GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Mike Woodson wants to return and he wants Jeremy Lin back with him. What he wont say is whether Lin would be his starting point guard next season. "Jeremys a big part of our team. Will he start? Only time will tell," Woodson said Thursday. "Hes got to recover from his knee and use this summer to really work on his game, to put himself in the best position possible for our ballclub. "He has started for our team, and he has played well for our basketball team, but this summer will be very pivotal for him in terms of his improvement and the futures very bright for him. So will he be back next year? Absolutely. Hes a big part of our ballclub." The Knicks began their off-season Thursday, believing they arent far from contending status despite winning only one playoff game after getting swept last year. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire reaffirmed their confidence in their partnership, especially with Tyson Chandler in the middle of them. But New York has plenty of questions, beginning with the future of its interim coach and point guard. Both are expected to return, but Lin knows theres a chance he wont as he heads to free agency. The Knicks will be able to match any offer, leaving Lin some comfort if he hopes to stay in his place in New York rather than heading back to the nomadic NBA life that had him sleeping on his brothers couch three months ago. But after not being drafted out of Harvard and being cut twice this year before he was signed by the Knicks, he isnt too stressed. "Its all up in the air, but in my short, short amount of time in the league, Ive had tougher things to deal with and so my biggest fear is coming back to whatever team I play for next season and being as good," Lin said. "Thats my biggest fear. I need to be a lot better. I need to make sure Im a lot better, a lot healthier, and thats my focus for the off-season. And then once training camp starts, wherever Im at, Im all about trying to make that team better." Strong point guard play seems the biggest key to getting Anthony and Stoudemire to produce in tandem. Lin provided it during his short stretch as a starter, particularly during the height of Linsanity, when he drew comparisons to Steve Nash, both much of that came without the forward duo playing at the same time. Now the Knicks could opt to pursue Nash or another veteran if they arent sure about Lin, who missed the final 17 games and the first-round playoff loss to Miami after surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. "What team wouldnt want a two-time MVP and assist leader, veteran point guard? What team wouldnt want that?" Stoudemire said of Nash, his former teammate in Phoenix. "But we do have Jeremy Lin here. We have confidence in him and what he can do for us." Anthony also expressed confidence in Lin, and grew annoyed when asked about whether he and Stoudemire will ever blossom together. "I just get tired of hearing that," Anthony said. "I get tired of hearing about can it work, will it work. Were here to play basketball. When we win, it works. When we lose, it doesnt work. Its kind of one of those situations, I get tired of hearing it. Well figure it out. I dont really think its something thats that difficult to figure out, but itll get figured out." They have to, because both, along with Chandler, are signed long term. Stoudemire is particularly hard to trade because of his injury history, uninsured, expensive contract and declining production this season, but he sees no reason to break up that group, anyway. "I think as players, with Carmelo and myself and Tyson as a foundation trio, you cant ask for a better lineup than that in the NBA," said Stoudemire, before naming the star-led groups in Miami, Oklahoma City and the Lakers. "But I mean were right there at the top of the bunch with the trio, so I think itll just take a matter of time for us really to figure it out, have a consistent year." The players all felt the Knicks would be better just by having a full season together after going through two coaches and a number of injuries this season. They said the goal is to win the Atlantic Division, guaranteeing them a top-four seed and avoiding teams like the Heat in the first round. They also supported the return of Woodson, who led them to an 18-6 record and the Knicks first playoff victory since 2001 after replacing Mike DAntoni on March 14. Hes acting as if he believes hell be back, telling Stoudemire to work on his low-post game and vowing that there "wont be any time off this summer if Im here as the coach." "Ive been around this thing a long time and to me its all about winning. Its all I care about and I want 12, 13, 14, 15 guys that feel the same way. Its all about winning at the end of the day," Woodson said. "Weve got a short window frame in there and my clock is ticking just like a lot of these players clocks are ticking, and youve got to try to figure out in a short period of time, man, and thats what Im about and if Im here thats what Im going to push players to be about." C... Tottenham Hotspur Jerseys .ca! Kerry, I appreciate the insight that you give to the game and the different perspective that we as fans do not get to experience. My question is about the Rangers/Devils game on Monday night. Cheap Jerseys . - A trainer flooding the field with five horses. http:... . The end of this mess of a season for the Minnesota Twins still mattered to the veteran right-hander, who wanted no part of 100 losses. [url=http://www.chinajerseyscheap.us.com/]jerseys from china . - The Halifax Mooseheads are four wins away from completing their dominating Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season. wholesale jerseys . Baffert wanted to check on his horses health before making a decision. Convinced the colt was ready to run, Baffert sent Govenor Charlie on a flight from Kentucky to Baltimore on Wednesday morning.ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Texas Rangers realize theyll have to be resourceful on offence to make the post-season without suspended slugger Nelson Cruz. When they scored eight runs without an extra-base hit Tuesday night, manager Ron Washington was thrilled — but not at all surprised. "Whats the difference between small-ball and winning baseball?" he asked. "Aggression is always going to be our game." Adrian Beltre drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth, Yu Darvish pitched seven solid innings, and the Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-3 for their eighth win in nine games. Elvis Andrus had three hits and scored the go-ahead run as the Rangers won their third straight and moved within one game of AL West-leading Oakland, which lost at Cincinnati. The Rangers broke open a tight game with Beltres single against Kevin Jepsen (1-3), and they poured it on with a symphony of small-ball brilliance with a four-run ninth. Texas pounded out 12 singles, stole six bases, capitalized on errors and wild pitches, and got a crafty effort from Darvish (11-5) without his best stuff. To Washington, thats Rangers baseball in its purest form. "It was quite exciting to be able to go out there and play the game we love to play," Washington said. "It was a night when it all came together, but its always been an emphasis. I call that winning baseball." Texas batted around in the ninth against Los Angeles hapless bullpen — with help from two more stolen bases. Craig Gentry scored all the way from second base when Calhoun botched a grounder at first, and Andrus singled home Leonys Martin — who had just stolen second even as the Angels pitched out — before Beltre added another RBI single. "We have to create opportunities for ourselves," Andrus said. "We have to put balance in our offence. We lost a power guy (in Cruz), but we know we can create opportunities and score runs. You dont always win games hitting homers." Darvish allowed eight hits in his least effective start since returning from the disabled list late last month, but the majors strikeouts leader still escaped a seventh-inning jam and got the win. Darvish added six more strikeouts to his total, but also walked three after allowing multiple homers in the same inning for the first time in his major league career. The Japanese right-hander had allowed just one earned run in his previous three starts combined. Tanner Scheppers pitched two scoreless innings for his first save of the season. Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout led off the first inning with back-to-back homers for the Angels, who have lost nine oof 12.dddddddddddd Los Angeles held a closed-doors team meeting after the Rangers schooled them in practically every fine aspect of the game — particularly with those season-worst six stolen bases allowed, which manager Mike Scioscia blamed on the Angels pitchers, not catcher Chris Iannetta. "This is about the inability of some of our pitchers to make some adjustments they need to make," Scioscia said. "And the reality of it is, if this is going to become an instructional league, we have to make some changes, because guys up here should be able to do a better job." Grant Green had his first two major league hits in his debut for the Angels, who have lost nine of 11 meetings with the division rival Rangers this season. Los Angeles has struggled against aggressive baserunning teams all season, but the Rangers turned it up another notch. "Weve got to do a better job of shutting down the running game as a team," Iannetta said. "Thats our focus. They picked their spots really well." Calhoun and Trout delivered two-out singles against Darvish in the seventh, but Josh Hamilton flied to centre on Darvishs 113th pitch. Hamilton went 0 for 4 against his former Texas teammates, dropping his average below .220 and making him 2 for 21 on the Angels homestand. The $125 million outfielder is batting .167 (15 for 90) with runners in scoring position in his first season with Los Angeles. Garrett Richards allowed six hits and three runs in a decent six-inning start for the Angels, striking out five. After the Rangers stole two bases and took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Richards second wild pitch of the inning, Calhoun and Trout quickly evened it with just the second back-to-back leadoff homers in Angels franchise history. Calhouns homer was the rookies third in a week, while Trout reached base in his 37th consecutive game with his 19th homer. Green got his first major league hit in his first plate appearance for the Angels, who acquired the Anaheim native from Oakland last week in a trade for Alberto Callaspo. With Howie Kendrick sidelined at least until the weekend with a sprained left knee, Green came up from the minors and immediately started at second base. NOTES: Engel Beltre moved over to right field after David Murphy misplayed two balls at the position Monday night in the Rangers first game without Cruz. ... The Angels hit back-to-back homers for just the second time all year. Albert Pujols and Hamilton did it July 10. ... Trout is the first player to hit three career homers off Darvish. ... Green went 0 for 15 in his first major league experience with Oakland last month. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '