Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks’ 104-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Sunday gave Walt Disney Co.’s ABC network its third-highest overnight rating for a non- Christmas Day basketball game, the network said.

The contest was watched in 4.8 percent of U.S. households in the top 56 media markets. The Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers game in January 2011 and a Lakers-Cleveland Cavaliers game in February 2009 both delivered 5.0 overnight ratings, the network said.

Lin, who had 28 points, had a career-high 14 assists in the victory, as the Knicks evened their record at 16-16 and tied the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division. The Knicks are 7-1 since he took over as point guard.

He is a Harvard University graduate who was cut by two National Basketball Association teams before joining the Knicks in late December. Last night he hit 11-of-20 shots to lead six players who scored more than 10 points for New York.

J.R. Smith came off the bench to score 15 points in his Knicks debut, having signed with the team three days ago after playing in China during the NBA lockout.