Lin, Knicks aim to bounce back vs. Hawks

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02/22/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sudden New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin was brought back to reality when New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams took him to school in a recent contest at Madison Square Garden.

Arguably one of the fanciest point guards in the NBA, Williams racked up 38 points in New Jersey's 100-92 victory in New York on Monday, leaving the Knicks with two losses in their last three games following an inspirational seven-game winning streak. Lin and the Knicks look to bounce back tonight versus the Atlanta Hawks in the finale of a five-game homestand.

Lin led the way with 21 points and Amare Stoudemire scored 17 for New York, which welcomed the return of injured forward Carmelo Anthony. Anthony had missed seven straight games with a groin injury and posted 11 points and six assists in 37 minutes. Landry Fields had 10 and 11 rebounds in defeat.

"I think any time you have three new players, people coming back your identity as a team is going to change with the personnel," said Lin, who fouled out for the first time in his career. "We are not in panic mode because it is not like people show up and you have great chemistry. We have to work through some struggles but as long as we are all committed we will be fine."

Lin is averaging 24.6 points as a starter (9 starts) and has scored 20-plus points nine times this season. Meanwhile, Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert sat out with a left knee injury and will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. He is expected to compete in the dunk contest Saturday night and is listed as questionable for this evening.

New York is 2-2 on the residency and owns a 9-9 record in the Big Apple this season. After hosting Atlanta in the finale of the homestand, the Knicks will play five of six on the road, including Thursday's matchup in Miami.

February hasn't been too kind for the Hawks, as they sport a 3-7 mark through 10 games this month. The Hawks will close out a five-game road trip tonight against the Knicks and dropped to 1-3 on the swing following a 90-79 loss at Chicago on Monday night.

The Bulls welcomed back reigning MVP Derrick Rose and the All-Star guard posted 23 points in over 34 minutes of action. Rose had been out for quite some time with a lower back issue. Jannero Pargo had a season-high 19 points off the bench and Josh Smith added 17 and 12 rebounds for Atlanta, which got 12 points from Joe Johnson.

Johnson, however, is expected to miss a week of action because of left knee tendinitis. Johnson, the team's leading scorer at 17.6 points per game, left Monday's game after just 21 minutes because of the problem.

Atlanta expects to have forward Marvin Williams back for Wednesday's game after he missed the 90-79 loss to the Bulls to attend the funeral of a family member. He is averaging 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 28 games this season.

The Hawks, who are 10-8 as the guest, will return to Georgia for a four-game homestand versus the Magic, Warriors, Bucks and Thunder after visiting the Knicks. New York and Atlanta split four meetings a year ago and the Knicks have won seven of the past 10 matchups between the teams.

Atlanta has lost seven of 11 and 17 of its last 22 at New York.

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Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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