NBA results and notes

Jeremy Lin had an easy night ahead of his toughest opponent yet, and the Knicks tuned up for their trip to Miami by beating the visiting Hawks 99-82 on Wednesday.

Lin had 17 points and nine assists, sitting out most of the fourth quarter in a rare game in which his team needed little from him. Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points in his second game back from injury, and New York led depleted Atlanta by 25 points at halftime.

The Hawks played without All-Star guard Joe Johnson, who left their loss at Chicago on Monday with a sore left knee and had to pull out of Sunday's All-Star Game.

The Knicks bounced back from a loss to the Nets on Monday and won for the ninth time in 11 games since Lin joined the rotation.

They visit Miami tonight in their final game before the All-Star break, and Lin's emergence has the Heat's attention.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and teammates have been asked repeatedly in recent days about the ex-Harvard guard, and coach Mike D'Antoni was told word out of Miami is the NBA's hottest team will be waiting for the Knicks' back-to-back Sports Illustrated cover boy.

"At the airport?" he joked.