Jeremy Lin: Point Guard Doubtful for Game 4, Knicks Doubtful for Game 5

The New York Knicks are desperate to get their point guard, Jeremy Lin, back on the court. They are facing yet another playoff sweep on Sunday, this time against the Miami Heat.

Lin was able to play a full court, three-on-three game in Wednesday's practice, but he did feel some pain in his injured left knee. Lin had surgery to repair damaged cartilage on April 2nd.

When asked if he would be able to go for Game 4, he told reporters: “I don’t really want to say I am or am not, I just want to take it day by day. Game 4 doesn’t look great. I mean, Game 5, I have no idea.”

Taking it day by day could bring him right into the offseason, as the Knicks may only have one day left being down 0-3 in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 on Sunday.

With point guard Baron Davis limited in his minutes due to multiple nagging injuries, the Knicks have been forced to turn to another rusty veteran, Mike Bibby. The offense lacks the effervescence it showed back in February when Lin first stepped on the court.

The Knicks are also without the services of rookie guard and defensive dynamo Iman Shumpert after he tore his ACL in Game 1 of the series. And Amar'e Stoudemire is "doubtful" for Game 4 after losing a fight with a fire extinguisher on Monday.

The Knicks set an ignominious record with their Game 3 loss on Thursday. The franchise has now lost 13 consecutive playoff games. They were swept in four games last year by the Celtics, and in 2004 by the Nets. They lost the final two games of their first-round series against the Raptors in 2001, and three losses to the Heat this week makes a shameful 13.

The Knicks have had a roller-coaster season, which followed an inglorious decade marked by the curse of trading Patrick Ewing and the disastrous Isiah Thomas presidency. The lone bright spot for the Knicks in these playoffs was Tyson Chandler being named the Defensive Player of the Year.

But that praise will ring hollow in their ears if they are swept out of the first round for a second consecutive season. They are desperate for a playoff win in Game 4, if only to salvage some modicum of respect for the franchise and go into next season with a glimmer of hope that they can win tough games against elite competition when it matters.

And they may need a third ailing point guard to do so.