Jeremy Lin had one of his best games in a Charlotte Hornets uniform, leading his team to a come-from-behind 91-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Lin sparked a huge rally in the final period to finish with 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds and two assists. The former Harvard University standout also knocked down all four three-point attempts, picking up from where he left off during their 101-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
"We just turned it up," Lin said after the game via NBA.com. "We just played hard. I'm so thankful to God because I've been struggling so much. We lost one the other night [that] we felt like we shouldn't have lost, so to come out here and get this win is a huge boost for us."
The Hornets had a disastrous start in the game, as they fell 28-7 after the opening period. Charlotte managed to get into their rhythm in the second and third quarters before Lin finished the comeback bid in the final period.
Lin erupted for 15 of his 29 markers in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead bucket with 48 seconds left to play. The 27-year-old playmaker then gave Charlotte a 91-88 lead with two converted free throws with 18 seconds remaining in the match. The Spurs had several chances to tie the game, but they failed to force an extra period.
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"He was spectacular," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Lin after the game. "We couldn't stop him all night. He had a great night. He was wonderful."
Courtney Lee also had a productive night, finishing with 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting to go along with four steals and two assists, while Nicolas Batum racked up 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Cody Zeller had just six points, but the third-year center grabbed 14 rebounds for the Hornets.
According to ESPN, the Hornets became the first team to score seven points or less in the first quarter but managed to win since the Utah Jazz did the same feat against the New Jersey Nets in December 2008.
With the win, the Hornets also solidified their playoff chances, improving their record to 40-30, which is good for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They still have a strong chance to bag one of the top four spots as they are in a tight race with the 40-29 Miami Heat, 41-30 Atlanta Hawks and 41-30 Boston Celtics.
Watch the highlights of Lin's big night against the Spurs below.
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