ekansekans's blog: "df"

NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony leaped into the second row trying to save a ball hed batted away, the signature play in another sturdy defensive effort. Aaron Rodgers Camo Jersey . On the other end, extra passes led to more wide-open shots and the Knicks made it look as easy as they did two nights earlier against the defending NBA champions. Add it up, and New York is perfect after two games for the first time in 13 years. Anthony scored 27 points, JR Smith had 20 and the Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 100-84 on Sunday in the opener of home-and-home series. "I think at the end of the day, we know what type of guys we have on this team, we know whats at stake and we want to win," Anthony said. "Thats the only thing thats on our minds." Jason Kidd had 12 points and six assists, and Raymond Felton added 11 points for the Knicks (2-0), who followed their 19 3-pointers in a season-opening victory over Miami by making 11 Sunday. They have won their two games by a combined 36 points and are 2-0 for the first time since winning their first three games in the 1999-00 season. "I think when you share the basketball it becomes contagious, and guys, they feed into it," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "And the fact that we have so many guys that can make shots, you dont know whos going to get you on any given night." Jrue Holiday had 27 points and seven assists for the 76ers (1-1), who will try for a split Monday at home. Thaddeus Young scored 16 points before fouling out and Evan Turner had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Both teams are missing high-priced big men because of knee problems. But while centre Andrew Bynums absence could have a big effect on the 76ers, the Knicks have so far shown that they can perhaps space the floor better using a smaller lineup without forward Amare Stoudemire. With Anthony moving up to the power forward position, Felton playing alongside Kidd in a two point-guard backcourt, and Smith and Steve Novak coming off the bench, the Knicks have had a solid offensive flow in their two games. They scored 104 points against Miami on Friday while finishing one 3-pointer shy of their franchise record, and hurt the 76ers from inside and out. "Theyre very tough to defend. Theyre playing really good defence," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "Its a very difficult team to play because they can post or they can spread you and they really move the ball really well. Theyre playing very unselfish basketball." Philadelphia held Denver to 37.5 per cent shooting in an 84-75 victory in its season opener, but its defence wasnt nearly as effective in this one. The 76ers were a step slow in transition and in their rotations, giving up way too many open shots, and hurt themselves with 18 turnovers. "I think we turned the ball over too much and we were definitely out of sync," Young said. The Knicks led for most of the first quarter, getting nine points each from Anthony and Felton en route to a 31-25 lead. They pushed it into double digits in the second and never let the 76ers put much of a dent in it, extending it to 71-55 with 4:25 left in the third on a combined 79-year-old hookup. Kidd, 39, rifled a pass inside to 40-year-old Kurt Thomas, the NBAs oldest player, who scored and was fouled. "The experience that we have on this locker room, it doesnt take long to understand how to play the game and thats what we have here," Kidd said, "is guys who know how to play the game and understanding their roles and doing it well." Philadelphia finally got it down to nine at the end of three, but Smith hit consecutive 3-pointers to push it back to 15, and he made another to give the Knicks their largest lead at 86-69 with 8:23 to play. The Knicks cruised from there, even getting a basket from Rasheed Wallace, back in the NBA at 38 after two years of retirement. Anthony, one of the NBAs elite scorers but not known for doing much else, was active defensively, even leaping over a row of chairs trying to save a ball hed knocked free in the first quarter. He said he knew where he was going to land so wasnt worried about injury, but his teammates were impressed anyway. "Its really contagious when you see your star player going out there, diving in the crowd, giving up open shots, going for loose balls. It really filters throughout the team," Smith said. "So as long as he keeps doing it, I think everybody wont have a problem doing it." The 76ers also lost starting guard Jason Richardson less than two minutes in when he sprained his left ankle after stepping on a camera man behind the baseline. X-rays were negative but he wont play Monday. Notes: The Knicks were given a delay of game warning before the game started for not being ready to play 90 seconds after the introduction of starting lineups. ... Marcus Camby sat out again for the Knicks, with Woodson saying he wants the 38-year-old centre to get more practice time after missing most of preseason with a strained calf. ... The Knicks have held opponents below 90 points in their first two games for the first time since 2003-04. Randall Cobb Black Jersey . TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted on Tuesday that Ryan may be available again after he was taken off the market following the departure of former Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle last fall. Randall Cobb Impact Jersey . They turned five double plays on defence and an offence that had been struggling showed some power with three homers on a hot Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field. That helped Gavin Floyd in his first start coming off the disabled list and gave the White Sox a 7-4 win over the Minnesota Twins, ending a five-game losing streak. http://www.shopnflpackersgears.com/nike-jordy-nelson-pink-jersey/ . The Mariners made the moves on Tuesday before their game against Toronto. Seattle was down two pitchers in the bullpen after trades Monday night that sent Steve Delabar to Toronto and Brandon League to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clay Matthews White Jersey . The 21-year-old forward had 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists) and 106 penalty minutes in 62 games with the Ontario Hockey Leagues Niagara IceDogs this season. Mason Crosby Womens Jersey . The classy Ottawa Senators captain unleashed a tirade during Mondays Game 6 loss unlike anything seen during his previous 1,240 NHL games. IndyCar driver Ed Carpenter had the chance to take a drive around Pocono Raceway, and promptly handed the car keys to racing great Mario Andretti. With Pocono officially back on the IndyCar schedule after a 23-year absence, Carpenter wanted to pick up as many tips as possible from someone with experience at "The Tricky Triangle." Andretti was all too happy to turn some laps at Mondays event because "I am too damn old to drive this thing" in next Julys race. The return to Pocono is being celebrated as a nod to IndyCars history and tradition. Poconos three corners were designed in 1965 to model corners at Indianapolis, Milwaukee and now-defunct Trenton, and fans have always considered the track an important venue in open wheel racing. "It was music to my ears when some of the noise began flying around we might be coming back," said Andretti, who lives in Pennsylvania. "This facility means not only a great deal to me personally, but also to the Northeast area fans that have been here since the beginning. The drivers will love this place -- the challenges it presents are just second to none as far as a superspeedway. Theres nothing but good things ahead." Carpenter recognized that when he entered the infield, where IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard and Pocono CEO Brandon Igdalsky on Monday celebrated the series return. "Just pulling through the tunnel and coming into the facility, you get the feeling that this is a special place, the same kind of feeling that I get in Indianapolis, so I cant wait to get on track here in an IndyCar," said Carpenter. With the return to Pocono comes the return of the "Triple Crown" challenge, which will award $1 million to a driver that wins the Indianapolis 500, the 400-miler at Pocono and the season finale at Fontana, Calif. The challenge will give $250,000 if a driver wins two of the three races. "If you are going to bring history back, then you bring back Pocono and the Triple Crown," Bernard said. "Thats what fans have been asking forr the three years Ive been here. Randall Cobb Pink Jersey. " Pocono was part of a Triple Crown from 1971-1980 that included the Indianapolis 500, Pocono 500, and California 500 at Ontario. Al Unser in 1978 was the only driver to win all three in the same season. Ontario was closed in 1980, and replaced with the Michigan 500 through 1989, when Pocono stopped hosting open wheel racing. But Igdalsky said fans had been vocal in wanting IndyCar back at the track. "The excitement level is through the roof," Igdalsky said. The race will only be 400 miles instead of the traditional 500 because Bernard wanted it on ABC, which gave IndyCar a three-hour coverage window. Pocono was one of two new venues announced Sunday night by Bernard on a 19-race schedule for next season. The schedule includes doubleheader races at Detroit, Toronto and Houston, which is the other new venue. A proposal for a street race in Providence, R.I., did not make the schedule because Bernard said promoters "ran out of time" to finalize a deal for the 2013 season and Bernard said hes not likely to add any more events for next year. The scheduling announcements were threatened to be overshadowed Monday by a report that the IndyCar Series is considering an offer to sell to a group of team owners who had pooled their resources. Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of Hulman & Co. and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp., denied the report Monday and said the series "is not for sale" and the board has not received or considered any offers to purchase the series. "The racing in 2012 showcased great competition on track and added to the foundation for growing the series," he said in a statement. "The just-announced 2013 schedule includes several new twists that could make the racing even more exciting. The combination of the return of nearly all the 2012 venues, including all the ovals, the addition of new tracks and the revival of the Triple Crown award make this one of the most exciting schedules in recent memory." ' ' '