Jeremy Lin showed off another dimension on his magical NBA ride in leading the New York Knicks to a 100-85 rout of the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday for the team's seventh win in a row.
Lin, who has risen from obscurity to a dynamic force at point guard over the last 10 days, scored just 10 points after posting at least 20 in each of the first six games of the winning streak but the playmaker's passing stole the show.
The Taiwanese-American doled out 13 assists, including half a dozen alley-oop passes that led to thunderous dunks and easy layups to the delight of a roaring Madison Square Garden crowd.
Lin's distribution promoted a balanced attack that saw Landry Fields lead on 15 points, with Bill Walker and Steve Novak adding 14 points apiece as the Knicks reached the .500 mark with a 15-15 record.
With former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson among the celebrities in the packed Garden crowd, New York delivered an early knockout by finishing the second quarter with a 12-2 run for an 18-point lead at intermission.
Midway through the third quarter, Lin bounced a perfect pass to Jared Jeffries for an easy layup to top his previous high of 11 assists. He played sparingly in the fourth quarter as the Knicks carried in a 22-point lead.
Enamoured with their newest hardcourt icon, fans brandished Lin's face on paddles and waved them to distract Sacramento free throw shooters, who had their fill of the Knicks' darting, dishing point guard.
The Kings, who were led by Tyreke Evans with 19 points, dropped to 10-19 with the loss.
