Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin celebrates one of his five 3-pointers during a 140-109 win over the Golden State Warriors. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Houston fans knew the Rockets were on the verge of history against Golden State on Tuesday night, needing one more 3-pointer to set an NBA record. They chanted “One more three! One more three!” during the final moments.

Warriors coach Mark Jackson, however, wasn’t going to let that happen.

Houston tied the record with 3:39 left in the fourth when Donatas Motiejunas buried a triple from the corner, much to the delight of the Rockets bench that had starters James Harden and Jeremy Lin cheering on the reserves to break the record.

So, Jackson ordered his Warriors to stop the three parade by intentionally fouling any Houston player who got the ball. The Rockets settled for tying an NBA record and set a franchise mark with 23 3-pointers in a 140-109 win over the Warriors. Houston matched the single-game record for 3s set by Orlando in a win over Sacramento on Jan. 13, 2009.

The Warriors got a ton of heat from Rockets fans for raining on their 3-ball fun, but Jackson was unapologetic afterwards.

“We’re not gonna lay down. I’m an old-school basketball player, I’m an old-school coach,” Jackson told the media. “You can’t appreciate that that’s on you. You gonna try to get the record we’re gonna stop you. There’s a way to do it that’s all. And I expect nothing less if I was on the other side.”

Kevin McHale, another old-school player with an old-school mentality, appeared to engage in a very heated conversation with Jackson at midcourt after the Warriors’ Draymond Green committed a hard foul on Patrick Beverley as he tried to shoot a three. Green and Morris were ejected. But McHale quickly defused any animosity toward Jackson during his postgame press conference, telling reporters he had no issue with Jackson’s end-game strategy.

“I didn’t even know we had a chance to break the record until late in the game,” McHale said. “We shoot a lot of threes, that’s what we do. Mark didn’t want it to happen so they fouled. I have no problem with that. Mark has to coach his team.”

Here’s a question to the Golden State Warriors: Why did they allow 23 3-pointers in the first place? They could have stopped this madness much sooner by challenger Lin (5-for-8 on threes), Harden (4-for5), Chandler Parsons (4-for-8), and Marcus Morris (3-for-6) and run them off the 3-point line. Instead, Jackson and the Warriors waited until the final four minutes of the game to do something about it.

Looks like the Warriors’ defense needs some work to do.

Jeremy Lin burns his former team, the New York Knicks, in his return to Madison Square Garden. (GETTY IMAGES)

Jeremy Lin has a lot of fond memories at New York’s Madison Square Time. It was in New York where “Linsanity” was born and Lin became the biggest story of the strike-shortened 2011-12 season.

Lin parlayed his overnight success into a three-year, $25-million contract with the Houston Rockets. The Knicks didn’t feel like Lin deserved that much money, so the team didn’t match the Rockets’ offer sheet. Even though Lin says he has no ill feelings toward the Knicks, there had to be a small part of him that was burning inside for basically being dumped.

In his return to Broadway, Lin torched the Knicks for 22 points and eight assists, but more importantly he led the Rockets to a 109-96 win. The win was somewhat watered down because New York didn’t have Carmelo Anthony, who is nursing a sprained ankle, but it was a good win nonetheless for Lin and Rockets.

Lin was in attack mode from the start, scoring the first basket of the game with a backdoor cut that beat Raymond Felton. “I was trying to get in the paint and put pressure,” said Lin, who has had his share of struggles this season in Houston, but seems to be turning the corner — literally.

Lin repeated beat the Knicks’ defense with quick drives to the basket off pick-and-rolls, something he excelled at during his incredible run with the Knicks. He even went to left on a few occasions, something he couldn’t do consistently last year.

Cheered then jeered, and later floored by Tyson Chandler’s flagrant foul, Lin added another masterpiece to the ones he put together last season during the height of his memorable run. No longer the fan favorite he was when wearing the home uniform, Lin got a mixed reception when he left the game with 2:25 remaining and the Rockets leading by 16.

”It was a lot of fun playing out there and I think our team, we took a step in the right direction,” Lin told the Associated Press. ”And for me, it was great to be back and it was a lot of fun to play on that court again.”

James Harden had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who blew out the Knicks for the second time this season. They have won the last seven meetings, including a 131-103 rout in Houston on Nov. 23.

The Knicks decided not to match Houston’s contract offer to Lin, and nobody could argue when Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni led the Knicks to the best record in the Eastern Conference with a team that led the NBA in fewest turnovers.

But Lin was the best point guard on the floor, just as he so often was during his dazzling run last winter, when the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent went from undrafted benchwarmer to the biggest story in basketball.

”He had a good game, without a doubt,” Felton said. ”I never talked junk about Jeremy Lin. Anything I said about Jeremy, I felt like he deserved anything. He deserved everything he got. He had a good game. Plain and simple.”

Lin saw some fans wearing his old jersey, but said he didn’t let his mind drift back to last season during the game. ”I’ve moved on, they’ve moved on,” he said. ”We have good memories, but at the same time we’re all in a different place now.”

Lin doubled his scoring average in what he called an up-and-down season so far.

”I hope this is the start of a nice run for him, because he works really hard,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. ”He’s a great kid. He deserves it.”

All-Star center Dwight Howard is on his way to Hollywood to join forces with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Deron Williams returned to the Nets, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard are headed to Hollywood, and Jason Terry is moving from Dallas to Boston. The 2012 NBA offseason had plenty of franchise-altering moves — most of which benefited the major markets. So much for competitive balance. Some teams did better than others (ahem! Lakers), while most stayed above the fray and maintained status quo. OneManFastBreak.net highlights the winners and losers:

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Mitch Kupchak locked up executive of the year with his two monumental moves this summer. He pried Nash from the Phoenix Suns (a division rival) to give Kobe Bryant the best point guard he’s ever had. Then, he shocked the basketball world by acquiring the best center in the world without giving up all-star Pau Gasol. With Nash, Kobe, Ron Artest, Gasol, and Howard, the Lakers have easily the best starting five in the NBA and arguably the greatest starting five in basketball history. The Lakers’ Fab Five are armed with two league MVPs, two defensive players of the year, and the most skilled big man in the game. Even at age 38, Nash is still a terrific playmaker and he’ll make sure Gasol and Howard will get their touches on the offensive end. The Lakers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs mainly because their offense faltered and did not execute. Nash will step into the role of offensive coordinator and he’ll instantly make the Lakers a lethal offensive team. Howard adds to the Lakers’ great history of dominant centers, joining Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq.

[VIDEO: DWIGHT HOWARD TRADED TO THE L.A. LAKERS]

BOSTON CELTICS

Boston reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2012 despite a gimpy Paul Pierce and a hobbling Ray Allen. Priority No. 1 in the offseason was to bring back Kevin Garnett. The Big Ticket re-signed with the Celtics, assuring he’ll retire a Celtic, and then general manager Danny Ainge added more firepower on offense by signing shooting guard Jason Terry, a member of the Mavericks’ 2011 championship squad. Terry addresses a major issue for Boston: scoring. He’ll help the Celtics avoid long scoring droughts with his ability to create his own shot and not have to depend on point guard Rajon Rondo to feed him the ball off screens. Terry can also serve as a backup point guard, giving head coach Doc Rivers more flexibility on offense.

BROOKLYN NETS

Deron Williams was arguably the biggest catch of the summer, and he was the first to decide where he wanted to play. Williams re-signing with the Nets gives the Brooklyn franchise a centerpiece and a name on the billboard of the team’s brand new arena. But Williams won’t be alone on that billboard. All-Star guard Joe Johnson was acquired from Atlanta, giving the Nets a studly backcourt combo and plenty of firepower. The team also re-signed power forward Kris Humphries to bolster its frontline. Now, if the Mikhail Prokorov can convince Dwight Howard to join the Brooklyn party then the Nets will be the biggest winner of the summer.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

Daryl Morey caught a lot of flak for letting Goran Dragic, Kyle Lowry, and Luis Scola leave town without compensation and then signed Jeremy Lin to a $25-million contract. On the outside, it looks like the Rockets are throwing in the towel. But if you look closely, Morey is fielding a team that is cap-friendly. Lin is going to be The Man in Houston, picking up the Asian fan votes vacated by Yao Ming. Lin should fit in nicely in Kevin McHale’s free-flowing, pick-and-roll heavy offense, and that’s likely the biggest reason why he chose Houston over New York (oh, the $14.8 million on the third year of the deal ain’t bad either).

Jeremy Lin signed a three-year, $25-million deal with the Rockets. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Rockets are cleaning house for the right reasons. First-round draft picks Jeremy Lamb and Terrence Jones are very good young players, and they should figure into McHale’s rotation from the start. The Rockets’ offseason is a perfect case of addition by subtraction.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Ever since Allen Iverson left town, Philly fans have been craving for star. Enter Andrew Bynum. Bynum gives the Sixers their first significant low-post threat since Moses Malone and he immediately turns the Sixers into one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. He’s arguably the second-best center in the NBA and, at 24, his ceiling is so high he has only begun to scratch the surface of the roof. Bynum, who won two championships with the Lakers, will be The Man in Philadelphia and his big body (7 feet, 290 pounds) in the paint will alter the way the Sixers play on both ends. Joining Bynum in Philly are free agents Jason Richardson, Nick Young, and Dorell Wright.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

When Deron Williams announced his decision to stay with the Nets instead of joining the Mavericks, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweeted this gem: “Russian 1, Cuban 0.” That, of course, is in reference to the Nets owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, getting over Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who was hoping to lure Williams to play in his home state of Texas. The Williams decision had a domino effect in the Mavs’ plan. Dallas’ all-out-effort to land Williams made Kidd a little leftout. Nobody likes to be second choice, so Kidd chose his own path by signing with the Knicks. But Kidd wasn’t the only Mavs guard to defect. Longtime Maverick Jason Terry, a member of the team’s 2011 championship team along with Kidd, is taking his talents to Beantown and join the Celtics. So, if you’re still keeping score, it’s now Free Agency 3, Cuban 0.

CHICAGO BULLS

The only good news this summer for Chicago are the improving health of Derrick Rose coming off knee surgery and the return of Kirk Hinrich, a big piece of the Bulls’ resurgence in 2008. But take away the Hinrich signing and the Bulls have had a nightmarish offseason. Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, John Lucas, C.J. Watson, and Omer Asik are all gone. All five were important cogs off the Bulls bench. Korver was arguably the Bulls’ best player in the fourth quarter, while Brewer and Asik are very good defenders. Lucas and Watson are not all-star players, but they both did an admirable job in Rose’s absence. Continuity is a big part of a championship team, and the Bulls are basically starting over with an entirely new bench unit (Marco Belinelli, Vladimir Radmanovic, and rookie point guard Marquis Teague) for the 2012-13 season. Belinelli is nowhere near the shooting Korver is, and Radmanovic is not someone you want guarding LeBron James — or any small forward for that matter — in the fourth quarter.

NEW YORK KNICKS

Phil Jackson calls the New York Knicks a “clumsy” team, and the Knicks tripped over themselves this offseason by not getting Nash. Then the Knicks made a bold move by signing veteran point guard Jason Kidd. The former Mavericks playmaker could turn out to be a better option because Kidd won’t mind running Mike Woodson’s isolation offense. Then the Knicks signed Raymond Felton, which was a little bit of a head-scratcher considering Felton was grossly out of shape last season and now he’s being rewarded for his unprofessionalism. The Felton signing basically forced fan favorite Jeremy Lin out of the rotation, and now New York enters the season the same way they left it — too many players playing the same positions. Lin was a cash cow for the MSG network and time will tell if Lin fans will keep following the Knicks.

ORLANDO MAGIC

In his letter to Magic season ticket holders, CEO Alex Martins wrote: “We look forward to this next chapter of Magic basketball and remain committed to our mission: To be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way.” Hmm. In order to win a championship, you must first qualify for the playoffs and, without Howard, Orlando will be far from being a playoff contender for the next few years. Martins and general manager Rob Hennigan were put in a tough spot. Howard made it clear that he wanted out of Orlando, but Martins and Hennigan failed to get the right deal. Sure they got some draft picks, but those won’t matter unless they’re lottery picks. It took Orlando nearly a decade to recover from the breakup with Shaquille O’Neal. When Howard came along, he made Orlando love basketball again. After eight years of basketball bliss, L.A. swoops in and breaks Orlando’s heart yet again. It’s like losing another girlfriend to the same guy 16 years later.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

The Houston Rockets have their sights set on Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard. (GETTY IMAGES)

Many people around the NBA have to be wondering what the Houston Rockets are doing. This is a team that just barely missed out on making the playoffs in the final weeks of the season. But, they seem intent on blowing it up and starting over.

They have traded Kyle Lowry (understandable since he said he didn’t want to be there) for a first-round draft pick, but then they basically let Goran Dragic walk to Phoenix when they tendered him an offer. They gave Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin crazy back-loaded deals that pay them way too much in the third years: $15 million for Asik, and $14 million for Lin. They used the amnesty clause on Luis Scola, who has been a pretty solid and underrated power forward the last three seasons.

Now, the reason for all this is the possible acquisition of Dwight Howard. But he would benefit from having a legit PF next to to him – if Houston were to actually get him. And if they do, it’s basically a rental situation. Howard has not said he would sign an extension or that he wants to play for the Rockets.

The Rockets could have used the amnesty on injury-prone Kevin Martin, who rarely suits up. Scola has several years left on his deal and Martin has just a year left and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

But let’s say the Rockets get Howard and Lin (if the Knicks don’t match). They have a Big 3 of Howard, Martin and Lin? Sure, they have an excellent center in Howard, but they have a shooting guard who has averaged 59 games in his eight-year career and a point guard in Lin who showed flashes but is still a work in progress. That’s not going to strike fear in any team, in my opinion, and they won’t be instant playoff contenders (more likely fighting for the 6-8 spots in the Western Conference.

And if they don’t get Howard? They are a lottery team. But, they would have traded their first-round picks (the offer is four first-rounders) and some nice young talent such as Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, and Terrence Jones.

If the Howard deal falls apart (and this is a strong possibility), the entire Rockets front office should be cleaned out. This is too big of a gamble to just stink it up for the next 2-3 years and be an expansion-type team. People will need to be held accountable. Michael Jordan had a borderline playoff team in Charlotte with Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson when he traded them both and decided to get draft picks.

Basically, robbing the fans of their hard earned money.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Carmelo Anthony is struggling to fit in Mike D'Antoni's system. (GETTY IMAGES)

A month ago the New York Knicks were riding a seven-game winning streak and the entire basketball world was going absolutely bananas over Jeremy Lin. Fast forward to March 12 and the Knicks are now on a steep downward spiral like roller-coaster on Magic Mountain.

The Knicks are mired in a six-game slump, losers of eight of their last 10 games, and fading fast in the Eastern Conference. What’s the difference between now and February? I’ve got two words for New York fans: Carmelo Anthony.

According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Knicks’ locker room is in turmoil as many of the players as questioning head coach Mike D’Antoni’s ability to lead this team. It’s not a big surprise that D’Antoni – who resigned on Tuesday amid reports that he had lost the respect of his players – is getting the bulk of the criticism, but a bigger chunk of the blame should go to the Knicks’ high-maintenance superstar Carmelo Anthony.

Since Anthony rejoined the team on Feb. 20, the offense that was moving and grooving with Lin running the show has become stagnant again, just like how it became stagnant since the Knicks acquired Anthony from Denver last season. This is what Knicks fans were afraid of when Anthony returned. With ‘Melo out, the Knicks put the ball in Lin’s hands, ran D’Antoni’s pick-and-roll sets and he was able to spread the wealth and keep everyone involved. With ‘Melo in, Lin has deferred too many times and has become hesitant, and when you hesitate in the NBA you are toast. Lin’s confidence has waned and he’s not playing with the same fire like he was a month ago because he doesn’t want to step on ‘Melo’s toes.

Sure most teams have loaded up on Lin and have figured out he doesn’t drive to the basket as fast going to his left (which is something Lin is trying to work through). This is where Anthony is supposed to step up and take pressure off Lin. Instead, the Knicks are back to the dreaded isolation plays and stand-still basketball that plagued them in the past.

When the ball moves, the Knicks are a dangerous team because: a) defenses can’t load up and defend just one side of the court, b) it makes it difficult for teams to defend the high pick-and-rolls and the drive-and-kicks, and c) it discourages one-on-one plays.

Anthony is a notorious ball-stopper and he’s struggling to fit in D’Antoni’s offense. And he certainly doesn’t mesh well with fellow All-Star Amare Stoudemire. It’s almost like they’re competing against each other for shots, which puts a lot of pressure on the point guards – whether it’s Lin or Baron Davis – to keep them happy. This is the biggest flaw in Carmelo’s game. He was a ball-stopper when he was in Denver, and he’s an even worse ball-stopper now that he’s the main attraction in New York.

Amare and ‘Melo both like to operate around the free throw line. But when they don’t get the ball on offense they tend to loaf on defense. It’s quite obvious that Anthony and Stoudemire have no interest in playing defense, something the Knicks were doing better with during their winning streak. During their winning streak, which occurred when both stars were sidelined due to injuries, defensive-minded guys like Jared Jeffries and Bill Walker got more playing time. With Jeffries and Walker, the Knicks were much improved defensively and neither player demanded the ball on offense, allowing Lin to run the offense freely without having to force feed the ball on the wings.

Anthony is a very strong figure on and off the court, so when there’s a tug of war for the basketball, he’s going to win more often than not. When he crosses halfcourt, he’s already looking for Lin to feed him the ball. At this stage of his young NBA career, Lin simply doesn’t have the credentials to wave off ‘Melo. And because D’Antoni doesn’t like confrontations, it ultimately led to his departure.

This is a huge dilemma for the Knicks because management has invested a ton of money on Anthony to excite the loyal fan base. But it’s obvious that for the Knicks to win a championship, they need to shed some of their me-first players and Anthony is right on top of that list.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

The Heat own the best record in the East while the Thunder own the best record in the West. Even though the playoffs are still quite a ways from starting, the idea of a Heat-Thunder NBA Finals can’t be dismissed. And that salacious matchup will bring a head-to-head showdown between two of the best stars in the league – James and Durant.

If the Heat and the Thunder maintain their incredible pace, the MVP award could very well come down to LeBron and KD. OneManFastBreak.net picks the most valuable player, defensive player of the year, rookie of the year, most improved, sixth man of the year, and coach of the year.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: LEBRON JAMES
While it wouldn’t be wrong to vote for Kobe Bryant (who is leading the league in scoring), Chris Paul (who has the L.A. Clippers in first place in the Pacific Division), and Durant for MVP, it is hard to ignore the fact that James is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, a career that already includes two MVP seasons. LeBron is at his usual studly averages in points (27), rebounds (8) and assists (6), but a big addition to his arsenal this season is the post-up game. James has been much more efficient from the field, making 55% of his shots, the best in his career. On the other hand, he is on pace to attempt just 120 threes, the lowest in his career.

LeBron James is on pace to capture his third regular season MVP award. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: SERGE IBAKA
Could this be the year Dwight Howard’s three-year dominance as DPOTY comes to an end? Howard remains a stud on defense, leading the league in rebounds (15) and fifth in blocked shots (2), but Serge Ibaka has been an absolute beast. Air Congo leads NBA in blocks (3.2), which is a huge reason why the Thunder is in the top five in field-goal percentage defense. Ibaka, or Iblocka, has reached double-digit blocks three times this season. He had 10 against the Mavericks on Feb. 1, 10 against the Kings on Feb. 9, and a season’s best 11 against the Nuggets on Feb. 19. He is on pace to rack up more than 200 blocks, and deny Howard his fourth DPOTY trophy.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: RICKY RUBIO
The 2011-12 season has been the year of the young point guards and two players have emerged from the pack for top rookie honors: Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers and Ricky Rubio of the Timberwolves. Rubio brought with him tons of hype, but he has exceeded expectations with a spectacular first half. The Spanish playmaker is fifth in the league in assists (8.4) and second in steals (2.4). The only other guard who is in the top-five in both categories is Chris Paul. Irving, the top pick in the 2011 draft, leads all rookies in points (18) but he has injected some life into the moribund Cavaliers, which is still reeling from the whole LeBron Decision two seasons ago. Rubio’s Timberwolves are in a playoff hunt in the West, while Irving’s Cavs remains a lottery team. If the Timberwolves earn a playoff berth, it would be hard to ignore Rubio as the choice for ROY.

MOST IMPROVED:  JEREMY LIN
If someone else wins this award aside from Jeremy Lin then voters need to have their heads examined. Lin has been an overnight sensation, lifting the Knicks out of hibernation and creating a Tebow-esque buzz around the league. Lin’s phenomenal rags-to-riches rise has been the story of the NBA season. And he has backed up his Disney-like tale off the court with historical numbers on the court. His 38-point performance against the Lakers on Feb. 10 and his game-winning 3-pointer against the Raptors on Valentine’s Day nearly shut down Twitter. Last season, Lin was novelty act basically hanging on by his shoe laces to stay in the NBA. This season, he is the toast of Broadway and a worldwide star.  Not bad for a guy who went undrafted in 2010, cut twice, and running in the D-League a month ago. As Knicks superfan Spike Lee would say, “you can’t script this any better.”

Jeremy Lin should be the runaway winner of the NBA's most improved player award. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: JAMES HARDEN
The race for the best bench player in the league comes down to three players: Jason Terry of the Mavericks, Lou Williams of the 76ers, and James Harden of the Thunder. Terry, who won the award in 2009, is a big reason why Dallas has been able to stay afloat in the West while Dirk Nowitzki regains his fitness. Williams is enjoying his best season with Philly, leading the team in points (15.7) and often called upon to take (and make) the game-winning shots. But as good as Terry and Williams have been this season, Harden has been better. The former Arizona State star is the only non-starter in the top 30 scoring list, and his improved 3-point shot has made his lefty dribble drive even more devastating. He may not have Russell Westbrook’s blazing speed nor Kevin Durant’s pin-point shooting, but he is extremely crafty and can get his own shot. It’s time for the basketball world to recognize Harden as one of the best bench players in the league.

COACH OF THE YEAR: ERIK SPOELSTRA
Scott Brooks is a worthy candidate for coach of the year, as well as Doug Collins for the job he has done in Philadelphia and Tom Thibodeau for keeping the Bulls running while Derrick Rose heals from his injuries. However, none of them came in with the immense expectations like Erik Spoelstra did in Miami, and all the Pat Riley protoge has done is lead the Heat to the best record in the East, fend off the naysayers, exceed writers’ expectations, and find a way to keep LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh happy without completely dismissing the rest of the team. Spoelstra has done a masterful job of being part teacher, part taskmaster, part ego manager, and part motivator. He opened up the playbook offensively to allow LeBron and Wade to get in the open court, but he still maintained the Heat’s defensive philosophies.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Jeremy Lin is posting lingendary numbers since become the starting point guard for the New York Knicks. (GETTY IMAGES)

Much like those Bruce Lee movies in the late 1960s and early ’70s, Jeremy Lin is kicking everyone and anyone who tries to get in his path.

The moment New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni finally called Lin’s number the Harvard graduate has been nothing short of spectacular, winning over the Madison Square Garden crowd and blowing through the Big Apple like a Tim Tebow hurricane.

In his last four games (three of them starts), Lin has put together MVP-like numbers: 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists against the Nets; 28 points and eight assists against the Jazz; 23 points and 10 assists against the Wizards; and a career-high 38 points and seven assists against the Lakers to upstage Kobe Bryant, who had 34 points.

If you don’t think he’s playing like an MVP, just listen to the MSG crowd on Friday night when Lin – the first Asian-American to play in the NBA – dismantled the Lakers with devastating dribble penetrations and dagger outside shots. The Garden was going bananas after each Lin basket in the fourth quarter. Not bad for someone who a month ago was running with the Erie BayHawks of the D-League. Now, he is running point for a Knicks team that has the NBA absolutely buzzing.

“I’m just thankful it turned out the way it is,” said Lin, whose basketball odyssey is part perseverance and, like Tebow, part divine intervention.

He was snubbed in high school when Pac-10 schools Stanford and Cal (his hometown schools) passed on him. He went undrafted after a solid college career at Harvard. He was signed as a free agent but later waived by the Golden State Warriors (again, dissed by his hometown team); picked up by the Houston Rockets but later waived to make room for Samuel Dalembert. When he was picked up by the Knicks he rode the bench for a month before finally getting an opportunity to play on Feb. 4 against the Nets. The rest is biblical.

Because of Lin, the league says Asian TV partners have requested to broadcast additional Knick games this season. Because of Lin, New York has something to look forward in the winter and spring when the New York Giants go into their offseason. Because of Lin, Amare Stoudemire (who has missed the last three games due to a death in the family) says he smiled for the first time in a week. Because of Lin, D’Antoni may keep his job.

And get this. Lin is a huge Tebow fan. How’s that for a side story!

“What he’s doing is amazing,” D’Antoni said after the Knicks defeated the Lakers at MSG. “He answered a lot of questions tonight. Can he make an outside shot? Can he pull the trigger in a big moment? He hit two 3s that just broke the game open. There’s so much stuff that he’s doing.”

Lin followed his 28-point, eight-assist outing Monday in his first career start by scoring 23 points and handing out 10 assists Wednesday against Washington, becoming the first player since LeBron James in 2003 and just the sixth since 1970 to have at least 20 points and eight assists in his first two starts, according to research from the Elias Sports Bureau.

The 6-foot-3 California native is treating the NBA like some rec league in Alhambra. For those who have been to Almansor Park in Alhambra, you know exactly what I mean. He is fearless when he goes to the basket. He runs the pick-and-roll like Steve Nash, and the Knicks’ offense looks much more fluid with Lin as the primary ballhandler. It will be interesting to watch how D’Antoni will use Lin once Carmelo Anthony and Stoudemire return to the lineup. Memo to D’Antoni: Let Lin loose.

Lin may not be as polarizing as Tebow, but he has definitely taken the NBA social media by storm. Twitter was abuzz during the Lakers-Knicks game and “#JeremyLin” was trending worldwide. Celebrities sitting courtside at the Garden dropped some sweet tweets about Lin. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posted: “Incredibly special to sit courtside tonight and witness the emergence of a New York Knick star – Jeremy Lin. #LinSanity.” Ben Stiller wrote: “Linsanity. Knicks on a roll. Energy at the Garden was Linsane.”

And then there was Charlie Villanueva’s Lin tweet: “Jermey Lin the yellow mamba.”

First of all, Charlie V. can’t spell “Jeremy.” Secondly, calling him the yellow mamba is not exactly complimentary. Once again, it just proves that Twitter is not for everyone.

But the best tweet of the night came from Orange County Register basketball writer Kevin Ding. He wrote: “Just left Madison Square Garden after Lakers-Knicks. Smiling fellow caught my eye and said: ‘Lin! Can I have your autograph?’ “To echo ESPN’s J.A. Adande’s Twitter message, Kevin Ding was mistaken for an NBA player for the first time in his life. #lineffect

In the Chinese calendar, 2012 is the year of the dragon. In New York, No. 17 is already Lingendary.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.