"The kid can't lose.

The "Linderella'' story grew again as Jeremy Lin sank a game-winning free throw with 4.9 seconds left that capped a wild Knicks comeback and an improbable 100-98 stunner over the Timberwolves at the Target Center. The win extended the Knicks' "Linning streak'' to a season-high five games and capped a Saturday-to-Saturday stretch that's one of the greatest in Knicks history.

With the score tied at 98, an exhausted Lin tore down the lane one last time, got crunched by two Timberwolves, picking up the foul and won the game from the free-throw line. He also had the key pass on the game's biggest basket — a game-tying 3-pointer from Steve Novak with 36.2 seconds left.

"It was an ugly one. It was a gutsy one," Lin said. "It was a road win, everyone was tired. That's the beauty of this team. We never gave up.''

Asked what he thinks about people calling the Knicks' surge "Linsanity,', Lin said "I'm thankful to everybody, but I don't know. I guess we need to change it to something more team-related.'

Lin ran out of jet fuel in the second half, but his 20 points and eight assists became historic. Lin became the first player in NBA history to score at least 20 points and have at least seven assists in each of his first four starts. He also is the first Knick since the 1976 merger to score at least 20 points in his first four starts. (Records before the merger aren't concise).

Lin shot just 8-for-24 (1-for-12 in the second half), committed six turnovers and heard an "Overrated'' chant from the crowd. Afterward, he was limping noticeably in the locker room but said it was just his legs being numb from ice."