Spurs with power forward LaMarcus Aldridge racking up 18 points, 12 rebounds and 5 dimes.
With the victory, the Hornets moved 10 games above .500 once again (40-30) and keep themselves in the thick of things for a home-court advantage in the first round. The Spurs, on the other hand, dropped to 59-11 in the season.
What does this mean for Jeremy Lin?
After putting up a Sixth Man of the Year worthy performance during the first half of the season, Lin's production took a step back following the Hornets' acquisition of Lee. However, the versatile guard is turning things around as of late, starting off with a 16-point output in a 101-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets last Saturday.
His explosion against the Spurs would be a big boost for his confidence heading into the final weeks of the regular-season. More importantly, it also establishes Lin as one of better playmakers expected to be available in this summer's free-agency.
Almost all of Lin's big performance this season has come against elite teams (35-point vs. the Toronto Raptors, 26-points vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, 24-point / 8-assists vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers and now 29-points against the Spurs). This only shows that Lin is playing over his current contract of $2M per year and rightfully deserving for a major pay-hike next season.
Lin, who can opt-out of the second year of his deal, is expected to draw interest from multiple teams. These ball clubs probably know by now his true market value.
Whether the Hornets will try to retain his service or not, Lin will be cashing in on his marquee exploits this summer.
