Jeremy Lin Houston Rockets
Jeremy Lin’s numbers dipped some last season. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.1 assists, his lowest totals since his rookie year with Golden State before he became a sensation with the Knicks back in 2012. Reuters

The 2013-2014 season has been one of ups and downs for Jeremy Lin. As the Houston Rockets head towards the playoffs, the point guard is playing well at the right time.

Following his worst slump of the year, Lin appears to be back on track, at least for the moment. In his last 12 games, Lin has been a steady performer for the club, shooting nearly 45 percent from the field and scoring in double-digits in all but two contests.

Lin’s recent stretch is significant, considering how he performed in February and at the beginning of March. In the second month of 2014, the 25-year-old averaged 11.4 points and 3.5 assists on just 40.7 percent field-goal shooting. He followed that up with 13 total points on 15 shot attempts in the first three games of March.

Last year, Lin played better towards the end of the season. The trend appears to be repeating itself on 2014, which is good news for one of the leading contenders in the West.

It’s more important for Lin now than ever to be productive. Not only are the Rockets set to start postseason games in almost two weeks, but he’s been inserted back into the starting lineup. On March 28, Patrick Beverley suffered a torn meniscus. While he won’t need to undergo surgery, Houston’s starting point guard could be out for the majority of their remaining regular-season games.

Lin is certainly no stranger to starting. Even though he was replaced by Beverley at the start of the season, he’s still seen almost as much playing time and started 27 times. The Rockets are 0-2, since Beverley got hurt.

At 49-24, the Rockets hold the No.4 seed in the Western Conference. They’ll likely face the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, who have a two-game lead over the Golden State Warriors, as the No.5 seed. In a recent game against Portland, Lin led the Rockets to an overtime victory, scoring 26 points on 17 shot attempts.

Basketball