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MIAMI -- The Atlanta Hawks, who were eliminated from the playoffs two years in a row by the Cleveland Cavaliers, are playing as if they want another shot at LeBron James and friends.The Hawks, who visit the struggling Miami Heat (2-7) on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, are off to a 7-2 start, tied for second in the Eastern Conference with the Toronto Raptors.Cleveland (8-1) is alone in first place.The Hawks, who have been off since beating the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night, are playing better defense this season, in part due to the addition of shot-blocking center Dwight Howard.So far, the Hawks lead the NBA -- by a wide margin -- in terms of fewest points allowed in the fourth quarter, 20.1. The second-best fourth-quarter defense belongs to the Boston Celtics, who are allowing 25.8.We try to wear teams down with our depth -- maybe thats what it is, Hawks small forward Kent Bazemore told Atlanta media when asked about the fourth-quarter play. The fourth quarter is when you hone your focus. Thats winning time.Howard leads the team in the paint. He is averaging 15.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.He will face talented Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who has eight double-doubles in nine games this season.But while the Howard-Whiteside matchup bears watching, the Hawks figure to have a big advantage at power forward with Paul Millsap, who leads the team in scoring (16.7 points per game). Millsap was also a second-team All-Defense player last season, and the Heat dont really have an answer for him at that spot.Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder, who averages 16.3 points, leads the team in assists (6.2 per game) and gets the offense going with his great speed. He, too, figures to have an edge since the Heat are missing point guard Goran Dragic, who sat out the past two games due to a sprained left ankle.Bazemore averages 11.3 points, and Hawks wing guard Kyle Korver, who is one of the best shooters in the league, spreads the floor by averaging 9.8 points, including 45.0 percent accuracy on 3-pointers.Leading the Hawks bench brigade is Miami native Tim Hardaway Jr., who is averaging 12.3 points. Hardaway, whose dad was a former Heat star, is playing very well, shooting 61.5 percent on 2-pointers and 34.8 percent on 3-pointers.Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, who did not attend Mondays practice due to a personal issue but is expected to be at Tuesdays game, preaches defense.Any time we hold a team to 20 or less points in a quarter, he lets us know its well-appreciated, Bazemore said. Thats what he loves. Thats what a lot of our guys love. Its our calling card.On Tuesday, the Hawks will try to shut down a team that is already sputtering.The Heat, after falling at San Antonio 94-90 on Monday, have lost five in a row and will now have to face a more-rested team in the talented Hawks.Dragic, who has been replaced in the starting lineup by Josh Richardson, had a walking boot removed from his foot on Monday, when he rode an exercise bike for the first time since his injury.The Heat likely will try to get Dragic back in time for their Thursday home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.In the meantime, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra made a lineup change Monday, starting Derrick Williams at power forward and benching Luke Babbitt.Williams, who played a combined total of just three minutes in Miamis first seven games as Spoelstra went with Babbitt and others in the rotation, scored five points in 16 minutes against the Spurs.He gives us a good burst of energy and athleticism, Spoelstra said of Williams, who likely will match up against Millsap. He just needs to continue to build and do what he is doing, which is working to get better.Williams showed his athleticism in Miamis first possession Monday, working off a screen, taking one bounce and hitting a corner mid-range jumper.I just want to play hard and be consistent, Williams said. I want to bring energy, effort and efficiency. Roger Martinez Jersey . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Marlos Moreno Colombia Jersey . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. http://www.nationalcolombiafootball.com/edwin-cardona-colombia-jersey/ . Sgt. Eric ONeal says most of the arrests at Monday nights game were for public drunkenness, though one person was taken into custody on suspicion of trying to steal a seat from the stadium. Cristian Bonilla Colombia Jersey . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Carlos Bacca Jersey . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. LONG POND, Pa. -- Martin Truex Jr. has one of his four career Sprint Cup wins at Pocono Raceway.He added his 10th career pole, too.Truex extended Toyotas recent romp, and turned a lap of 179.244 mph to win the pole Friday.Truex and Carl Edwards made it a 1-2 Toyota front row. Edwards just missed the top spot for Joe Gibbs Racing with a lap of 178.873 and he thought his No. 19 Toyota might have had enough to best Truexs chart-topping speed.That must have felt really good because mine was great, Edwards said.Toyota has 10 wins this season and nine in the last 15 races, highlighted by consecutive wins by JGR drivers Matt Kenseth at New Hampshire and Kyle Busch last weekend at the Brickyard.Its a really neat time to be driving a Toyota for Joe Gibbs, Edwards said. Hopefully, we can keep this rolling.Truex won his third pole of the season in the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota and the 10th of his career. His win this season at Charlotte Motor Speedway might have been the most dominant performance by any Toyota driver in a race in years.Paul Menard, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman completed the top five.Driving for Richard Childress Racing, Menard posted the surprise performances of the day at Pocono. Menard has just two top-10 finishes all season and showed no signs of developing into a threat for making the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.But a crew chief switch might make the difference.Menard topped the lone practice chart in his first race weekend with crew chief Danny Stockman. RCR dumped Justin Alexander for Stockman for Menards stretch run.Stockman has won two Xfinity championships during his seven years at RCR and he and Menard worked together in that series, including a win last year at Road America.Menard made Sprint Cups championship chase last year, but stands 23rd -- and out of the playoffs -- with just six races left in the regular season.RCR as a whole, we dont like to suck, Stockman said. We have been really digging hard as a company to not suck. Its not fun. Your people get beat down. Everybody at the shop, we have all the tools to do this right.RCR had a rare stout day at the track, with three drivers in top 12. Austin Dillon was 12th.Here are other items of note from Friday at Pocono:KEZELOWSKIS RECOVERY:Brad Keselowski starts seventh only days aftter he was involved in a brutal wreck during a test session at Watkins Glen.ddddddddddddHe slammed nose-first into a protective tire barrier coming out of the first turn and tore up the entire front end of the No. 2 Ford. The Team Penske driver walked away unhurt and he blamed an improperly installed brake line on the crash.Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion, said the latest wreck at The Glen has him concerned about the safety of drivers on road course tracks.Theres only so many of those hits youre gonna take before someone gets killed, Keselowski said. Its just the way it is. I know that. Its not something Im comfortable with. ... Odds are, that if 100 people take that hit, one or two are not gonna be standing here anymore.GORDONS RUNSix-time Pocono winner Jeff Gordon qualified -- yup, 24th -- in his second race driving for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr.Earnhardt missed his third straight race because of concussion-like symptoms and there is no timetable for his return.Gordon came out of retirement to drive Earnhardts No. 88 Chevrolet. His familiar No. 24 now belongs to fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott.Earnhardt warned Monday that his return to NASCAR could take longer than planned.I wish Dale a speedy recovery. Id like him to be back in the car, Gordon said. But at the same time if hes not, I feel like each time Im in the car Ill be more confident and comfortable to get better results.QUALIFYING HICCUPCup qualifying was pushed back about 20 minutes because of a glitch in the Laser Inspection Station. Several cars had not passed inspection when qualifying was scheduled to start. Kyle Busch did not pass inspection until the final minutes of the first round of qualifying.HARVICKS STARTKevin Harvick starts 17th with Dax Gerringer serving as his interim crew chief.NASCAR suspended Rodney Childers for an improperly installed lug nut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.Childers is the fifth crew chief suspended over a lug nut rule instituted by NASCAR earlier this season. The rule was put in place because teams were not applying all five lug nuts properly in an effort to have faster pit stops.Gerringer is Harvicks race engineer. ' ' '