The New York Knicks seek a third consecutive win on their five-game Western Conference swing when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.The Knicks are coming off wins Friday against the Sacramento Kings and Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, giving them four straight wins on the road.New York (14-10) has gone 11-4 after a 3-6 start, and is now four games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2012-13 season, which is the last time the Knicks made the playoffs.Derrick Rose returned from a back injury to hit 12 of his 16 shots on a 25-point night as the Knicks held on to beat the Lakers 118-112 on Sunday. Kristaps Porzingis helped the New York cause with a career-best-tying seven blocks.The Knicks were able to win on a night when Carmelo Anthony was held to 13 points. Getting a season-best 19 from Brandon Jennings helped.Were just trusting one another and believing in what were doing, in our schemes, defensively and offensively, Anthony explained. Guys are feeling confident when they get the ball to make plays for themselves and others. We need that as a team. We need that confidence.As hot as the Knicks have been on the road, the Suns have been equally cold at home. They have only one home win in more than a month, that being a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 30.Phoenix came close to getting another Sunday night, but came up a point short in a 120-119 overtime loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.Former Knicks center Tyson Chandler had season-highs in points (14) and rebounds (21) in the loss.Tuesdays game matches two teams that have been nearly dead-even in their all-time head-to-heads. The series had been tied 60-60 until New York swept last years two-game series.Several things about the Knicks, including the acquisition of Rose, have changed since they were last seen in Phoenix. No doubt, Suns fans will applaud one of the moves when they get a chance.The Knicks have responded well to the coaching of Jeff Hornacek, who was fired as Suns head coach in February after going 101-112 in two-plus seasons.Hornacek remains best remembered in Phoenix for his playing days after he was a second-round pick in 1986. Maybe his biggest claim to fame was being used as trade bait that allowed the Suns to acquire Charles Barkley in 1992.Hornacek has been replaced in Phoenix by Earl Watson, who is off to a rough start (7-17) in his first season as the fulltime coach after having been promoted on an interim basis for the final two months last season.Coming close, like they did Sunday night in the overtime loss to New Orleans, isnt good enough for some Suns players.Im a competitor. I want to win, assured Chandler, who averaged a double-double (10.2 points, 10.1 rebounds) over three seasons with the Knicks. These losses arent easy on me. Rob Refsnyder Diamondbacks Jersey . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. Ketel Marte Jersey . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. http://www.diamondbackssale.com/diamondbacks-steven-souza-jersey/ . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Taijuan Walker Diamondbacks Jersey . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Robbie Ray Diamondbacks Jersey . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3.ARDMORE, Pa. -- Luke Donald enters the U.S. Open more focused on a different No. 1 than reclaiming his old ranking. Like winning major No. 1. Donald is 0-for-the majors as he heads into his 10th U.S. Open, starting Thursday at Merion Golf Club. Hes had big wins over an 11-year pro career. Hed even been No. 1 for a total of 56 weeks until the run ended late last year. Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros are the only other players who had been No. 1 longer since the ranking began in 1986. Some viewed Donalds top spot without a major as a flaw in the system. That wasnt his concern. Hoisting that U.S. Open trophy Sunday is his lone goal this week. "It always crosses your mind when its going to happen," he said. "You always go back to the successes you had. The fact I was able to get to No. 1, win seven times the last couple of years, you just keep going back to those things and try and focus that. You try and focus not on, if I can, but, when is it, going to happen. Just be comfortable that what Im doing is the right thing." Ranked sixth, Donald said the pressure to win his first major hasnt gone away just because No. 1 has slipped away. "Theres always more attention, more requests of your time and that takes management, and thats tough," Donald said. "But within myself, the pressures are just the same. I want to win a major championship just as badly this year as when I was No. 1. Its about managing those expectations, managing those feelings and knowing what you have is good enough." Donald played two practice rounds last week at Merion. He arrived for the tournament late Monday night and skipped the day of rain that soaked thhe course.dddddddddddd "Its a real shame that weve had so much rain," he said. "I think that most people would really like to see this course play firm and fast. And I dont think were going to get that this week. But its a good challenge, this course. I think if it was firm and fast, this course, even despite the length, would hold up just as well as any other U.S. Open course." The 35-year-old Donald failed to make the cut at last years U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco because of putting failures. He has never finished better than 12th in an Open (2006) and missed the cut three times since his 2002 debut. He was 45th in 2011 and 47th in 2010. "I think in U.S. Opens, usually success comes from hitting a lot of fairways and hitting a lot of greens. And I think my game is more from the hole backward," he said. "Ive always kind of worked that way. This year Ive made a little bit more of a conscious effort to try and change that, to get a little bit more control, to work some things around, spending a little bit more time on the range working on really solidifying a few things. And it hasnt happened yet, but statistics will show Ive improved in those areas." Donald and Lee Westwood are the only players to be No. 1 without having won a major. Donald was No. 1 entering the 2011 U.S. Open and held it going into the 2012 PGA Championship. He lost the ranking after Rory McIlroy won last years PGA title. Regarded as a mild-mannered Englishman, Donald is ready to show some ruthlessness at Merion as he chases that elusive win. "It has a lot of tradition, this course, and Im excited to see what it has to offer," he said. ' ' '
