Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Monday, February 20, 2012 0:06 am TWN, CNA

Sponsors
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.

Ma Ying-jeou gets caught up in local 'Linsanity' fever, watches Knicks game

KAOHSIUNG -- President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday he watched the last five minutes of the New York Knicks-New Orleans Hornets game Friday, in which NBA sensation Jeremy Lin got his first taste of defeat as a starter when the Knicks lost to the Hornets 89-85.

The loss ended the Knicks' seven-game winning streak, which started Feb. 4 when Lin, who was riding the end of the bench and may have been just days from getting cut, began to get more playing time.

In Kaohsiung to thank people there who voted for him in the presidential election on Jan. 14, Ma said he wrote an entry on his Facebook page Saturday immediately after the defeat to give Lin encouragement.

The president said he was moved by Lin's willingness to shoulder blame for the defeat after committing a career-high nine turnovers, while giving credit to his teammates during the team's win streak.

Ma said he will join all of Lin's fans in Taiwan in cheering on the 23-year-old Harvard graduate in upcoming NBA games. Lin faces his next test against veteran point guard Jason Kidd and the defending-champ Dallas Mavericks in New York on Sunday.

In Friday's game against the Hornets, Lin scored 26 points on 8-18 shooting and dished out five assists, but he also had nine turnovers, including five in the first quarter when the Hornets took a 27-13 leadthey would never relinquish.

The Hornets, who entered the game with a 6-23 record, the worst in the NBA's Western Conference, scored 20 points off the Knicks' 21 turnovers and were also helped by New York's inability to hit three-pointers.

Local sports commentator Wang Cheng-wen said Friday's loss was not necessarily a bad thing because it gave the Knicks an opportunity to settle down and adjust their strategy now that NBA teams have taken time to study Lin because of his sudden stardom.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here