Hawks visit lowly Nets

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03/16/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks will hit the road for two straight games starting with tonight's showdown against the lowly New Jersey Nets at the IZOD Center.

Atlanta will visit Toronto as well and is 16-16 as the guest this season. It is currently third in the Eastern Conference standings, just a half-game ahead of Boston, and has won two straight and eight of the last 11 games. In a 112-99 victory versus Detroit on Saturday from Philips Arena, Joe Johnson finished with 26 points and Josh Smith added 18 and a career-high 11 assists for the Hawks, who shot a season-high 63 percent.

"Any time we can come out of the gate like that, it gives us confidence throughout the game," said Johnson, who is expected to miss Tuesday's game with an Achilles injury. "That makes us a tough team to beat. When you've got to play catch-up on the road like that, it's always tough."

Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jamal Crawford made all three of his long- distance attempts on his way to 17 points in a winning effort.

New Jersey will try to put the brakes on an 11-game home losing streak this evening versus the Hawks, and has dropped four in a row overall. The Nets fell to 7-59 this season after Saturday's 116-108 loss at Houston in which Courtney Lee posted 24 points to lead the charge. Over his last seven games, Lee is averaging 20.6 ppg.

Brook Lopez posted a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds for New Jersey, which is trying desperately to avoid finishing with the worst record in NBA history, set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73).

"It was a combination of their effort and our lack of effort," Lopez said on NBA.com. "They moved the ball real well on us, and that was the difference."

In injury news for the Nets, guard Devin Harris (illness) is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game.

Atlanta has won the first two meetings with New Jersey this season and three in a row overall. The Nets, however, are unbeaten in the previous five matchups as the host in this series.

The Hawks have lost 14 of their last 15 games in the Meadowlands.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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