New York's first matchup with its former point guard Jeremy Lin was far from a competitive affair, as the Knicks defeated Lin's new team the Houston Rockets 112-97 on Friday night at the Toyota Center.
In a battle of who is the better point guard, New York Knick Raymond Felton defeated Lin by a rather wide margin. Felton scored a season-high 30 points and dished the ball for nine assists.
Lin had a workman like performance, as he scored 16 points had six assists and one steal. But he also turned the ball over four times and had a dismal fourth quarter that saw him go one-for-six.
Carmelo Anthony had 20 points and 6 rebounds, and reserve J.R. Smith added a 16 points off of the bench with most of the his scoring coming when the Knicks took charge late in the third and early in the fourth quarter.
Lin wasn't the only Rocket to go cold late in the game, as the Houston shot 32.9 percent from the field in the fourth. Houston kept the game close for the first two and a half quarters, but down 88-80 early in the fourth, James Harden had to sit on the bench due to fouling out after he got his sixth foul trying to stop Anthony on a drive to the basket.
Melo had five points during a 9-0 spree that gave the Knicks a 99-80 advantage midway into the quarter. The Rockets then scored went on a 6-0 run hitting two 3-pointers, one by Lin and the other by another former Knick guard Toney Douglas.
But the Knicks constant pressure on defense results in victory for New York. Jeremy Lin returns to the New York and Madison Square Garden on Dec. 17.
You can check out our review of the game here and read about Jeremy Lin's player rating here.
Check out our entire preview of every team in NBA 2K13 below:
Miami Heat
Oklahoma City Thunder
San Antonio Spurs
Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers
Philadelphia 76ers
New York Knicks
Brooklyn Nets
Chicago Bulls
Los Angeles Clippers
Minnesota Timberwolves
Portland Trail Blazers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Washington Wizards
Denver Nuggets
Phoenix Suns
Houston Rockets
Orlando Magic
Atlanta Hawks
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
Milwaukee Bucks
Detroit Pistons
Charlotte Bobcats
Toronto Raptors
Indiana Pacers
Golden State Warriors
Utah Jazz
Sacramento Kings
