Jeremy Lin. (Photo : Getty Images)
Jeremy Lin bolstered his bid to win his Sixth Man of the Year award after putting up an all-around performance in the Charlotte Hornets' 114-100 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday at TD Garden in Boston. The 26-year old Lin became the first player this season to score at least 25 points with five steals.
The game was supposed to be a showdown between two emerging point guards in the league: Hornets' Kemba Walker and Celtics' Isaiah Thomas. However, it was Lin who stole the thunder from them as he shot 7-for-14 from the field for 25 points. He also chipped in 7 rebounds, 5 rebounds and 5 steals to wrap up an impressive all-around game.
Lin's strong outing against the Celtics put him in the thick of things for the year-ender Sixth Man of the Year award. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Enes Kanter (12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds) and Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford (14.2 points and 2.3 assists) may have better statistical numbers than Lin, but the Hornets point guard has the biggest impact to his team in just his first season.
Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson added 16 points apiece for the Hornets, while Avery Bradley and Thomas recorded 17 points each to lead way for the Celtics, who shot 38 percent from the field.
The Hornets have been known all season for their explosive offense, but head coach Brad Stevens believes their defense was the key factor in the match.
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"We laid an eight-minute egg at the end of the second quarter and we just couldn't overcome it," Brad Stevens said via SB Nation. "We tried to dribble through traffic and it was like we were driving through 5 guys and 10 arms."
The Hornets (47-34) currently occupy the no.6 place in the Eastern Conference standings, and it looks like they are locked to play either the Miami Heat or the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.
