(Sports Network) - The Toronto Raptors will try to slow down the New York Knicks when the two clubs meet tonight at Madison Square Garden. Steve Largent Womens Jersey . The Knicks have won three straight under interim head coach Mike Woodson and currently occupy the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Coverage begins at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt on TSN. Woodson took over the team when Mike DAntoni stepped down from the post and the Knicks have responded with three straight wins, including a home-and-home sweep of the pesky Indiana Pacers. In Saturdays 102-88 victory at Indiana, Jeremy Lin scored a team-high 19 points and both Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire netted 16 for the Knicks, who suffered through a six-game losing streak before Woodson took over. "Our hearts are right and it was a total team effort," Woodson said after the win over the Pacers. "I couldnt be more proud of the team than I am tonight." Woodson is the sixth coach in NBA history to win his first three games by 14 or more points in each game with a new team. New York is holding opponents to 89.0 points on 92-235 shooting over the last three games, while averaging 112.7 points per game over that span. Lin is averaging 19.3 points, 8.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.18 steals in his past 22 games. The Knicks will play four of six games at MSG and own a 13-10 mark as the host this season. They are 4 1/2 games behind Philadelphia for the Atlantic Division lead and a half-game ahead of Milwaukee for the eighth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. New York will visit Philadelphia and Toronto after tonight, and will return home for a three-game residency against the Pistons, Bucks and Magic. Knicks guard Baron Davis (hamstring) is questionable for tonight and guard Toney Douglas (personal) is probable. Davis did not play Saturday. The Raptors will close out a five-game road trip (2-2) Tuesday and has lost five of their last seven games overall. They suffered a 107-103 setback to the lowly Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday, as Jerryd Bayless paced the Raptors with 29 points to go with six assists and DeMar DeRozan added 20 points. "Guys just have to get comfortable playing with each other again," said Bayless after the loss. "A lot of guys have been in and out of the lineup. We came out really strong but we just had a little bit of a fold in the third quarter." Andrea Bargnani had 11 points and is averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 34.0 minutes in 13 road games. Bayless is posting 17.8 points, 5.3 assists and 34.5 minutes in 11 games as a starter. Torontos Jose Calderon missed his fifth straight contest with a sprained right ankle and he is probable for tonight. Calderon is averaging 10.5 points and 8.5 assists this season. The Raptors will head north for a two-game homestand versus Chicago and New York after their trip to the Big Apple. They are 8-16 away from Air Canada Centre in 2011-12 and finished 3-2 during a five-game road trip from Jan. 22-29 against the Clippers, Phoenix, Utah, Denver and New Jersey. Toronto and New York have split two meetings so far this season, with each team holding serve as the guest. The Knicks have won five of the previous six matchups in this series. Ricardo Lockette Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. 12th Fan Jersey . The International Ice Hockey Federation says Russia is looking for a new coach before the world championship in May in Belarus. The IIHF says Russian hockey federation officials agreed to Bilyaletdinovs departure after meeting with him on Wednesday. LONDON -- Nicolas Anelka was banned for five games by the English Football Association on Thursday and immediately suspended by West Bromwich Albion for a racially aggravated goal celebration. The French striker performed the gesture, which is known in his homeland as a "quenelle" and has been described as an "inverted Nazi salute," during a Premier League match in December. Although an FA disciplinary panel backed Anelkas insistence that he was not being intentionally anti-Semitic, performing the gesture was still found to be racist and abusive. Anelka, who appeared at the hearing this week, received the minimum five-game ban for racism offences, was also fined 80,000 pounds ($133,000) and ordered to complete an education course. Anelka can appeal, and he must decide within seven days of receiving the panels written reasons. But West Brom responded to the verdict by suspending him while the central England club conducts an internal investigation and awaits the conclusion of the FA process. "The club acknowledges that the FA panel did not find that Nicolas Anelka is an anti-Semite or that he intended to express or promote anti-Semitism by his use of the quenelle," West Brom said in a statement. "However, the club cannot ignore the offence that his actions have caused, particularly to the Jewish community, nor the potential damage to the clubs reputation." The panel found Anelka guilty of two charges -- that the gesture "was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper," and it was racially offensive. "The misconduct was an aggravated breach ... in that it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief," the FA verdict said. Anelkas legal team said he was "pleased" to be cleared of anti-Semitism. "He is now waiting to receive the commissions full reasons for their decision before considering whether or not to appeal," the statement said. Aneelka performed the quenelle as he celebrated scoring in West Broms 3-3 draw with West Ham on Dec. Bobby Wagner Jersey. 28. The gesture involves pointing one straightened arm downward while touching the shoulder with the opposite hand. It was popularized by French comedian Dieudonne MBala MBala, who has been convicted multiple times for inciting racial hatred or anti-Semitism. The Community Security Trust, which protects British Jews, said Anelka has introduced an "ugly anti-Semitic gesture into British football." "We acknowledge Anelkas denial of anti-Semitic intent, but his action was clear and the FAs zero tolerance approach to racism meant there could be no other outcome," CST chief executive David Delew said. "This verdict sends a strong message to Jewish players and supporters at all levels of the game that the FA will act against anti-Semitic acts if they are reported." The European Jewish Congress expressed concern that Anelka was yet to express any regret over the case. "Even if the FA is not convinced that the players intent at the time was anti-Semitic, he surely knows now the origins of the quenelle and the hurt and pain it caused the Jewish community, yet we are still waiting for an apology," EJC President Dr Moshe Kantor said. "Anelkas silence speaks volumes." The organization hopes the FA will use the case to help clamp down on abuse against Jews. "Anti-Semitism remains the fastest growing hate in football, on the field and in the stadiums, and we hope that this episode will be used positively to once and for all stamp out hatred for Jews in football," Kantor said. Anelka avoided the heaviest racism ban imposed recently by the FA, eight games for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez in 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. Chelsea captain John Terry received a four-match ban the following year, before the minimum five-game racism ban was introduced in England. ' ' '
