ATLANTA (AP) The New York Knicks gave center Tyson Chandler, the key to their improved defense, a day off against the Atlanta Hawks. Both teams seemed to scrap their defenses through three quarters of a shootout between playoff-bound teams.

However, it was a defensive play that decided the game when Amare Stoudemire blocked Marvin Williams‘ dunk attempt at the buzzer to save the Knicks’ 113-112 win over the Hawks on Sunday.

Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points and hit the winning jumper with 1:40 left on Atlanta’s defensive miscommunication. Stoudemire finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds in his second game back after missing 13 with a sore back.

Williams scored a season-high 29 points in a rare start, but came up empty when he – and a full-throated crowd in Philips Arena – felt he was fouled.

”No contact at all. It was a great battle,” Stoudemire said. ”It was a phenomenal game. From what Coach Woody’s (Mike Woodson) saying, the way to win a championship is defense and rebounding.”

Defense was often absent as the Hawks shot a season-high 15 for 23 on 3-pointers, and the Knicks were 12 for 19 from beyond the arc.

New York led 94-93 after three quarters.

The Hawks (38-26) hold the No. 5 seed in the East, and still have hopes of securing homecourt advantage in a likely first-round match-up against the Celtics (37-27).

Sunday didn’t help, and Atlanta All-Star Joe Johnson wasn’t happy about it after he spent much of the day chasing Anthony. Johnson scored 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Anthony was 14 for 32 as the only New York starter to shoot under 50 percent.

”It’s frustrating that we’re still playing for something and defensively we were non-existent,” Johnson said. ”There was no help (on defense). If you were guarding somebody 1-on-1, you were definitely guarding 1-on-1.”

Woodson gave Chandler the day off after New York played seven games in 11 days. The Knicks have allowed 116.3 points in three games without Chandler, and 93.8 when he plays.

The Hawks built a 65-60 halftime lead on 59 percent shooting even as Anthony scored 20 points and the Knicks shot 60 percent.

”It shows how valuable Tyson Chandler is to our ball club,” Woodson said. ”He plugs a lot of holes for us. It’s fun for fans, but we have to defend better.”

Both teams slowed down offensively in the fourth quarter, when the Hawks took their final lead at 112-111 on Johnson’s 3-pointer with 1:50 left.

Anthony countered with a jumper 10 seconds later to close the scoring when he was left wide open on the right wing.

Yet the Hawks had a good chance to win.

With just more than 3 seconds to play, Johnson inbounded to Williams near the Knicks’ bench. The plan was for him to hand the ball back to Johnson on a curl, but New York rookie Iman Shumpert – who played at Georgia Tech just a mile or so away – bumped Johnson off his path.

Williams turned and beat Stoudemire down the lane only to find both he and Anthony contesting at the rim – as Chandler normally would. A split-second after the ball was rejected, the buzzer sounded.

”I felt like I got fouled at the end,” Williams said, ”but they didn’t call it.”

Johnson, who made 2-of-3 shots in the final quarter (both being 3s), was as irritated about the Hawks’ offense as he was the defense.

”Down the stretch, I just figure you got to put the ball in the hands of your playmakers,” he said. ”The Knicks did it all game. ‘Melo shot 32 times. They got the ball to the right man.”

The Knicks (34-30) are one-half game ahead of Philadelphia (33-30) for the No. 7 spot in the East.

NOTES: Knicks F Jared Jeffries missed his third straight game with a sore right knee, and Woodson said he will not play in the last two regular-season games Wednesday against the Clippers and Thursday at Charlotte. … Knicks uber-fan Spike Lee was at the game. … Hawks center Zaza Pachulia missed his fifth straight game with a sprained left foot. Josh Smith started at center. … Stoudemire started at center for New York.

ATLANTA
– Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points, and the New York Knicks outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 113-112 on Sunday in a game between two playoff-bound teams still battling for postseason seeding.

The Hawks took their final lead at 112-111 on Joe Johnson’s 3-pointer with 1:50 left. Anthony countered with a jumper 10 seconds later for the final margin.

Off an inbound play with three seconds remaining, Atlanta’s Marvin Williams beat Amare Stoudemire off the dribble at the top of the lane. But as he went for a dunk just before the buzzer, Stoudemire blocked the shot. Williams, who led Atlanta with a season-high 29 points, wanted a foul call on Anthony or Stoudemire, both of whom appeared to make contact.

Stoudemire started at center in place of Tyson Chandler, who was resting a sore knee.

The teams combined for 27 3-pointers on 42 attempts.

Stoudemire added 22 points and 12 rebounds in his second game after missing 13 with a sore back. Jeff Teague scored 23 for Atlanta, and Johnson had 22.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson gave Chandler the day off after New York played seven games in 11 days, and he was missed. The Knicks entered the game allowing 118.5 points in two games without Chandler and 93.8 when he plays.

Landry Fields, who moved into the starting lineup at forward Sunday, and Anthony scored 12 points each in the third quarter, and the Knicks made 7-of-8 3-pointers in the period to take a 94-93 lead. Fields finished with 18 points in a rare start.

The Hawks hold the No. 5 spot in the East and still have hopes of securing home-court advantage in a likely first-round matchup against the Celtics.

The Knicks are a half game ahead of Philadelphia for the No. 7 spot in the East.

NOTES: Knicks forward Jared Jeffries missed his third straight game with a sore right knee, and Woodson said he will not play in the last two regular-season games Wednesday against the Clippers and Thursday at Charlotte. … Knicks uber-fan Spike Lee was at the game.

Elton Brand took over when the host Philadelphia 76ers needed him most.

Brand scored 13 of his season-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead the 76ers to a 95-90 comeback win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

Andre Iguodala scored 18, and Brand had 10 rebounds to go with his 10-for-12 shooting.

Coming off a 21-point loss to lowly Washington on Friday that knocked them out of first place in the Atlantic Division and down to No. 7 in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers earned a hard-fought win against a team ahead of them in the standings.

“I was having nightmares of 3-13,” coach Doug Collins said, referring to the team’s awful start last year. “I told the guys I want to believe that’s

not who we are, and they showed me tonight that’s not who they are.”

Josh Smith led Atlanta with 34 points.

Spurs 112, Pacers 103: Tim Duncan had 23 points and 11 rebounds and host San Antonio remained the hottest team in the NBA, beating Indiana for its seventh consecutive win. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili added 18 points apiece. The Spurs are 8-1 since making a rare plunge into midseason moves by adding forwards Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw, giving what Duncan calls the deepest San Antonio bench of his career.

Lakers 88, Hornets 85: As long as there’s time left on the clock, Kobe Bryant can still work wonders even when he’s having a horrible game. Bryant burnished his reputation

as one of the NBA’s greatest closers, hitting a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left after missing his first 15 shots, to help host Los Angeles hold off last-place New Orleans.

“There’s always time to redeem himself,” Jarrett Jack of the Hornets said. “Nobody’s even going to talk about those first three quarters. They’re going to talk about that last shot he made to put his team over the top.”

Clippers 105, Jazz 96: Chris Paul scored 26 points, Blake Griffin added 24

and host Los Angeles beat Utah to win its fifth in a row for the first time since 2006. Randy Foye added 17 points and DeAndre Jordan had 10 rebounds for the surging Clippers, who have won six straight at home and are a game behind the first-place Lakers in the Pacific Division.

Grizzlies 99, Bucks 95: O.J. Mayo scored a season-high 24 points, and Rudy Gay had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead visiting Memphis to a win over Milwaukee.

Marc Gasol added 13 points and 14 rebounds for Memphis, which is in the midst of playing seven games in nine days. The Grizzlies opened the stretch with a 98-89 loss at Houston on Friday.

Knicks 91, Cavaliers 75: J.R. Smith scored 20 points, Carmelo

Anthony had 19, and host New York shook off more bad injury news before beating Cleveland. Already without Amare Stoudemire, the Knicks announced before the game that Jeremy Lin would have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and could miss six weeks.

But the Knicks showed they still may have enough. Tyson Chandler had 14 points and 12 rebounds for eighth-place New York, which bounced back from a loss in Atlanta on Friday to win for the ninth time in 11 games. The Knicks have won seven in a row at home.

The New York Knicks take on the Atlanta Hawks in an important Friday night (March 30) game. The team is on a nice three game winning streak, showing guts and grit that I had worried would go away with all the injuries.

Thus far, the Knicks have overcome the loss of Bill Walker, a new injury to Jared Jeffries, Amare Stoudemire dealing with new back issues and Jeremy Lin going through leg problems. The team hasn’t folded though, beating the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic over the past week. I think the win over Orlando in itself proves that Carmelo Anthony can really lead this team if he stays committed to the mission.

Now the Knicks have to take on a tough Hawks team that is actually suffering its own problems. The Hawks lost center Al Horford for the season and have limped through the season ever since that loss. The up-and-down progression for the team includes two straight losses this week to the Bucks and Chicago Bulls. It gives them extra incentive to play New York hard on Friday night, which could make this a very competitive contest.

The Knicks and Hawks last played on February 22, when New York ran away with a nice 99-82 win. I thought the team put forward a very balanced attack, with eight different players scoring at least 7 points each and that it is exactly what the Knicks need against the Hawks. Stoudemire only went for 7 points in that game, so if the roster can find that scoring from someone else, I think that the Knicks actually stand a really good shot at running the winning streak to four games.

It is questionable whether Lin is going to play against the Hawks, but hopefully he is ready to take the court again. It may come all the way down to game time for him to make that final decision, but the Knicks could certainly use him as an additional weapon on offense. I think that if Lin plays, the Knicks will easily win this game with the depth that the bench possesses right now. Without him it might become a struggle, but one that Steve Novak and J.R. Smith could use to their advantage.

At 26-25 on the season, the Knicks are now just two and a half games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for first place in the Atlantic division. Catching up to the 76ers would certainly prove sweet, especially because it would make the Knicks one of the top four seeds in the 2012 Eastern Conference Playoffs. I think that would give the team a very favorable chance to make at least the second round. Hopefully the Knicks play as well against the Hawks as they did against the Magic and that the team continues to show that it’s got the talent to compete with the best this postseason.

More From YCN:

Knicks Crush Blazers

Tyson Chandler Holds Franchise Record

Knicks Stomp Lakers

Lin Saves Knicks

Amare Stoudemire Trade Rumors

Sources:

NBA Standings

Full Knicks Schedule

New York Knicks Website

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a fan of the New York Knicks that has followed the team since the days John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason instilled their defensive will on the rest of the league.

MILWAUKEE — Monta Ellis scored 33 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, as the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Atlanta Hawks 108-101 on Tuesday night.Brandon Jennings added 18 points for the Bucks, who moved to within two games of the idle New York Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.Ellis, who has struggled since coming over in a trade from Golden State on March 14, tied a season low with four points against the Knicks on Monday. On Tuesday, he made 15-of-24 shots, including 7-of-9 in the fourth quarter, sealing the victory with a 15-foot jumper with 1:27 remaining. He added eight assists.Josh Smith led the Hawks with 30 points and 18 rebounds. Joe Johnson finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting.The Hawks had 22 turnovers.The Bucks were without two key players, forwards Ersan Ilyasova (back spasms) and Carlos Delfino (right groin injury). Coach Scott Skiles called both “day to day” before the game.The Bucks led 55-46 at halftime, but the Hawks used a 20-6 run over the last 6:58 of the third to take a 79-78 lead. The Hawks made 12-of-17 shots in the period. The Bucks missed their last five shots of the quarter.Atlanta, which had been seeking its season-high fifth consecutive win, went up 81-78 with a basket to open the fourth, but Ellis had a steal and a break-away dunk, two jump shots and a free throw in the first five minutes of the period to put Milwaukee up 89-85.The score was tied at 91 when Mike Dunleavy hit a 3 with 4:31 remaining. The Bucks never trailed again, as Ellis followed with a layup and jumper to make it 98-91.Rookie Ivan Johnson had a career-high 17 points for Atlanta.The Bucks’ last seven wins had come against teams with a losing record, and they had not beaten a team above .500 since March 5.It was the fifth game in six nights for the Bucks, who were coming off an 89-80 defeat to the depleted Knicks. The Hawks were coming off a 139-133 four-overtime victory over Utah on Sunday.Joe Johnson left Tuesday’s game less than three minutes in and received two stitches in his lip, the team said. He returned at the 8:59 mark of the second.The Bucks led by as many as 17 in the first half and 55-46 at halftime. Smith scored 13 points in the second quarter, and Johnson had just two points in the half on 1-of-5 shooting.
Notes: Luc Mbah a Moute and Ekpe Udoh started in place of Ilysova and Delfino. For Udoh, it was his first start since being dealt from Golden State in the Ellis trade. . The 24-point first-half scoring outburst by the Bucks’ Mike Dunleavy on Monday night against the Knicks marked the most points scored by a reserve in a half this season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau

MILWAUKEE (AP) -

Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles knew Monta Ellis would eventually start putting up the big numbers he became known for with Golden State.

“You know when you make a move like that to get a significant player, there has got to be some period of time where you have got to allow for the guy to adjust and people to adjust to him,”

Skiles said before Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all for him to have a big breakout game at any moment.”

Those pre-game comments from the Bucks coach proved prescient after Ellis lit up the Hawks for 33 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to lead Milwaukee to a 108-101 victory.

Brandon Jennings added 18 points for the Bucks, who moved within two games of the idle New York Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Ellis, who has struggled since coming over in a trade from the Warriors on March 14, tied a season low with four points against the Knicks on Monday. On Tuesday, he made 15 of 24 shots, including going 7 for 9 in the fourth quarter, and sealed the victory with a 15-foot jumper with 1:27 remaining. He added eight assists.

“It was only a matter of time and the time was tonight,” Skiles said afterward. “He was scoring the ball. He was active. He made big shots. When he was covered, he passed it.” Despite the scoring outburst, Ellis didn’t have a “greedy game,” Skiles said.

“I thought he played a very unselfish game,” he said. Ellis called it “just one of those nights.”

“I was light on my feet. I was just moving. I went into one of my modes. It felt good,” said Ellis, who noted that his wife was in attendance for the first time since he joined the Bucks, and he had a pregame video phone conversation with his children. “I’m glad I was able to show the Bucks tonight. I want to take this game and build off it.”

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 30 points and 18 rebounds. Joe Johnson finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting. The Hawks had 22 turnovers despite entering the game averaging less than 14 per contest — fifth-best in the league.

“We had way, way too many turnovers,” Haws coach Larry Drew said. “You can’t expect to win if you turn the ball over like that, particularly on the road.” Said Smith: “We had an opportunity to get a shot on each possession, but all night long from the jump, we were just real careless with the basketball.” It was the fifth game in six nights for the Bucks, who were coming off an 89-80 loss to the injury-depleted Knicks.

The Hawks were coming off a 139-133 four-overtime victory over Utah on Sunday — the league’s first four-OT game since 1997.

“We were clearly fatigued and I thought they were, too,” Skiles said. “But when push came to shove and we needed to make a play, we were able to make it.” The Bucks were without two key players: forwards Ersan Ilyasova (back spasms) and Carlos Delfino (right groin injury). Coach Scott Skiles called both “day to day” before the game.

The Bucks played only three reserves. Skiles credited the effort of his bench players, including Larry Sanders, who had four points, five rebounds and three blocked shots in about 14 minutes.

Ekpe Udoh, who came to the Bucks in the Ellis trade, started in Ilyasova’s place and responded with eight points, three blocks and a career high-tying 10 rebounds in 31 minutes.

“I’ve got to help my team out any way I can,” Udoh said. The Bucks led 55-46 at halftime, but the Hawks used a 20-6 run over the last 6:58 of the third quarter to take a 79-78 lead. The

Hawks made 12 of 17 shots in the period, while the Bucks missed their last five shots of the quarter. Atlanta, which had been seeking a season-high fifth consecutive win, went up 81-78 with a basket to open the fourth, but Ellis had a steal and a breakaway dunk, two jump shots and a free throw in the first 5 minutes of the period to put Milwaukee up 89-85.

The score was tied at 91 when Mike Dunleavy hit a 3-pointer with 4:31 remaining. The Bucks never trailed again, as Ellis followed with a layup and jumper to make it 98-91.

Rookie Ivan Johnson had a career-high 17 points for Atlanta. “You get into these types of situations, and the bottom line is that you’ve got to make plays down the stretch,” Drew said.

“Tonight, we didn’t.” Ellis did. “In this league, if you let scorers get into a rhythm, they’ll pick you apart all night long,” Johnson said of Ellis. The Bucks’ last seven wins had come against teams with a losing record, and they had not beaten a team above .500 since March 5.

Joe Johnson left the game less than 3 minutes in and received five stitches in his lip after colliding with teammate Zaza Pachulia, the team said. He returned at the 8:59 mark of the second.

The Bucks led by as many as 17 in the first half and 55-46 at halftime. Smith scored 13 points in the second quarter, and Johnson had just two points in the half on 1-of-5 shooting.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MILWAUKEE — Monta Ellis scored 33 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, as the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Atlanta Hawks 108-101 on Tuesday night.

Brandon Jennings added 18 points for the Bucks, who moved to within two games of the idle New York Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Ellis, who has struggled since coming over in a trade from Golden State on March 14, tied a season low with four points against the Knicks on Monday. On Tuesday, he made 15-of-24 shots, including 7-of-9 in the fourth quarter, sealing the victory with a 15-foot jumper with 1:27 remaining. He added eight assists.

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 30 points and 18 rebounds. Joe Johnson finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The Hawks had 22 turnovers.

The Bucks were without two key players, forwards Ersan Ilyasova (back spasms) and Carlos Delfino (right groin injury). Coach Scott Skiles called both “day to day” before the game.

The Bucks led 55-46 at halftime, but the Hawks used a 20-6 run over the last 6:58 of the third to take a 79-78 lead. The Hawks made 12-of-17 shots in the period. The Bucks missed their last five shots of the quarter.

Atlanta, which had been seeking their season-high fifth consecutive win, went up 81-78 with a basket to open the fourth, but Ellis had a steal and a break-away dunk, two jump shots and a free throw in the first five minutes of the period to put Milwaukee up 89-85.

The score was tied at 91 when Mike Dunleavy hit a 3 with 4:31 remaining. The Bucks never trailed again, as Ellis followed with a layup and jumper to make it 98-91.

Rookie Ivan Johnson had a career-high 17 points for Atlanta.

The Bucks’ last seven wins had come against teams with a losing record, and they had not beaten a team above .500 since March 5.

It was the fifth game in six nights for the Bucks, who were coming off an 89-80 defeat to the depleted Knicks. The Hawks were coming off a 139-133 four-overtime victory over Utah on Sunday.

Joe Johnson left Tuesday’s game less than three minutes in and received two stitches in his lip, the team said. He returned at the 8:59 mark of the second.

The Bucks led by as many as 17 in the first half and 55-46 at halftime. Smith scored 13 points in the second quarter, and Johnson had just two points in the half on 1-of-5 shooting.

Notes: Luc Mbah a Moute and Ekpe Udoh started in place of Ilysova and Delfino. For Udoh, it was his first start since being dealt from Golden State in the Ellis trade. . The 24-point first-half scoring outburst by the Bucks’ Mike Dunleavy on Monday night against the Knicks marked the most points scored by a reserve in a half this season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau

MILWAUKEE (AP) Monta Ellis scored 33 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, as the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Atlanta Hawks 108-101 on Tuesday night.

Brandon Jennings added 18 points for the Bucks, who moved to within two games of the idle New York Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Ellis, who has struggled since coming over in a trade from Golden State on March 14, tied a season low with four points against the Knicks on Monday. On Tuesday, he made 15-of-24 shots, including 7-of-9 in the fourth quarter, sealing the victory with a 15-foot jumper with 1:27 remaining. He added eight assists.

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 30 points and 18 rebounds. Joe Johnson finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The Hawks had 22 turnovers.

The Bucks were without two key players, forwards Ersan Ilyasova (back spasms) and Carlos Delfino (right groin injury). Coach Scott Skiles called both ”day to day” before the game.

The Bucks led 55-46 at halftime, but the Hawks used a 20-6 run over the last 6:58 of the third to take a 79-78 lead. The Hawks made 12-of-17 shots in the period. The Bucks missed their last five shots of the quarter.

Atlanta, which had been seeking their season-high fifth consecutive win, went up 81-78 with a basket to open the fourth, but Ellis had a steal and a break-away dunk, two jump shots and a free throw in the first five minutes of the period to put Milwaukee up 89-85.

The score was tied at 91 when Mike Dunleavy hit a 3 with 4:31 remaining. The Bucks never trailed again, as Ellis followed with a layup and jumper to make it 98-91.

Rookie Ivan Johnson had a career-high 17 points for Atlanta.

The Bucks’ last seven wins had come against teams with a losing record, and they had not beaten a team above .500 since March 5.

It was the fifth game in six nights for the Bucks, who were coming off an 89-80 defeat to the depleted Knicks. The Hawks were coming off a 139-133 four-overtime victory over Utah on Sunday.

Joe Johnson left Tuesday’s game less than three minutes in and received two stitches in his lip, the team said. He returned at the 8:59 mark of the second.

The Bucks led by as many as 17 in the first half and 55-46 at halftime. Smith scored 13 points in the second quarter, and Johnson had just two points in the half on 1-of-5 shooting.

Notes: Luc Mbah a Moute and Ekpe Udoh started in place of Ilysova and Delfino. For Udoh, it was his first start since being dealt from Golden State in the Ellis trade. . The 24-point first-half scoring outburst by the Bucks’ Mike Dunleavy on Monday night against the Knicks marked the most points scored by a reserve in a half this season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau

The New York Knicks are back on the winning track after demolishing the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night (Feb. 22). It was a great night for the Knicks on both offense and defense and the final score 99-82 looks much closer than the game actually was.

After jumping to a nice 30-16 lead in the first quarter, the Knicks turned on the gas even more, pushing it to a 60-35 lead by halftime. From there it was just a matter of finishing off the Hawks and the bench of the Knicks did just that. Five players would finish in double-figures for New York, led by 17 points each from Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak. Novak made 5 three-pointers off the bench, playing in just over 22 minutes against the Hawks.

This was an all-around victory for the Knicks, with plenty of players that shined on the way to this win. Lin would dish out 9 assists, Amare Stoudemire grabbed 10 rebounds and J.R. Smith registered 5 steals off the bench. As a team, the Knicks shot 47.5 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Hawks 47-40. The steals were pretty high at 15 on the night, but the turnovers were also far too high at 21. Baron Davis accounted for 5 turnovers off the bench in just 14 minutes of action while Lin and Tyson Chandler each had 4 of them for the starters.

There were times during this game that the Knicks looked like one of the elite teams of the NBA. The offense was so fluid in the first half that everyone looked good and it gave fans glimpses of what might keep coming along when this team has been on the floor together for a couple of weeks. With everyone on the roster finally healthy, it was interesting to see some of the lineups that coach Mike D’Antoni used. Having Davis and Smith running the transition game for the second unit made for a number of exciting dunks that could certainly provide a nice spark for the Knicks moving forward.

This win helped the Knicks improve to 17-17 on the season and move a full game ahead of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics lost on Wednesday night (Feb. 22) giving the Knicks some breathing room as the All-Star break approaches. If the team can keep playing as well as it did against the Hawks, this roster may now have the firepower to pull off a huge upset in the 2012 Eastern Conference Playoffs.

More From YCN:

Tyson Chandler Holds Franchise Record

Lin a Hero for Knicks

Knicks Stomp Lakers

Lin Saves Knicks

Amare Stoudemire Trade Rumors

Sources:

NBA Standings

Full Knicks Schedule

New York Knicks Website

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a fan of the New York Knicks that has followed the team since the days John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason instilled their defensive will on the rest of the league.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Jeremy Lin scored 17 points and added nine assists to spark the New York Knicks over Atlanta 99-82, improving the team to 9-2 since the Asian-American star emerged from a reserve role.

The 23-year-old point guard whose parents are from Taiwan had been cut by two other NBA clubs, but was given a chance when the Knicks lost two starters and produced record scoring and assist figures to ignite a struggling club.

Steve Novak added 17 points for the Knicks while Landry Fields added 16 and Carmelo Anthony contributed 15 points as the Knicks improved to 17-17 entering a Thursday matchup at Miami against the NBA co-leading Heat.

With J.R. Smith just signed after spending the early part of the season in China and Anthony back from an injury, the Knicks have started to come together, with Lin adding punch with timely passing as well as scoring.

“We have a lot of offensive weapons now,” Lin said. “I don’t need to shoot as much with these guys coming back. We have J.R. and ‘Melo back. We’re going to move the ball and make the defenses pay.”

Lin said he relishes the challenge presented by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

“They are so quick and athletic,” Lin said. “We need to make sure we try to get into the paint instead of just move the ball around the 3-point line.

“We’re going to play hard. Definitely we’re flying everywhere. We’re playing hard. We’re going to go down there and try to keep doing the same things.

“It’s a big game. It will be a good evaluation of where we are at. Besides that, we’re just going to try to stay consistent. We don’t want to get too high against elite teams and lose that energy against teams with weaker records.”

Lin is averaging 23.9 points and 9.0 assists a game, the best showing by any player in his first 10 starts since 1976. But his “Lin-sanity” magic will face a man-to-man test against superstar James.

“LeBron is a great player and great, great defender,” Lin said. “I’ve got to just continue to be aggressive and not change anything.”

Anthony has given Lin some advice on how to deal with James.

“Melo definitely has given me a ton of advice. He has definitely taken me under his wing,” Lin said. “We’re going to need Melo to be a playmaker and a scorer tomorrow night.”

Jeff Teague scored 18 points and Willie Green added 16 to lead the Hawks, who fell behind 60-35 at half-time and could not challenge in the second half, falling to 19-14.

“Our defense was good. Then we got sloppy,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We still have a lot of guys out of synch. We’re scratching out wins.”

D’Antoni said he has done nothing special to prepare Lin for James.

“He will find out himself. He might as well experience it,” D’Antoni said. “He will give him maximum respect if that matchup happens. Hopefully he will handle it and the Knicks will handle it.

“He’s making the right plays, smart. He’s savvy. He’s just a good point guard.”

All signs pointed to a letdown, one of those times when a team inexplicably looks past an opponent. The Atlanta Hawks were without All-Stars Al Horford and Joe Johnson and the Knicks had a national television date with the Heat on South Beach looming less than 24 hours away.

In this season’s condensed NBA schedule, it was the perfect recipe.

But the Knicks had already suffered a letdown on Monday against the Nets and, outside of a sluggish period in the first quarter, assured it wasn’t repeated.

Jumpstarted by their restored and suddenly formidable bench, the Knicks (17-17) led for the final 39:36 — stretching their lead to as many as 30– en route to a decisive 99-82 win over the shorthanded Hawks (19-14) before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks had five players in double figures led by Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak, who each scored 17 points. Landry Fields and Carmelo Anthony and 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 18 points.

Jorge Castillo: jcastillo@starledger.com; twitter.com/jorgeccastillo

BOX SCORE

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—The Philadelphia 76ers flicked the switch in the third
quarter and swept past the Atlanta Hawks 90-76 on Friday in a clash of NBA
division leaders.

Jrue Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists, and Thaddeus Young scored 20
points for Philadelphia, which improved to 7-1 at home.

The Sixers left a dismal first half in the dust with a sensational third
quarter. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers and Andre Iguodala rocked nearly
18,000 fans with a pair of thunderous dunks during a 14-0 run.

Ex-Sixer Willie Green scored 14 points for the Hawks, who had been in
control and seemed on course for a fifth straight win until the 76ers found
their way.

———

BULLS 114, CAVALIERS 75

In Cleveland, Chicago made light of the absence of star Derrick Rose by
handing Cleveland its heaviest ever home defeat.

Luol Deng scored 21 points, and Carlos Boozer added 19 and 14 rebounds for
the Bulls, who barely missed reigning league MVP Rose, who sat out his third
straight game with a toe injury.

The 39-point margin was the most lopsided defeat ever inflicted on the Cavs
in Cleveland, surpassing 35-point losses suffered in 1990 and 2001.

It could have been worse. Chicago, which has the league’s best record at
14-3, led by 42 points in the fourth quarter when all the Bulls’ starters were
resting on the bench.

Anderson Varejao scored 14 points and rookie Kyrie Irving added 13 for the
Cavs.

———

TRAIL BLAZERS 94, RAPTORS 84

In Toronto, LaMarcus Aldridge had a season-high 33 points and a career-best
23 rebounds as Portland handed Toronto its seventh consecutive loss.

Raymond Felton scored 14 points as the Blazers won their seventh straight
over Toronto. Portland has not lost to the Raptors since 2006-07.

James Johnson scored a career-high 23 points for the Raptors.

———

NUGGETS 108, WIZARDS 104

In Washington, Al Harrington scored a season-high 29 points, making the
difference in Denver’s tight win over Washington.

Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson each had 21 for the Nuggets, who made it five
wins in six games despite the absence of Nene with a bruised heel.

Washington led 100-98 with 2:07 to play, before an equalizing basket then a
Harrington 3-pointer with 1:14 left to make it 103-98.

Nick Young’s 25 points led the Wizards, who dropped to a miserable 2-13.

———

SUNS 79, CELTICS 71

In Boston, Marcin Gortat scored 24 points with 12 rebounds to lead Phoenix
over Boston in a low-scoring encounter.

Steve Nash had 11 points and nine assists for the Suns.

Playing without point guard Rajon Rondo, the team’s most consistent starter
this year, the Celtics had their lowest-scoring game of the season. They lost
for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 0-4 against the Western
Conference.

Ray Allen led the Celtics with 14 points and six rebounds.

———

BUCKS 100, KNICKS 86

In New York, Brandon Jennings scored a season-high 36 points as Milwaukee
won on the road for the first time this season, beating New York.

The Bucks won for the sixth time in their last seven trips to New York,
where they outplayed a Knicks team that has lost five straight overall and is
quickly losing the support of its demanding fans.

Milwaukee dominated the second half behind Jennings, who loves to make the
Knicks pay for passing on him with the No. 8 pick in the 2009 draft.

Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks before he was ejected with
1:33 left after picking up his second technical foul.

———

GRIZZLIES 98, PISTONS 81

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Rudy Gay scored 24 points to help surging Memphis
hold off a second-half rally by Detroit.

Marc Gasol had 17 points for the Grizzlies, who have won five straight. They
led by 23 in the third quarter before the Pistons fought back, cutting the
deficit to six in the fourth.

Rookie guard Brandon Knight scored 22 points for Detroit, which has lost 10
of 11. The Pistons were without guards Rodney Stuckey (groin) and Will Bynum
(right foot), as well as forward Charlie Villanueva (right ankle).