Notebook: Knicks 99, Jazz 88

Posted Monday February 6, 2012 11:15PM

Adam Zagoria, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Who needs Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony when you have Jeremy Lin?

With both players out of action, Lin, the newly minted Knicks starting point guard, scored 13 of his career-high 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks won their second straight, 99-88, over the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden.

Playing nearly 45 minutes, Lin scored his career-high for the second straight game, following a 25-point, five-assist performance in Saturday's win over the Nets.

Steve Novak (19 points) and Jared Jeffries (13 points, eight rebounds) both enjoyed season-highs thanks to Lin's passing and the team's overall ball movement sans Anthony.

Stoudemire is on an indefinite leave of absence after the death of his brother, Hazell, Monday in a car crash in Florida. Anthony left the game in the first quarter with a strained right groin.

QUOTABLE: "I'm riding him like friggin' Secretariat."
-- Mike D'Antoni on Lin.

THE STAT: The Knicks bench, which has struggled all season, scored 40 points, highlighted by a combined 30 from Novak and Bill Walker (11). Utah's reserves managed 19 points.

TURNING POINT: After the Jazz cut a 15-point, first-half lead to 80-78 in the fourth, the Knicks rattled off a 12-2 run to extend the edge to 92-80. They did so despite going 0-for-4 from the stripe during the spurt. Lin scored five points during the run, including a nifty layup in which he attacked the basket with a left-handed dribble but finished with his right hand. He was fouled and added a free throw to push the lead to 90-80 and was promptly serenaded with chants of "MVP."

With time expiring on the shot clock, Lin later hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 95-86, driving the Garden fans into a frenzy.

QUOTABLE II: "Yeah, that's kind of crazy. The one time I don't follow through, it goes in, so I'm going to have to maybe change my form a little bit."
-- Lin on the 3-pointer.

QUOTABLE III: "What Jeremy is doing is incredible. Everybody is playing their natural position. The ball is moving much better, we're having a nice flow, a nice tempo."
-- Tyson Chandler on Lin.

WHO'S HOT: After going for 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds in Saturday's 99-92 win over the Nets, Lin went 10-for-17 from the field and 7-for-9 from the stripe. He did tally eight turnovers, but was critical down the stretch for the Knicks.

WHO'S NOT: Jeffries went 3-for-9 and missed numerous layups from a variety of positions, in transition and under the basket. Still, D'Antoni defended him for playing hard and drawing five charges.

QUOTABLE IV: "Anybody who boos Jared Jeffries has got to re-examine their life a little bit."
-- D'Antoni

NOTABLE: Baron Davis disclosed before the game that he sustained a cut to his right elbow and subsequent infection that led to his setback. Davis said he hoped to practice "soon," but when asked if he would return this week he said, "I'm not sure, I would hope so."

NOTABLE II: D'Antoni said Anthony had a groin strain and listed him as "day-to-day."

INSIDE THE ARENA: Numerous members of the Super Bowl champion Giants were in the house, including Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Corey Webster, Bear Pascoe, Michael Boley, Mathias Kiwanuka, Aaron Ross and Mark Herzlich. During the second quarter, they received a standing ovation and were introduced to Queen's "We Are the Champions."

UP NEXT: For the Knicks, Wednesday @ Washington, Friday vs. L.A. Lakers, Saturday @ Minnesota. For the Jazz, Tuesday @ Indiana, Friday vs. Oklahoma City, Feb. 12 @ Memphis.