The highlight of the game for the woeful Atlanta Hawks came with just seconds left as 41-year-old Vince Carter showed yet another dash of Vinsanity and threw down a two-handed dunk in the lane. The slam — and how else could the ferocious dunker have marked the occasion? — pushed Carter’s career point total past 25,000. Carter didn’t zoom past anyone and remains at the #22 spot among all-time NBA scorers, but his teammates, having little else to cheer about this season, cheered for Vince ecstatically. So did the victorious Toronto Raptors, where Carter spent the most productive years of his historic high-flying career.
[Linsanity: The Movie]
But if the Hawks — losers of nine straight — were looking for something more to celebrate than this monumental coda to Carter’s stupendous career, they could simply look to reserve guard Jeremy Lin. Because as much Vinsanity as the Hawks enjoyed, there is a strong strain of resurgent Linsanity spreading around the Atlanta squad. And it looks like it’s metastasizing.
Lin, who has been scoring points in excess of his minutes and filling up the stat sheet all around, again put on an offensive show for the moribund Hawks. Lin had 26 points in 26 minutes in the 124-109 loss. Lin shot 11-of-13 from the floor including 4-of-5 from deep. Atlanta fans may want to enjoy it while they can. As Lin continues to prove he’s not permanently impacted by the injury (ruptured patella) that made him expendable for the Brooklyn Nets, NBA playoff contenders will be looking hard at bringing in Lin to bolster backcourt scoring, penetration, free throw attempts, and opposing team foul trouble off the bench. Veteran NBA watchers expect Lin won’t languish in Atlanta too long, as the Hawks suffer their rebuilding.
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