Knicks better get out the Lin-iment

Jeremy Lin has been getting all the calls since his phenomenal run of Linsanity started but, last night, he got a taste of what life in the NBA might hold after Linsanity.

Jason Kidd smashed a forearm across the New York Knicks sensation in what looked like a flagrant foul  to everyone by the Dallas Mavericks point guard as Lin rose for a lay-up.  That is everyone except the officials.

Lin's knockdown wasn't the worst part of last night's 95-85 loss to the Mavericks.  It was how the defending champions have figured out the point guard's game since getting beat by the Knicks two weeks ago and how the officials looked the other way when Lin got battered by a veteran player.

Expect other teams and officials to follow the lead.

"They trapped him more," said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni about the Mav's strategy.  "He did OK."

Lin had a good game (14 points, 7 assists and only 2 turnovers) but it was only half of the output in their first meeting (28 points, 14 assists).

There are many more questions surrounding Kidd's "hard-nosed" play.  Where were the rest of the Knicks while Lin was crumbled on the floor?

Did they have his back or were they just showing respect to Kidd— one of the toughest and most respected players in the NBA?

It was the Knicks fifth loss in the last eight games and the end of Linsanity is looming.

It looks like there won't be any more free passes for the Knicks best passer.  They  better do something before he ends up in a s-LIN-g.

Forget Linsanity; Nets have Lopez-apalooza

In only his third game back from surgery for a broken foot, Brook Lopez blew up for 38 points and led the New Jersey Nets to an upset win over the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, 93-92.

While all the talk was about Deron Williams and speculation that he would return to his hometown of Dallas, it was Lopez who made the loudest statement.

At the same time, Lopez has increased his own trade value.

The Nets center scored 21 points in the first half and hit the winning free-throws with 42.4 seconds remaining in the game.

The Mav's Jason Terry made a slashing gesture against his throat to get the Dallas crowd pumped up, but Lopez hit both free throws.

"Lopez was a monster tonight," said Williams.  "He carried us from the start of the game and it makes a difference."

If Williams was auditioning for the Mavericks, he got a slight case of stage fright.

The Nets All-Star finished the night with 12 points on 2-for-15 shooting, but still had 12 assists.

"I've said it all season, when we get him back we become a different team and you saw a lot of that tonight," he added.

Jason Kidd, who led the Nets to two NBA Championship series, missed two potential game-winning shots for Dallas in the final seconds of the game.

The Nets have now won three tough road games in a row— in Chicago, New York and Dallas— and appear to be making a run at the playoffs.

"I had to get back in and find my place.  I didn't want to be that monkey wrench coming back and mess up their flow," said Lopez.  "These guys have been playing great on the road and so we just wanted to continue to do that tonight."

Maybe a "donny-Brook" will break out for the big guy's services.