As the Charlotte Hornets sprinted through one of the NBA's most dominant post-All-Star break runs, their path to playoff success seemed obvious.
Kemba Walker controlling the show. Threes flying all-around. Al Jefferson balancing the offense underneath. And Nicolas Batum seamlessly filling any gap as it surfaces.
But those weren't what allowed the Hornets to turn the tide and score an 89-85 victory during a win-or-be-in-serious-trouble Game 4. Already trailing 2-1 in their best-of-seven series with the Miami Heat, Charlotte was blitzed out of the gate: down 8-2 after three minutes, 13-4 through the first five-and-a-half.
Then, super sixth man Jeremy Lin checked in. And the Hornets almost immediately came to life.
The Heat couldn't stand next to Lin without hacking him; Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald provided an example involving Dwyane Wade:
And when Miami's defenders did stand their ground, Lin raced right past them. His dribble penetrations gave Charlotte a pulse. Either he finished plays in the paint, at the free-throw line, or he had a gravitational pull on the defense t ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Zach Buckley
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets Getting Help from Jeremy Lin at the Right Time
April 25th, 2016 by Zach Buckley Leave a reply »
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