Jeremy Lin seeks closure in return to New York

Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

TORONTO – Get ready, New York. Linsanity is returning.

Jeremy Lin became the sensation of the basketball world for a short time last season when he had a run of fantastic performances.

He returns Monday with the Houston Rockets to play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden (game time is 7:30 p.m. ET on NBATV), where he prospered last season, his second in the NBA, with an amazing and unlikely tale: Harvard grad, undrafted rookie who failed to catch on with two teams and ultimately captivated the world with one outstanding performance after another from Feb.4 through March 24.

It included memorable games: 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, a game-winning shot against the Toronto Raptors and 28 points and 14 points against the Dallas Mavericks, re-energizing the Knicks and the world's most famous arena.

His time with the Knicks fizzled when the Knicks decided to go in another direction at point guard and declined to match the Rockets' three-year, $25 million offer sheet in July.

"I'm definitely ready to get it over with just because I think in some way there'll be some closure," Lin told USA TODAY Sports after Houston lost at Toronto 103-96 on Sunday. "This will be the first return back to MSG, and there'll never be another first return. We're going to go out there, play and have some fun and enjoy it and move on."

One of Lin's teammates, James Harden, who recently faced his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on the road, cautioned not to make too much out of his return.

"I don't think Jeremy's really caught up in going back and trying to make an individual performance," Harden said. "It's good to see old teammates and coaches and fans, but to be honest, you guys, the media, really hypes it up to be bigger than what it is."

But it's New York. The Knicks are soaring and Lin is struggling, but it should be a fun night. He still has a strong Asian fan base and interest in Lin remains. Dozens of fans wore Lin jerseys and T-shirts Sunday, and no fewer than 12 Chinese and Taiwanese groups and associations brought fans to the game.

"The Asian community has exceeded all my expectations with their support," Lin said. "The craziness they have, the enthusiasm. I've seen it in full force here, other cities and Asia. It's a lot of fun."

Lin declined to predict what kind of reception he'll get from Knicks fans, who booed ex-coach Mike D'Antoni when his Lakers were in town Thursday.

"If I were to be realistic, there'll probably be a little bit of nostalgia or reminiscing and thankful for those times, because those were some great times," Lin said. "At the same time, it's the next chapter."

The current chapter isn't a fairy tale. Lin delivered a brutal assessment of his play this season.

"Terrible," Lin said. "I'm not doing close to what I'm capable of doing. It's a matter of figuring out how to get myself to play more like myself within the system of everything that's going on and a change of scenery.

"I'll be my harshest critic but I'll go ahead and say that I'm doing terrible."

Probably not exactly the way he wanted to describe his play the day before his return.

Lin's self-critique might be harsh, but it touches on the fact that he has not had the same special performances as a starter with the Rockets this season as he did as a starter for the Knicks last season.

In 23 starts with the Rockets, Lin has averaged 10.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds and has shot 39.5% from the field, including 31.7% on three-pointers.

In 25 starts with the Knicks, Lin averaged 18.2 points, 7.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and shot 44.5% from the field, including 34.3% on three-pointers.

The dynamics are different. The Knicks had better, veteran players; the Rockets (11-12) are younger with not as much talent.

Lin, 24, entered Houston's training camp with a new three-year, $25 million contract and as the starting point guard for a new coach, Kevin McHale, and a new team.

"He's figuring himself out inside of our system, and he's figuring himself out as a young player," McHale said. "He really is just a young player. … Jeremy's fine. He's been playing well. He's just going to continue to improve."

Lin was undrafted after graduating from Harvard in 2010 and played minimally for the Golden State Warriors in 2010-11. After two teams, including the Rockets, waived him at the start of 2011-12, he joined the Knicks and got a shot when injuries and mediocre play prompted coach Mike D'Antoni to give him a chance.

For the Knicks, he created magic — Linsanity — with amazing game after game. His unlikely and unfathomable story captivated non-sports fans. Lin made the front page of USA TODAY and The New York Times and the cover of Sports Illustrated, and the Garden was again electric.

His amazing run started with 23 points and seven assists off the bench in a victory against the New Jersey Nets. It continued with 28 points and eight assists in a win against the Utah Jazz.

It's hard to tell where Linsanity reach its zenith. Thirty-eight points against the Lakers? Twenty-seven points, 11 assists and a game-winning three-pointer with .5 seconds left against the Raptors? Twenty-eight points and 14 assists in a win against the Mavericks?

During a stretch in February, Lin and Knicks won nine of 11 games, including seven in a row. But the Knicks also lost six in a row, forcing D'Antoni's resignation. Even though Lin had other good games, his season ended on March 24 when he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery.

The Knicks decided Lin wasn't part of their future. The Rockets invested in Lin, but he has struggled at times. Beyond basis stats, the Rockets are a more efficient offensive and defensive team with Harden on the floor and Lin on the bench than they are with both on the court together.

One of the issues in Houston is his trying to fit in with Harden. With Harden on the floor and Lin on the bench, the Rockets are a more efficient offensive and defensive team than they are with both on the court together. Houston is nearly three points more per game with Lin on the bench.

In Sunday's loss to the Raptors, Lin had seven points on 3-of-9 shooting with three steals, three turnovers, two assists and one rebound. When Lin went to bench in the first quarter with the Rockets trailing 20-12, Houston ended the quarter on a 16-6 run.

"We're going through a lot change," Lin said. "We have high character guys and we all care and we all want the right thing. When you have that, it's just a matter of time."

Lin has had strong games: 16 point and 10 assists in a victory against the Raptors; 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a win against the Atlanta Hawks; 18 points and eight assists in a victory against the Utah Jazz.

"The biggest thing for all us is comfort. When you're comfortable, everything is easy, everything flows. Right now, we don't have that exactly. We'll get there though. We've shown glimpses. We'll have some games where everything is perfect and free-flowing and everyone's comfortable and we'll have the ones like today where it's just not quite there.

"It's a matter of battling through the adversity so we can get everybody more on the same page more consistently."