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PHOENIX -- A trip to the desert was enough to get the Chicago Bulls back on track. Kurt Miller Jersey . Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the Bulls snapped the Phoenix Suns five-game winning streak with a 101-92 victory on Tuesday night. The Bulls shot 45 per cent from the field and had five players score in double figures, bouncing back from an ugly 99-70 loss at Sacramento on Monday. The Bulls shot 28 per cent and were outrebounded 53-30 against the Kings. One night later, it was a completely different story. "You could have used an excuse if you chose to do so, but thats what I love about the team," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They come out and theyre going to fight. They picked themselves up and did it together and you could tell in the first quarter the commitment to get back, the commitment to get to put their bodies in front of people and take charges, make hustle plays, make effort plays." Jimmy Butler and D.J. Augustin had 18 points apiece for the Bulls, who won for the fifth straight time in Phoenix. Joakim Noah, who was ejected in the third quarter of the loss at Sacramento, had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Chicago (24-24) had dropped three of four, including an 88-79 loss at New Orleans on Saturday. "We got punched in the mouth in New Orleans, we got punched in the mouth in Sacramento and we just wanted to come out and compete for 48 minutes as a team," Noah said. The Bulls kept the Suns prolific offence in check, holding them 13 points under their average even though Phoenix (29-19) was coming off two days rest. Boozer didnt play for much of the fourth quarter as Chicago went mainly with Taj Gibson as an interior defender, but his teammates did damage on offence down the stretch. Augustin had three fourth-quarter 3-pointers to help keep the Bulls in front. Noah also had a couple of key baskets in the final period. Butlers 3-pointer with 4:43 to play gave the Bulls an 89-80 lead, but Goran Dragic hit a 3 and Leandro Barbosa, playing extended minutes with sharpshooter Gerald Green struggling, drove for a layup to cut the lead to 89-85. Then Butler and Noah came up with back-to-back baskets, and the Suns rally fizzled. Dragic, the reigning Western Conference player of the week, led Phoenix with 24 points. It was the guards fifth straight game with 20 or more points. Channing Frye had 18, and Barbosa scored nine of his 13 in the fourth quarter. "We gave up so much easy stuff," Dragic said. "We didnt bring it, no energy and we didnt do smart plays. They did not let us run our actions. They were denying our big guys. It was just hard to pass and cut." Down 13 points in the third quarter, the Suns went on a 13-4 run to close to 50-46 on Dragics driving layup at the 9-minute mark. The Bulls went up by 11 on a follow by Boozer, but the Suns cut the lead to 60-55 on a pair of Dragic free throws with 4:36 left. Mike Dunleavy scored eight of his 11 points in the third quarter, helping Chicago carry a 69-63 lead into the fourth. The game started with a brisk pace, but the Suns missed more shots and had more turnovers in what turned out to be an offensively deficient first quarter. So low that the 13 points for Phoenix was its lowest total in a first quarter this season. "Thats the difference of a team that really gets after it defensively and makes it tough on all the shots," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "They took us out of our stuff but we let them do whatever they wanted." Boozer had eight points and five rebounds to help Chicago to a 21-13 lead after one. NOTES: Noah was fined $15,000 by the NBA for verbally abusing officials after he was ejected Monday in Sacramento. Noah started Tuesday nights game. "I never thought it warranted suspension, so it was probably appropriate," Thibodeau said. "He got fined for cursing." ... Noah has 22 double-doubles and Boozer 15 this season . Suns players Markieff Morris, Dragic and Green were assessed technical fouls. ... The Suns never led on Tuesday after being in front for all but 1:59 of the 192 total minutes of the previous four games . Suns guard Eric Bledsoe missed his bobblehead night with a right knee injury. ... A bird got into the US Airways Center seating bowl during the second quarter and flew a lap around the court and into the upper deck before finding its way out. Jordan Holloway Jersey . His Chicago Blackhawks teammates werent shocked when he found it. Kanes career has been defined by his brilliance in the Blackhawks biggest moments, and his tiebreaking goal with 3:45 to play in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals will rank among the best. Ralph Milliard Jersey .Inter Milan and Napoli also advanced to ensure there will be at least three Italian clubs in the last 32 of Europes secondary competition.Spurs victory, secured by Benjamin Stamboulis 49th-minute winner, was overshadowed by a succession of pitch invasions that forced the referee to halt the game after 41 minutes.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Winnipeg Jets have thrived under Paul Maurice despite injury limiting Evander Kane to just four games under the new head coach.Kane is expected to return to the lineup on Thursday night when the Jets face the Phoenix Coyotes.Winnipeg has gone 9-3-1 in 13 games since replacing Claude Noel with Maurice, who made his coaching debut with the club in a 5-1 win over the Coyotes on Jan. 13. Ondrej Pavelec made 18 saves and the Jets got goals from five different players to beat the Coyotes for a second straight time following a six-game series losing streak.The Jets have also won both of their meetings at home versus the Coyotes since relocating from Atlanta.Coincidentally, the Coyotes franchise used to call Winnipeg home before moving to Phoenix prior to the 1996-97 season.The current Jets have endured just one losing streak under Noel, a current two-game slide that includes a shootout setback to St. Louis in the final game before the Olympic break.Kane missed the last six games with a hand infection and has been limited to just four games since Jan. 7 due to injury. He has 15 goals and 29 points in 42 games this season.The fourth overall pick of the 2009 draft is likely to skate on a line tonight with Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele.I want him to play his game in our framework, Maurice said of what he wants to see out of Kane. Thats what Im asking froom everybody. Cheap Marlins Jerseys. Keep the individual things that make you special, just fly in formation, especially when we dont have the puck.The Jets come in with 62 points, two fewer than the Coyotes, who trail the Vancouver Canucks by just one point for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Phoenix also is six points behind Los Angeles for third place in the Pacific Division.Consistency has been an issue for the Coyotes, who lost their final game before the Olympic break and are 4-5-1 since last winning back-to-back games on Jan. 16 and 18.Phoenix returns five players to its roster who competed in the Sochi Olympics, including goaltender Mike Smith, who won a gold medal with Team Canada even though he did not get into a game during the tournament.I knew going over there that thered be a good possibility that I wouldnt get into a game, Smith told Phoenixs website. I was just doing everything I could to be a part of the team and kind of keep the dressing room light and get to know a lot of the guys I play against (in the NHL).Like the Coyotes, Smith has had an up-and-down season, going 20-17-9 with a 2.77 goals against average and .913 save percentage.Smith yielded all five goals on 38 shots in the earlier loss to the Jets, falling to 7-6-0 with a 2.53 GAA against the franchise.Pavelec is 2-1-1 in his career versus the Coyotes, posting a 1.73 GAA. ' ' '
Toronto FCs 2014 season ended Saturday night. Los Angeles Lakers Gear . You may not have noticed as, for many, the season ended weeks ago. Negative headlines took the place of meaningful football as Toronto FCs playoff hopes slipped away. It was almost better the 1-0 loss to New England was overlooked. A game played on a turf field with football lines hardly does justice to the product. Nor does another dubious refereeing decision (or indecision, rather) leading to the game winner. Multiple controversial refereeing mistakes are an underrated, lesser-told storyline leading to an eighth consecutive season without playoff football for the TFC. Dubious red cards and disallowed goals should have been the extent of controversy in Toronto FCs season. Instead, more self-inflicted wounds due to poor communication, half-truths and speculation continue to hurt the image of Toronto FC. From Doneil Henrys transfer status, to mud-slinging at Jermain Defoe via high-placed club sources, it has not read well. On top of that, Michael Bradley is now having foot surgery in New York after Head Coach Greg Vanney claimed the player was fine after the loss to the New York Red Bulls two weeks ago. Mixed messages never end well. Weve experienced eight years of it and it hasnt helped. Its discouraging the lesson has not been learned from the mistakes of previous regimes: club leaks, he-said, he-said confrontations, and failure to simply tell it like it is continues to create an environment of mistrust and external perception of incompetence. This is the perception, it may not be reality. Things are not that bad at the club, but the manner by which they continue to conduct business opens the door for further criticism. The daggers are out. Calm and stability are needed. Good will is not something readily available based upon track record. Again, self-inflicted wounds are to blame. Its entirely frustrating to watch. Instead of piling on as many others continue to do, Id rather give advice; the club must keep quiet - just stop talking, or at the very least, think before they act. And if theyre going to speak, please make it the truth. Transparency is the ultimate olive branch to a skeptical fanbase. Its especially recommended if there isnt anything to hide. The depth of the negative narrative is surprising considering what the spin on the subpar season can be. The new Toronto FC administration should simply stick to the story that they began a complete rebuild of the squad less than a year ago, with the cupboards shockingly bare. They should stress the restructure will take time, something not simply remedied by a couple big money signings. Focus on the fact the team still set franchise records for wins and points through the growing pains and reshaping of the roster. Hit home that ownership is completely invested, showing for the first time in its history a willingness to spend with the power clubs in MLS. Bang home the message that the future is bright with a massive stadium renovation taking place and the continued investment in the Kia Training Ground. Off-field growth and stability has been achieved like never before. Its now about getting the right players to Toronto. Michael Bradley is the foundation, but its up to management to surround him with complimentary players, helping establish a team identity. 2014 was merely a start, 2015 the job continues. Simply admit the club over-sold expectations and came up short and that the blame is shared by all. There. Done. How difficult was that? All points made are true and paint a much better picture, the kind of explanation presented is completely reasonable. Not all will buy it - and thats fine - but thats the narrative to build off. Instead, a path has been chosen to discredit a star player (who is not without blame), while other items continue to confuse and lack clarity. Other than a small, short-term PR win, its hard to believe portraying the most talented player the club has ever had as a mammas boy does anything for Toronto FC in the big picture. It paints more of the same. Whoever leaked the story must have his reasons. It can be argued it was the last thing the team needed. An amicable split between Toronto FC and Defoe would do much more for future recruitment and league-wide goodwill. The focus has to be in the best interests of the team, emphasis on team. It especially holds true when the club defended Defoe to the hills around a tumultuous and speculative period around the closing of the transfer window. As an astute Toronto FC observer over the last eight years, I truly dont believe this team is that far off the mark. Things have been far, far worse. I have seen few better performances than an opening day win over Seattle and a massive away victory at Columbus a few weeks later. The wheels fell off as injuries mounted and adversity was faced. Personality conflicts emerged and the head coach was let go. Theres no way of telling if it was the right decision to dismiss Ryan Nelsen but the front office and coaching staff need be on the same page - thats a must. But the coaching change created instability. Its the type of instability that has reared its ugly head all-too often. Its unintentionally divisive and signals volatility. The team went back to old ways; nine head coaches in eight years. If Toronto FC could do it all over again, they would have most likely made the coaching change when the new front office took over, yet going down that road is nothing but living in the past. The present issues stem from the fact losing breeds drama at Toronto FC. And the clubs response to hardship leaves much to be desired. DC United went worst in 2013 to first in 2014, from 16 points to 59. Dramatic turnarounds can happen in MLS. A stable, consistent environment is essential for this to happen, though. No more pointing fingers, just proper communication. The establishment of positive conditions needed to succeed and continued commitment to superior player recruitment. This is what will lead to success. This leads us to this week: the year-end media interviews, an annual tradition. Toronto FC PR does a fantastic job making the players, coaches and management available for a year-end retrospect and should be applauded for doing so. The lack of team success and controversial storylines/unanswered questions makes for an awkward exercise. Many of the media use the day to fill-in the blanks, probe and pry for talking point of contention. Nuggets of discontent, bad-mouthing, and tone are dissected. The last thing Toronto FC needs is more off-field squabbling and/or controversy giving further fodder for the detractors to feast on. Basically, nothing good can come from the availability. Somber reflection makes for a depressing day, but its showing commitment to the future build is all thats needed. At this point, silence is golden. Enough talk. No more apologies, no more blame. There is nothing more to say. Everyone just needs to keep quiet. Before you speak, just stop. Enough is enough. Instead, just build a winner. Scout. Recruit. Network. Strategize. Find consistency, build an identity and culture of inclusion - and of success - and provide conditions to succeed. Until that time, all the positives of being a part of Toronto FC remain ignored, and thats not fair. The franchise can be something special. There are many who have worked so hard to make Toronto FC what it is, and there is much good to speak of. Its just overshadowed by losing and controversy, and understandably so. It all needs to be better. It starts with communication. It leads to cohesion and it ends with wins, we hope. Adrian Dantley Lakers Jersey . -- Kyle Busch edged teammate Joey Logano at the Bristol Motor Speedway finish line Friday night to become the all-time winningest driver in Nationwide Series. Anthony Davis Jersey . Saltalamacchia has agreed to a $21 million, three-year deal with the Miami Marlins, two people familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday.A week off did nothing to mellow the tension between Simon Pagenaud and Will Power stemming from contact between the two at Long Beach. Pagenaud refused to accept an apology from Power following the April 13 race in which Pagenaud was spun from behind by the Australian. Although Pagenaud rallied to finish fifth, he said the contact from Power ruined his chance to race for the win. Now, as IndyCar heads to Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama for Sundays race, Pagenaud says his feelings toward Power have not changed. "Im still disappointed in his action, although I understand racing can be tough sometimes," Pagenaud said. "Its a shame. It really ruined my race. I guess he set the tone for the rest of the season. Were going to be racing hard against each other." Power was publicly remorseful at Long Beach, and understood Pagenuads frustration. At a test at Texas Motor Speedway three days after the race, he chalked it up to a racing incident. "Its going to happen all year between people. You just need to kind of forget about it and move on," Power said. Power won the season-opening race at St. Petersburg, was second at Long Beachh and heads into Barber leading the IndyCar standings. Mitch Richmond Jersey. Pagenaud finished fifth in each of the first two races, and is third in the standings. "Im pleased, actually, that were that high up in the championship to be chasing him," Pagenaud said. "Thats what Im going to do. Im going to try to be racing hard. Ill try to be as clean as I can be." But, the Frenchman acknowledged hes confused right now about what IndyCar race control will tolerate on the track. Many believe Power should have been penalized for the contact with Pagenaud, but IndyCar took no action. "We are racers. We all want to win. We all try to get into a gap thats sometimes too small. There needs to be some regulation sometimes that tells us what we can or cannot do," Pagenaud said. "Right now, to be very honest with you, I dont know whats allowed or what is not allowed. Its still a very grey area. "Im hopeful that it will be fixed for Barber and we will have a much better understanding." If race control doesnt offer guidance before Sundays race? "Its going to get pretty crazy pretty quick," Pagenaud warned. ' ' '
Liverpool will play Chelsea in the League Cup semifinals after Raheem Sterling scored twice in a 3-1 victory over second-tier Bournemouth on Wednesday night, and Tottenham advanced with a 4-0 rout of Newcastle. Cheap Balenciaga Shoes .Lazar Markovic scored between Sterlings first goals since September.Nabil Bentaleb, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane and Roberto Soldado scored in Tottenhams win. In the draw for the two-leg semifinal in January, Tottenham was paired with third-tier Sheffield United, which upset Southampton to advance on Tuesday.___GermanyAmerican defender John Brooks scored his first goal of the season, helping Hertha Berlin to a 4-4 tie at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.Brooks got the games first goal in the 21st minute. Fellow American Timmy Chandler started for Frankfurt.Borussia Dortmund conceded a late goal in a 2-2 tie at home against Wolfsburg, which is second, 11 points behind Bayern Munich.___BelgiumU.S. midfielder Sacha Kljestan scored in the 86th minute, two minutes after entering, for the final goal in Anderlechts 3-0 win at Zulte-Waregem in the first leg of the Belgian Cup quarterfinals.The second leg of the total-goals series is Jan. 21 in Brussels. Under Armour Wholesale China . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal. Air Force 1 Cheap Wholesale . The result means Atletico Madrid now tops the table, with Madrid level on points in second and Barcelona a point behind in third with nine games remaining as the title race shapes up to be the closest in years. Lindsey Vonn partially tore one of the reconstructed ligaments in her surgically repaired right knee in a training crash that at the very least puts her preparation for the Sochi Olympics on hold. What is less clear at the moment: When the four-time overall World Cup champion and 2010 Vancouver downhill gold medallist will be able to compete again and how her injuries might affect her Olympic hopes. In addition to Vonns ligament tear, the U.S. Ski Team and Vonns personal publicist, Lewis Kay, issued nearly identical statements Wednesday detailing more injuries from her fall at Copper Mountain, Colo., a day earlier: a mild strain to her right knee, the same one Vonn hurt in a high-speed crash at the world championships in February; "minor facial abrasions"; a bruised shoulder blade. Vonn has not competed since needing surgery to fix her ACL and MCL after the crash in Austria nine months ago; the ACL was re-injured Tuesday. Kay said that after Vonn rests for a few days, she "then will pursue aggressive physical therapy and will determine the next time she is able to compete after seeing how she responds to the treatment." Vonn has won 59 World Cup races, leaving her only three shy of Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Proells record of 62. The 29-year-old American had been aiming to return to World Cup competition next week in Beaver Creek, Colo. The Sochi Games are in February. "If its just a partial tear, maybe its a four-plus-week recovery. I believe Lindsey is the kind of person thats going to work as hard as anybody can work at it and will recover as strong as anyone. She has the mind-frame to come back strong. If its possible for her to get out there and compete, shell be out there competing. And when she competes, she normally wins," said U.S. ski racer Ted Ligety, a gold medallist at the 2006 Turin Games. "Who knows at this point if its Olympic-threatening?" Ligety said in a telephone interview. "Obviously, its World Cup-threatening for the near term." Vonn recently said her super-G is "some of the best super-G Ive ever skied, but my downhill still needs a little more time." Shes been taking practice runs in Copper Mountain and posted on her Twitter account Monday: "Catching some air today in Downhill training. Discount Sneakers Near Me. ." She also recently said that shes reluctantly been wearing a protective knee brace under doctors orders. "Its in my best interest to play it safe," Vonn said. "I compromised and said that as long as I dont have to wear (the brace) for the Olympics, Ill be fine." Comebacks are really nothing new for Vonn, who has been plagued by injuries throughout her career at major championships -- from a thumb she sliced on a champagne bottle at the 2009 world championships in Val dIsere, France, to a bruised shin that she treated with the unorthodox remedy of Austrian cheese at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and to her wipeout last season. Vonn also had a horrific crash in downhill training at the 2006 Turin Olympics, only to recover in time to compete. She has always attacked rehab with the same intensity as if it were a downhill course. "Ive been injured a lot," Vonn said in an interview with The Associated Press at a promotional appearance last week. "I have a short memory when it comes to my crashes. Im able to put it out of my head and focus on tomorrow. You have to be able to do that. Otherwise, youre going to be living in fear of what you did in the past." Not once after a fall has she visited with a sports psychologist to deal with the mental trauma of a crash, insisting, "Im stubborn. Im definitely stubborn. If someone tells me I cant, Im definitely going to do it." Before her recent fall, Vonn said she was looking forward to seeing what was possible in Sochi on her repaired knee. She said the true stress came at the 2010 Vancouver Games, where she captured her first Olympic gold medal. "The pressure was almost unbearable," said Vonn, who also earned a bronze medal in the super-G in 2010. "I felt like if I didnt win there, people were going to say Im not a big-event skier, even though I won four world championship medals. I knew that, knew the weight of it. "I knew for my career, even though I had so many World Cup wins, that was a very pivotal point in my career. Im very happy that I got that monkey off my back." ' ' '
The Toronto Blue Jays make their second stop of an eight-game road swing tonight when they pay a visit to PNC Park to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a weekend interleague series. Air Force 1 Sale . Toronto has lost six of its last eight games but is coming off Thursdays 7-3 victory at Kansas City. Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus both went deep for the Blue Jays, who are second in the American League with 34 home runs on the season. Starter Mark Buehrle went 6 2/3 innings and gave up two earned runs. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is back home to kick off a nine-game homestand. It has been a rough start to the season for a Pirates team that was coming off their first trip to the playoffs in 21 years. Things have been much different through the first month in 2014, as the Pirates have dropped seven of their last eight games and sit at 10-18 overall. They lost both games of a doubleheader at Baltimore on Thursday. In the first game, the bats were held in check for a 5-1 setback. The offense showed a bit of life in the nightcap, but Baltimores Matt Wieters sealed the outcome near 1 a.m. ET with a walkoff home run in the 10th inning. "Its been rough," first baseman Ike Davis said. "(Friday) is a new day. Hopefully, we can get some sleep and come out swinging and regroup a little bit. As long we can give ourselves opportunities the whole season, were going to score runs." So far this season, the offense has largely failed to deliver in such opportunities. Pittsburgh stranded 28 runners during Thursdays doubleheader. "We keep fighting and fighting and putting ourselves in scoring position, but we havent been able to cash in the way we need to," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We keep showing up. The bats were better throughout the series. We had men on base throughout the game. Were still looking for that big hit." The Pirates hope to get another quality start from Gerrit Cole on Friday night. Over his last two starts, the right-hander has given up a total of only two earned runs in a span of 15 innings. He took the loss at St. Louis his last time out despite yielding just one run in seven frames. This will be Coles first-ever time facing the Blue Jays. His counterpart, Brandon Morrow, will try to forget his last outing against Boston, in which he issued a career-high eight walks and allowed four earned runs despite not giving up a hit. He was pulled after just 2 2/3 innings. After five times through the rotation, Morrows ERA sits at 6.04. Air Force 1 Online . PAUL, Minn. Air Force 1 Cheap . The Blue Jackets got goals from Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner and R.J. Umberger and Curtis McElhinney posted his first shutout since 2011 in a 4-0 victory on Friday night.Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka says shell miss clay-court tournaments at Madrid and Rome next month, putting into question whether shell enter the French Open. Azarenka has been dealing with a left foot injury this season and last played on tour at Indian Wells, Calif., on March 7. In a posting on her Twitter feed Saturday, Azarenka wrote: "Just wanted to give everyone an update on my recovery. Working hard to get fit again. Will be in touch soon. Air Force 1 Discount. ..." The posting included a link to a video of Azarenka saying, "Hey, everybody, unfortunately I wont be competing in Madrid and Rome this year." Play starts in Madrid on May 3, and in Rome on May 12. The years second Grand Slam tournament starts in Paris on May 25. Azarenka is a two-time Australian Open champion and a two-time U.S. Open runner-up. She is currently ranked No. 4. ' ' '
MANCHESTER, England -- Chelsea moved provisionally atop of the English Premier League by beating Hull 2-0 while Manchester United ended a sorry run of three straight defeats to lift the gloom surrounding the reigning champion on Saturday. New York Mets Store . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. "Now were top of the league for the first time in a long time and hopefully we can stay there," Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech said. United was on the brink of a crisis, by its lofty standards, after losing three games in six days to kick off 2014, but a 2-0 win over Swansea will boost the confidence among David Moyes squad and keeps his seventh-place team in touch with the top four. Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck scored in a 13-minute span at the start of the second half for United, which was inspired by another brilliant display by 18-year-old winger Adnan Januazaj. "His natural talent and ability is up there with the best," Moyes said. Everton will spend the night in fourth thanks to a 2-0 win over Norwich, and Tottenham also boosted its chances of finishing in the Champions League spots by earning a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, which slipped to last place. Thats because Sunderland, which started the day at the bottom, beat Fulham 4-1 mainly thanks to a hat trick by winger Adam Johnson. West Ham was next to last at kickoff but climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win at Cardiff, despite playing the final stages with 10 men following James Tomkins sending-off. Carlton Cole and Mark Noble were the scorers for West Ham, earning their under-fire manager Sam Allardyce some breathing space after a dreadful run of form and condemning Cardiff coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to a defeat in his first league match in charge. England midfielder Adam Lallana scored Southamptons winner in a 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the days other game. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said this week it wouldnt even entertain bids of 100 million pounds ($165 million) for Hazard, amid reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain, and it is easy to see why. The Belgium winger is Chelseas top scorer this season with nine goals and he underlined his increasing value to the Blues by ending Hulls stubborn resistance with a well-taken individual goal, twice cutting inside before delivering an emphatic finish. "He is not a talented kid anymore," Mourinho said. "He is now more than that. He is a player who feels and accepts the responsibility, feels and accepts that a team player is more than a talented player and he has done it without losing his fantastic ability and fantastic talent." Torres, whose best form appears to be returning, marked his 200th Premier League appearance with the second goal three minutes from time and it was also a good day for Cech, who earned a club-record 209th clean sheet. Behind the top three, who are favoured to battle it out for the title, the race for Champions League spots is heating up. By beating Swansea, United did more than just avoid a fourth straight defeat for the first time since 1961. It breathed new life into the teams faltering league campaign and provided some welcome respite for Moyes, whose position has been under increasing scrutiny. "Its the same size as any other. You only get three points," Moyes said of the win, but the reaction inside Old Trafford to Valencias 47th-minute opener from close range was one of relief more than joy. Welbeck then glanced home Patrice Evras scuffed shot in the 59th for his sixth goal in as many league games, ensuring United remained nine points behind Chelsea. Gareth Barry and Kevin Mirallas scored Evertons goals at Goodison Park to leave Roberto Martinezs in-form team five points behind Chelsea and Norwich without a win in six league matches. Spurs rode their luck against Palace early on, with Jason Puncheon blazing a first-half penalty way over the bar, before Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen -- enjoying a new lease of life under recently hired manager Tim Sherwood -- and Jermain Defoe scored in the second half for the hosts. It is the start of a long goodbye for Defoe after his move to MLS side Toronto at the end of February was confirmed on Friday. Donn Clendenon Jersey . -- Orleans Darkwa ran in from 1 yard with 1:45 left, and the Miami Dolphins rallied from two scores down in the final minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 25-20 on Saturday night. David Newhan Jersey . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Defensive Depth TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting the Toronto Maple Leafs have considerable interest in unrestricted free-agent defenceman Dan Boyle.(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Islanders hope to extend their current winning streak on Saturday night as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final time this regular season. The Islanders pushed their winning streak to three in a row with last nights 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Jaroslav Halak made 17 saves and Anders Lee netted the winning goal midway through the second period. Brock Nelson added his team-leading 14th goal of the season and also had an assist for New York, which had lost three in a row prior to this winning streak. Fridays solid defensive showing came on the same day that blueliners Travis Hamonic and Johnny Boychuk were activated off injured reserve. Hamonic had missed six straight games and Boychuk nine in a row with upper-body injuries. Were fortunate in certain ways, Isles head coach Jack Capuano said. Some teams we struggle with. Obviously, theyre a good hockey club. Not saying that we have their number, but any time you play them, you know that you have to be at your best and have guys step up to the occasion. The Lightning are closing out a five-game road trip and they fell to 1-2-1 on the swing with Fridays shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils. Patrik Elias netted the loone shootout tally as the Devils recorded a 3-2 win. John Mitchell Jersey. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov supplied goals for the Lightning, who have dropped five of their last seven. Evgeni Nabokov made 16 saves and Ryan Callahan had a pair of assists. We earned it, Callahan said of the point for playing beyond regulation. Shootouts are a crap shoot, but theyre very important points. Tampa Bay was without talented forward Tyler Johnson, who had a sting of 115 consecutive games played halted due to the flu. He is second to only Stamkos on the Lightning with 33 points. With No. 1 netminder Ben Bishop out with a lower-body injury, former 2012 first-round pick Andrei Vasilevskiy could start for the Lightning tonight. He won his NHL debut on Tuesday at Philadelphia, stopping 23-of-24 shots faced. Halak, meanwhile, is 3-2-0 in five meetings with the Lightning, posting a 2.64 goals against average and .899 save percentage. Backup Chad Johnson lost the only time he faced the Bolts, yielding five goals on 28 shots. These two clubs have split the first two of three meetings this season, with each team earning a win at home. The Islanders 5-2 triumph on Nov. 18 was their sixth in the past seven at home versus the Bolts. ' ' '
SHANGHAI - Graeme McDowell lost command of the HSBC Champions. Bulls Jerseys China . At least he kept the lead.McDowell rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole Saturday that stretched his lead to four shots. That was his final birdie on a cold, grey afternoon at Sheshan International. He finished with a 1-under 71 and saw his lead dwindle to a single shot over Hiroshi Iwata of Japan.U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer (66) and Masters champion Bubba Watson (69) were two shots back.McDowell was at 11-under 205.He will try to complete a wire-to-wire victory for his first World Golf Championship. If Saturday was any indication, it wont be easy. Not only did he lose ground on the back nine by making mostly pars, several players got back into the mix.Rickie Fowler overcame a double bogey on No. 9 with a 32 on the back nine for a 69. He was three shots behind, along with Tim Clark (69). Ian Poulter wasnt at his best with the putter and had to settle for a 72, though he remained in the mix four shots behind with Thorbjorn Olesen (69).SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIPJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — John Rollins took a two-stroke lead in the Sanderson Farms Championship, birdieing two of the final five holes for a 4-under 68.Tied with David Toms for the second-round lead, Rollins had a three-round total of 14-under 202. He won the last of his three PGA Tour titles in 2009.William McGirt was second after a 66, matching the best round of the day. Jason Bohn and Lucas Glover were third at 11 under. Bohn also shot 66, and Glover had a 67.Toms and Canadas Nick Taylor were 10 under. Toms had a 72, and Taylor shot 70. After two bogey-free rounds, Toms bogeyed Nos. 4-6. He birdied Nos. 7, 10 and 18, holing a 31-footer on the final hole.MIZUNO CLASSICSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Laura Davies remained in contention to become the oldest winner in LPGA Tour history, shooting a 5-under 67 for a share of the second-round lead in the Mizuno Classic.The 51-year-old English player had seven birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima to match Japans Ai Suzuki and South Koreas Ilhee Lee at 9-under 135. Suzuki had a 64, and Lee shot 66.Davies won the last of her 21 LPGA Tour titles in 2001. She also has 45 victories on the Ladies European Tour, the most recent in the 2010 Indian Womens Open.Beth Daniel is the oldest LPGA Tour champion, winning the 2003 Canadian Womens Open at 46. Bulls Jerseys 2020 . The Bulls seem to be getting along fine without him. D.J. Augustin scored 27 points in a start for Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson matched a career high with 26 filling in for Carlos Boozer as the Bulls improved to 7-2 since trading the popular Deng with a 98-87 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Stitched Bulls Jerseys . -- In the stadium program sold at the Miami Dolphins game on Halloween, Richie Incognito was asked whos the easiest teammate to scare.HOUSTON -- James Shields kept the Houston Astros off-balance all night. Then late in Thursdays 5-1 win, the Kansas City ace really heated up. He struck out the side in the sixth and did the same in the seventh before striking out the first batter in the eighth to make it seven in a row. Astro after Astro simply watched the pitches zip past them -- five players in that span struck out looking. Shields finished with 12 strikeouts in eight innings as the Royals completed a three-game sweep of the Astros. "He moved it around very effectively," manager Ned Yost said. "He was locking guys in, was locking up guys down and away, just had it all going." Shields (1-2) gave up one run and four hits, all singles. "We were pounding the strike zone and getting strike one and getting ahead of the hitters and thats an aggressive team over there and when you get ahead in the count and make your pitches youre successful," he said. His 12 strikeouts were his most as a Royal and the most by a Kansas City pitcher since Zack Greinke also struck out 12 on June 13, 2010, against Cincinnati. The seven straight Ks by Shields were one shy of the franchise record of eight in a row set by Blake Stein in 2001. The right-hander got back to his winning ways after seeing his nine-game road victory streak snapped in his last start at Minnesota when sloppy defence led to six unearned runs in a 7-1 loss. Scott Feldman (2-1) yielded four earned runs and nine hits in six innings. It was the first tough outing for the Astros newcomer after he had allowed just one run and seven hits combined in his first three starts. "It seems like they found a lot of holes," Feldman said. "Theyre a tough lineup, for sure." The Royals were up by two when Alcides Escobar hit a two-run double in the fourth to make it 4-0. Salvador Perez added an RBI double in the fifth. Kansas City scored 15 runs in this series after managing just five runs combined last weekend while getting swept by the Twins. The Royals got to Feldman early, with Nori Aoki hitting a leadoff double and later scoring on a groundout by Eric Hosmer. Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas hit consecutive singles to start the second to push the lead too 2-0. Custom Chicago Bulls Jerseys. There were runners at second and third with one out in the fourth when Escobar sent them both home with a double to centre field. Aoki singled to begin the fifth before a one-out single by Hosmer. Perez hit a ball that diving centre fielder Dexter Fowler missed for a double that scored Aoki and pushed the lead to 5-0. Hosmer was out at home on the play. Shields allowed a pair of singles in the first inning before retiring the next 10 Astros. Houston didnt have another baserunner until Chris Carter drew a leadoff walk in the fifth. Carter advanced to third on a single by Matt Dominguez, but Dominguez was out trying to stretch it into a double. Manager Bo Porter was clearly frustrated when asked if he wishes Dominguez would have been more cautious on the play, pausing 18 seconds before answering the question. "Its just not smart, obviously," Porter said. "And sorry for taking so long to answer the question. I went and asked Matt Dominguez: Do you think youre invisible? You are down 5-0 and the ball is right in front of you. So, to answer your question, no, I dont like it. There was nothing smart about it, and next question." Carter scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Presley to cut the lead to 5-1 later in that inning. Presleys out was the first of nine straight Astros retired by Shields, including the seven strikeouts in a row. A single by Presley came with one out in the eighth and Jonathan Villar drew a walk, but Shields ended the threat by striking out Fowler before a fly out by George Springer. NOTES: The Royals challenged a call after Presley was called safe on a grounder in the second inning. The play was overturned for the third out of the inning. ... Royals LHP Bruce Chen, who was scratched from Thursdays start a day before with a sore back, said he was feeling better on Thursday and expects to be ready to start on Saturday. ... Kansas City OF Lorenzo Cain was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain and LHP Justin Marks was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his place on the roster. ... Houston selected the contract of LHP Raul Valdes from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned LHP Kevin Chapman there before Thursdays game. ' ' '
BUFFALO, N. Zapatillas Spain .Y. -- Familiar inconsistencies. Different result. Matt Hendricks and the Edmonton Oilers proved they arent so bad that they cant beat the lowly Buffalo Sabres -- and on the road, no less. The newly acquired forward scored a short-handed goal 57 seconds into the third period, and the Oilers hung on for a 3-2 win in a matchup of the NHLs two worst teams Monday night. Bouncing back from a lethargic effort in a 4-0 loss at Boston on Saturday, the Oilers managed to eke out a win against the only team below them in the overall standings. Edmonton (19-33-6) won for the fourth time in five games and moved six points clear of the Sabres (15-32-8), who dropped to 4-8-4 in their past 16. "We didnt have a very good game in Boston. We let them kind of dictate the game for 60 minutes," Hendricks said. "Tonight, we didnt have our A game either, but we were able to get a road win." Justin Schultz and Jeff Petry also scored for Edmonton, and David Perron had two assists. Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 42 shots in helping Edmonton snap an 0-5-1 skid against the Sabres dating to a 4-1 win on Oct. 16, 2003. The Oilers, outshot 44-28, even had the good fortune of getting a break from the officials. Sabres forward Marcus Foligno had a potential tying goal waved off with 10:25 left when referee Gord Dwyer ruled the whistle had blown before the puck went in. Foligno drove in from left side and got a shot off that Bryzgalov appeared to glove. Foligno followed up by poking the puck in. Dwyer, parked at the left post, immediately waved it off and then confirmed the call following a video review. "It was a quick whistle. It was a tough break," Foligno said. "We could have had momentum after that shift with a goal." Drew Stafford and Steve Ott scored for the Sabres. Sabres backup goalie Jhonas Enroth stopped 25 shots, dropping to 1-11-5 this season and 0-9-4 in his past 13 starts. The Sabres came up empty in extending their home skid to 0-4-3 -- the teams longest since opening the season 0-8-1 in Buffalo. Buffalo gave up the first goal 32 seconds in, was unable to hold a 2-1 lead and then gave away the game while it was on the power play. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off for hooking, the Sabres turned the puck over inside the Oilers blue line. Edmonton forward Boyd Gordon got the puck and threaded a pass through the middle to hit Hendricks, who had sneaked in behind Buffalos defenders. Breaking in alone, Hendricks backed Enroth into the crease and lifted a shot inside the left post. "Great pass," Hendricks said. "I give him a lot of credit. It was a pretty play. Im sure I wouldve just dumped it in." Hendricks is a defensive-minded forward who was acquired by the Oilers in a trade with Nashville two weeks ago. Oilers coach Dallas Eakins is impressed with what Hendricks has provided on and off the ice. "Hes preaching all the stuff that we need here," Eakins said. "Hes been a good penalty-killer for us, but definitely a guy thats very vocal. I think a lot of our guys need to be listening to that because he certainly knows what hes talking about." Hendricks was happy to contribute with his second goal in nine games for Edmonton. "Your bread and butter is the defensive style of game, so any time you get an opportunity to add to the stat sheet, its a good feeling," Hendricks said. Bryzgalov then did the rest by stopping the final 31 shots he faced after Stafford beat him with a hard snap shot with 53 seconds left in the first period. One of Bryzgalovs better stops came in the final minute, when he got his glove out to top Alexander Sulzers shot from the right circle that went through a crowd. NOTES: Stafford returned after missing four games with an upper-body injury. To make room on their roster, the Sabres placed LW Matt Moulson (upper body) on injured reserve. ... The Oilers are 2-1 in their past three games despite being outshot by a combined 144-80. ... The Sabres became the last NHL team to reach 100 goals this season when Ott tied it at 1. By comparison, Buffalo has allowed a combined 110 goals in the first two periods. ... Sabres D Tyler Myers missed the third period after hurting his right leg in the second. Zapatillas Nike Baratas Outlet .com) - Maria Sharapova reached her 10th career grand slam final after beating Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets at the Australian Open on Thursday. Zapatillas Yeezy Baratas Outlet .ca. Hi Mr. Fraser, When I was watching the Heritage Classic in Vancouver there was a play midway through the third where Ottawa crashed the Canucks net and it came off its moorings. CHONBURI, Thailand -- Swede Anna Nordqvist shot a 5-under 67 at the LPGA Thailand on Saturday for a 4-stroke lead over top-ranked Inbee Park and American Michelle Wie. The 27th-ranked Nordqvist sprinkled her third round at the Siam Country Club with four birdies and an eagle on the 10th against a bogey on No. 5. Leading since the first round, the 26-year-old Nordqvist has an overall 11-under 205. She is chasing her first win on the U.S. LPGA Tour since 2009. Park shot 67 and Wie 69. "I think the great players out there, Inbee, Stacy (Lewis), theyve been up there so many times, so they look pretty comfortable out there," Nordqvist said. "For me, its a matter of keep putting myself in those positions and the win will happen eventually." Defending champion Park, playing her first tournament of the season, birdied the opening two holess and Nos. Yeezy Baratas España. 10-13, with a lone bogey on the eighth. "I hit a lot of great irons shots out there today, I think I still left four birdies out there," the four-time Major champion said. The 2010 runner-up Wie had an error-free round. "Couple hard pins, couple easy pins. Didnt really take advantage of the par 5s like I wanted to, but I cant really complain about it. Hopefully tomorrow Ill just have a lot more birdies," Wie said. "I really want that win, but Im not going to put the added pressure on myself." Paraguays Julieta Granada (71) was a further stroke behind in fourth. Tseng Yani of Taiwan, winner here in 2011 and 12, carded a 6-under 66 for an overall 5-under 211 and a share of fifth with Americans Cristie Kerr (68) and Lexi Thompson (69) as well as New Zealand teen prodigy Lydia Ko (69). ' ' '
LONDON, England -- Chelsea have completed a deal to sign midfielder Nemanja Matic from Portuguese side Benfica, the Premier League outfit confirmed on Wednesday. Homer Bailey Jersey . Matic, 25, returns to Stamford Bridge for a transfer fee believed to be 21 million pounds ($37.6 million) after leaving the club for Portugal three years ago. "I am very happy for this opportunity. I just want to say I will give my best to help the team and make the Chelsea fans happy," Matic said. The Serb originally joined the Blues from Slovakian club MFK Kosice on a four- year deal for 1.5 million pounds ($2.7 million) in 2009. He made two substitute appearances in the Premier League and was an unused substitute in Chelseas 1-0 win over Portsmouth in the 2010 FA Cup final. The midfielder re-joins the Blues on a new five-and-a-half year contract. "He has grown as a player in Portugal and has become a fantastic all-around midfielder," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho remarked. Anthony DeSclafani Jersey . 9 Baylor Bears just needed some time to get on track in their first game after the Christmas break. Reds Jerseys 2020 .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York.NEW YORK -- The Toronto Raptors are the only thing standing between the Brooklyn Nets and a perfect 2014. Patrick Patterson stole Deron Williams inbounds pass and made the go-ahead jumper with six seconds left, and the Raptors stopped a five-game winning streak by the Nets for the second time this month with a 104-103 victory Monday night. Toronto dropped Brooklyn to 10-2 in January and opened a 2 1/2-game lead in the Atlantic Division over the Nets, who would be on the doorstep of the division lead if they could solve their neighbours to the north. "These guys are chasing us but theyre putting it together. Theyre playing well," Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said. "Were the only team that beat them in 2014. I mean, thats a tough team. They had the game and we made a play and we made a shot." Brooklyn had a three-point lead with 17 seconds left behind Paul Pierce in his best game with the Nets, but John Salmons scored on a drive with 12 seconds remaining before Brooklyn took its last timeout to move the ball into the frontcourt. Patterson stole the pass and fed Lowry, who got it back to Patterson for his jumper. Pierce was well off on a final attempt. "We knew they didnt have any timeouts. We guessed right and Patrick looked like Richard Sherman out there with that steal," Lowry said, referring to the Seattle Seahawks defensive back who attended the game with a number of his teammates. Lowry finished with 31 points and seven assists for the Raptors, who clinched a winning record in consecutive months for the first time since December 2009 and January 2010. Pierce scored 33 points, making seven three-pointers in a strong bounce-back performance after going just 2 for 10 in his emotional return to Boston on Sunday. He had the Nets in position to win after scoring their last nine points before Toronto stole it. "Last night was a tough game to play in, so many emotions," Pierce said. "It was good to just get some normalcy back today and I felt comfortable, relaxed. But it wouldve been better if we got the win today, though." The stunning turnaround deflated the crowd at Barclays Center for a back-and-forth game that drew a visit from several Seahawks, who will hold their Super Bowl media day Tuesday at the Nets last home, the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Sherman and Bobby Wagner ggrabbed a baseline seat in the first half, while Russell Wilson and other players sat above in a private box. Cincinnati Reds Shirts. Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who played without injured leading scorer DeMar DeRozan. Terrence Ross, who tied a franchise record with 51 points and made 10 3-pointers Saturday, had a quiet 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting. But Toronto got a big boost from Patterson, who ditched the mask he began the game with for a recent broken nose and finished with 15 points off the bench. "This is all about our toughness, our resiliency," Patterson said, "no matter whos out there during the course of the game, no matter whos not playing." Andray Blatche scored 20 points for the Nets, who lost 96-80 in Toronto on Jan. 11, a night after they played two overtimes in a victory over Miami. Lowry scored six straight points before Amir Johnson made a pair of free throws during an 8-0 run that gave Toronto a 94-85 lead with about eight minutes to play. The Nets answered with nine in a row to tie it on Alan Andersons jumper, and after Valanciunas basket, Pierce nailed consecutive three-pointers to make it 100-96 with 2:37 remaining. "Paul played well," teammate Kevin Garnett said. "He totally carried us for that fourth quarter, that second half, and we all came in and just said at the end of the game weve got to make plays, weve got to close games out and tonight we didnt do that." Toronto cut it to one and had a chance for the lead when Lowry stole Williams pass intended for Pierce, but Williams redeemed himself by drawing an offensive foul on Lowry with 19 seconds left. Pierce then made two free throws, but the Nets couldnt overcome Williams next giveaway. "Two turnovers in the last minute of the game, its not what I typically do, but thats how it goes sometimes," Williams said. There were eight lead changes in an entertaining second quarter, two in the final 1.3 seconds. Andersons three-pointer put the Nets up by two, but Lowry beat the buzzer from beyond halfcourt to give Toronto a 57-56 halftime lead. NOTES: DeRozan had made 125 consecutive starts. ... Ross, DeRozan and the Nets Mirza Teletovic were all nominated for last weeks Eastern Conference player of the week award, which was won by Atlantas Paul Millsap. ' ' '
Biz Nasty (Paul Bissonnette to the uninitiated) will walk us through some of the inside terminology heard on the ice every week. Fake Raptors Jerseys . Watch the video below for the first installment and finally learn what - or who - a "grocery stick" is, in puck parlance. Custom Toronto Raptors Jerseys . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him. Toronto Raptors Shirts . - The New Orleans Saints have re-signed receiver Joseph Morgan for one year and have agreed to a four-year deal with free agent fullback Erik Lorig.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Luke Hochevar was tired of getting knocked around by the Los Angeles Angels so he took a new approach. Hochevar took a shutout into the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals got solo homers from Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas against Dan Haren in a 6-3 victory Saturday. "Thats a good ballclub, no doubt about it, and its not an easy lineup to navigate through," Hochevar said. "Theyre stacked from one to nine, so I knew that I had to execute a lot of quality pitches. That was my focus, especially with Haren on the mound. Early on, I think the results were better than my execution, and then I kind of hit a groove in the fourth and started making a lot of quality pitches in key situations." Hochevar (1-0) was charged with two runs and five hits over 6 1-3 innings in his season debut. The right-hander, who was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Royals and their opening-day starter last year, came in 0-3 with a with an 8.02 ERA in his four previous starts against the Angels. Hochevar gave up a pair of one-out singles in the seventh and was relieved by Tim Collins with a 5-0 lead. Bobby Abreu lined the left-handers first pitch into the right field corner for an RBI double and Torii Hunter scored on a groundout by Vernon Wells. The Angels, who were shut out through the first five innings a major league-worst 50 times last season -- have done so in each of their first two games despite the addition of three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols. Friday night they won their opener 5-0 with a five-run eighth after getting blanked for six innings by Bruce Chen. "Were still in spring training mode and pitchers are way ahead of us, but I think well catch up soon. You cant panic right now with 160 games to go," Hunter said. "Today was one of those days. Hochevar kept us off-balance and we couldnt score any runs off him. He changed speeds, had his cutter working, and thats something we couldnt make adjustments on." Jonathan Broxton, who became the Royals closer after two-time All-Star Joakim Soria had season-ending Tommy John surgery April 3, followed Collins and Greg Holland out of the bullpen and got the final three outs after inheriting a 6-2 lead. He gave up a sacrifice fly by Abreu before retiring Wells on a game-ending double play. Broxton hasnt had a save since May 2, 2011, with the Dodgers -- he was shut down twwo days later because of bone spurs in his elbow and missed the rest of the season. Toronto Raptors Pro Shop. The Royals signed him as a free agent in November. "It feels pretty good to get out there again. My elbow felt fine," said the two-time All-Star. "It was very frustrating last year, especially because I couldnt go out there and help the team win. I hated that the season ended up the way it did for me, but hopefully they got everything straight. Im fine right now, so well just continue to go forward." Pujols got his first hit with Los Angeles, a double in the fourth. He lined a 2-2 pitch over the head of left fielder Alex Gordon with one out in the fourth and tried to score on a single to left by Kendrys Morales. But Gordon, who won a Gold Glove last season, charged the ball and made a one-hop throw to the plate to get Pujols, whose hook slide appeared to have beaten Humberto Quinteros tag. Haren (0-1) gave up five runs and 11 hits over 5 1-3 innings and struck out five. Morales was 4 for 4 with a double in his second game with the Angels after a severe ankle injury in 2010, when he jumped on home plate after a walkoff grand slam. Jeff Francoeur, playing in his 1,000th regular-season game, hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the first. It was the fourth straight hit allowed by Haren, who minimized the damage by striking out Betancourt and Moustakas. Quintero led off the Royals second with the first of his two doubles and scored on Lorenzo Cains sacrifice fly. "I didnt make too many quality pitches, and thats a recipe for disaster," Haren said. "I threw too many pitches up in the zone and wasnt really controlling the count too well. Obviously they got off to a quick start, getting four singles in a row, and I just never really got into a rhythm. ... But youve got to hand it to them. Theyve got a good ballclub and they did the most with the pitches I left out over the plate." NOTES: Pujols, who was 0 for 3 with a walk in his Angels debut, has never gone hitless in his first two games of the season. ... Francoeurs first big league game was on July 7, 2005, with Atlanta. ... It was the first time that Moustakas and Hosmer homered in the same game since making their big league debuts five weeks apart last season. ... pujols grounded into a double play his first time up, something he did a career-high 29 times last season -- including three on opening day. ' ' '
GLASGOW, Scotland - Celtic winger Aleksandar Tonev was banned for seven games on Thursday for using racist language toward an opponent during a Scottish league match. Fake Vans For Sale .Celtic said Tonev will appeal against the ban.The Bulgarian international, who is on loan at Celtic from English Premier League side Aston Villa, was found guilty by the Scottish Football Association of excessive misconduct by the use of offensive, insulting and abusive language of a racist nature when he appeared in front of a disciplinary panel Thursday.Aberdeen defender Shay Logan, who is black, complained to the referee during a Scottish Premiership game at Parkhead on Sept. 13 that Tonev made a racist remark toward him.This was a very unfortunate case, Celtic said in a statement, but the club has accepted Aleksandars explanation that he did not say the words that were alleged to have been said and that he is not a racist.We are, therefore, very disappointed by the outcome today and can confirm that Aleksandar will be appealing this decision.The 24-year-old was making his Celtic debut after joining on a one-year loan deal with Villa. Fake Vans Website .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. Fake Vans 2020 . Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers had every reason to quit down 17 points with 4 1/2 minutes to go. They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. But in their huddle, Doc Rivers and the other coaches told the players to keep believing. They did, and pulled out a wild 129-127 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. J.J. Redick scored a career-high 33 points, Matt Barnes added 25, Blake Griffin had 23 and Jamal Crawford scored 16, including a pair of free throws that gave the Clippers the lead with 11 seconds to go. They improved to 18-3 at home with their fourth straight win. "We locked in," Griffin said. "We made the plays down the stretch, they tightened up and got a little too comfortable." Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and Samuel Dalembert added a season-high 20 for the Mavs, whose three-game winning streak ended when they couldnt hold a 123-106 lead. Jose Calderon hit four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points. "Theres no way we should lose this game," Nowitzki said. "Weve got to do a better job of protecting a lead. We made some bad decisions and gave up some 3s." Redicks seventh 3-pointer with 34 seconds to go had the Clippers trailing 127-126. Nowitzkis step-back jumper hit the rim. "We had J.J. guarding Dirk on one play and it worked," Rivers said. "I cant explain that game." After Crawfords two free throws put the Clippers ahead 128-127, Calderon missed a 3-pointer with 3 seconds to go, and DeAndre Jordan got fouled. After his first free throw hit the right side of the backboard, he made the second for a 129-127 lead. DeJuan Blair inbounded the ball but his pass was intercepted by Jordan to end the heated and stunning finish. "It was like a playoff game the last three or four minutes. Everybody was mouthing back and forth and getting techs, and it became a brawl out there," Shawn Marion said. "But if you let that take away from what your main focus is -- executing at both ends of the floor -- then its going to take you out of your game." Griffin uttered expletives at Dalembert after they scrapped for a rebound near the baseline late in the game. One of the referees put both his arms around Griffins waist and backed him away. Nowitzki was waiting with an earful as Griffin ended up near him. "I was more upset about some of the things that were said than the situation," Griffin said. Dalembert was called for a technical. Griffin madde the free throw and the Clippers retained possession. Fake Vans. Crawford drove the basket and scored to pull them to 125-118. "It was a difficult and a physical game," Dalembert said. "Some calls were suspicious, and it was just one of those games. So many things happened in those seven minutes. We have to keep some of their guys under control." Redick said Dalembert stepped on his head and he ended up with a cut in his ear. "Any time a 270-pound man steps on your head it takes a little while to get it back," he said. Down 127-118, Barnes hit a 3-pointer and Nowitzki fouled Crawford on a 3-point attempt. Crawford made two of three free throws, pulling the Clippers to 127-123 with 1:10 to play. Crawford struggled for most of the game, and in the final 6 minutes the coaches were debating whether to take him out. "He was off-balance, he was going too fast and turning the ball over, yet you keep him in because he has ability to score," Rivers said. "He can miss 20 in a row. He just needs to make one and he thinks hes hot." Crawford credited Rivers patience with him this season for making a difference. "Hopefully I make him look good in the end for still believing in me," he said. Earlier in the fourth, Vince Carter was hit with a technical, one of four in the game for the Mavs. Griffin picked up one in the third. The Mavs outscored the Clippers 60-40 in the paint, and outrebounded them 47-38, with both teams shooting at least 50 per cent. "Thats awful on our part," Rivers said. Dallas opened the fourth with consecutive 3-pointers by Monta Ellis and Calderon. They keyed a 25-6 run that gave the Mavs a 123-106 lead. The Mavs borrowed a page from the Clippers high-flying playbook, with Brandan Wright dunking off Carters alley-oop pass against the Clippers hapless defence. Notes: Rivers said the team anticipates signing free agent F Hedo Turkoglu. Rivers expects Turkoglu to join the team for the start of its seven-day, 11-city trip that begins Friday in New York. Turkoglu was cut by Orlando earlier this month. He played just 11 games last season because of injuries and a 20-game suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs. ... Clippers F Reggie Bullock returned after hurting his left ankle on Dec. 7 at Cleveland. ... Mavs G Devin Harris, who had left foot surgery, isnt expected to play this trip. ... The Clippers Grammy trip comes a month earlier than usual since the music awards held at Staples Center were moved up to avoid conflicting with the Olympics. ' ' '
