Jeremy Lin: Houston Rockets Point Guard Quietly Has Stellar Game Against Pistons

The Houston Rockets opened their season with a stunning victory over the Detroit Pistons. With a 33-point fourth quarter, the Rockets won 105-96 to start their season 1-0.

Most people will be talking about the dominating performance from shooting guard James Harden in his first game as a Rocket. Harden put up 37 points on 25 shots and added 12 assists, six rebounds, four steals and a block.

Harden deserves all the credit he will get for the performance and is obviously an All-Star and All-NBA-caliber player.

But do not overlook the Rockets' other new star, point guard Jeremy Lin. While Lin did not put up monster numbers, he ran the Rockets offense, an offense that looked quite on point for a bunch of guys who have not played together before.

In only 35 minutes of game time, Lin notched eight assists, four steals and four rebounds, while scoring 12 points on 12 shots. He had a game-best plus-23 differential. In the 13 minutes that Lin did not play, the Rockets were outscored by 14 points.

The Rockets have the potential to have one of the best backcourts in the NBA with their two young guards. It is only one game, but the Rockets have more to be excited about now than they have in years.

The unlucky Rockets came in ninth place in the West in each of the past three years despite being above .500 all three years. They deserve a playoff birth. Hopefully Lin and Harden can make that happen.

Adam Waksman is a featured columnist for the Bleacher Report New York Jets community. Be sure to follow Adam on Twitter to receive updates right away.

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