SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Mike Blunden scored the lone goal in the ninth round of the shootout to lift the Hamilton Bulldogs past the Syracuse Crunch 2-1 in American Hockey League play Saturday. Louis Leblanc had the only goal in regulation for the Bulldogs (26-29-5), while Robert Mayer stopped 31 shots and all nine shooters in the shootout. Mayer also blanked Yanni Gourde on a penalty shot. Brett Connolly was the only player to beat Mayer for the Crunch (24-26-10), and Kristers Gudlevskis finished with 28 saves. Wholesale Kevin Durant Shoes .com) - The Calgary Flames are spoilers once again. Clearance Kevin Durant Shoes . When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide. https://www.kevindurantshoescheap.com/. Ricciardo made it only halfway around the Jerez track before his RB10 rolled to a stop and began spouting smoke from the back. After team mechanics tended to the car, Ricciardo went back out for a mere two trips around the circuit before calling it quits. Kevin Durant Shoes Outlet .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 20th consecutive win across all competitions by cruising to a 4-1 victory at Almeria on Friday. Kevin Durant Shoes Deals . The 19-year-old Swiss centre back will initially have to impress in Uniteds reserve side to earn a spot in the first team. Veseli says "Manchester United has a long history of younger players coming through and hopefully I can follow and do the same.PRETORIA, South Africa -- As the girlfriend he shot in the head lay dead or dying in his home, a weeping, praying Oscar Pistorius knelt at her side and struggled in vain to help her breathe by holding two fingers in her clenched mouth, a witness testified Thursday at the double-amputee runners murder trial. "I shot her. I thought she was a burglar. I shot her," radiologist Johan Stipp, a neighbour, recalled Pistorius saying. The worried neighbour had entered Pistorius home after hearing screams. By that time, the celebrated athlete had carried Reeva Steenkamps bloodied body downstairs following the fatal nighttime shooting in his bathroom. A few minutes after he arrived, Stipp said, Pistorius went back upstairs -- the area where he had shot the 29-year-old model -- and returned. At that point, Stipp said he was concerned that the gun used in the shooting had not been recovered and that a distraught Pistorius was going to harm himself. The testimony did not address what Pistorius did when he went upstairs. Stipps account in a Pretoria court was the first detailed, public description of the immediate aftermath of the shooting in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year. Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder after shooting Steenkamp three times out of four shots through the toilet door, with prosecutors trying to build a case that the Olympian intentionally killed Steenkamp after a loud argument. At his bail hearing last year, Pistorius said in a statement read by his lawyer that after he realized he had shot Steenkamp, thinking mistakenly that she was an intruder, he pulled on his prosthetic legs and tried to kick down the toilet door. He said he finally gave up and bashed the door in with a cricket bat. Inside, he said he found Steenkamp, slumped over but still alive. He said he lifted her body and carried her downstairs to seek medical help. On Thursday, as Stipp recalled the sometimes grisly details through questioning by the prosecutor, Pistorius bent forward on the wooden court bench and put his hand over his face. Clutching what appeared to be black rosary beads, Pistorius then moved his hands to cover both ears as Stipp described the scene at the athletes villa sometime after 3 a.m. Pistorius stayed that way for a while in the courtroom, even when one of his lawyers reached back and touched him on the head in an apparent gesture of reassurance. "Oscar was crying all the time," Stipp continued. "He was praying to God, Please let her live." "Oscar said he would dedicate "his life and her life to God" if she would live, Stipp said. The chief defence lawyer, Barry Roux, asked Stipp if he thought Pistorius emotions as the ruunner knelt next to Steenkamp were genuine.dddddddddddd Stipp said he thought they were. "He looked sincere to me," Stipp said of observing Pistorius minutes after hed fatally shot his girlfriend. "He was crying. There were tears on his face." Prosecutors contend that a person who has just killed someone might immediately feel remorse. Stipp, whose house is behind Pistorius, said he had initially been woken by what he described as a womans screams. After calling private security at the gated community, he said he decided he should go and try to help. When he arrived at Pistorius home, he saw that two other responders were already there -- a man standing outside and a woman near the front door as he walked in. He said he rushed right past them and went inside to see if he could be of assistance. "At the bottom of the stairs ... there was a lady lying on her back on the floor," Stipp said of his first observations. "I went near her and as I bent down, I also noticed a man on the left kneeling by her side. He had his left hand on her right groin, and his right hand, the second and third fingers in her mouth." "It was obvious that she was mortally wounded," Stipp said. "She had no pulse in the neck, she had no peripheral pulse. She had no breathing movements that she made." As a radiologist, Stipp is a medical doctor with years of study, and he said he used his expertise to try to save the woman -- even though he was fairly sure his efforts would be in vain. He noticed a wound in the womans right thigh, in her upper arm and in the right side of the head, and there was brain tissue around the skull. Stipp didnt know the man was Pistorius until later, he said. He had mistakenly thought Pistorius lived in a different house in the gated community. Echoing the assertions of two other state witnesses in the trial, Stipp also maintained that he heard a womans screams before and around the time of the gunshots. That is a significant issue in the case. Prosecutors say there was a fight between Pistorius and Steenkamp and that she was screaming before and perhaps during the shooting. Pistorius says he was the only one to scream, mainly after realizing hed shot his girlfriend by mistake. Roux, the defence lawyer, described the head wound as "terrible, serious, devastating," arguing that Steenkamp could not have screamed during the gunfire because she would not have been able to. "What Im saying to you, when you heard screams, it could not have been the deceased," Roux said to Stipp. "Its medically impossible." It is unclear, however, which of the four shots struck Steenkamps head. ' ' '

When Brett Lawrie arrived with the Blue Jays in 2011, he looked even at age 21 to have the raw potential to become one of the franchises greats. In a 43-game stint, he batted .293 with nine homers and 25 runs batted in with a .953 OPS. He played spectacular defence and seemed to have a skill for pumping up his teammates and electrifying the crowd. You had to ask yourself how Milwaukee let him get away in that trade for right hander Shaun Marcum? But in the last two seasons, Lawrie has gone through some growing pains. Hes had injury problems, some awkward in-game moments, such as throwing a batting helmat in the direction of an ump, and the berating of a teammate for a perceived miscue on the bases. (Lawrie was wrong). On top of that his production has dropped off, to the point where some have wondered if that blaze of glory in his first stint with the club was a fluke or a flash in the pan. The thing to remember is, Brett Lawrie is only 24. Skipper John Gibbons suggested this week that Bretts peak performance years could still be a couple of seasons away. If you go by a couple of third basemen from the Blue Jays past, Gibbons may well be right. Kelly Gruber spent nine years with the Jays, hitting .259 with 114 homers, 439 runs batted in and 80 stolen bases. He was stolen away from Cleveland in the Rule 5 draft and spent his first couple of years as a Jack-of-all-trades utility man before becoming the primary third baseman in 1987. At age 24 for the Jays he hit just .196 with five homers and 15 runs batted in. It took until 1990 for him to have a star impact season. At 28 years old, he hit .274 with 31 homers and 118 RBIs. Gruber was still the starting third sacker for a division title run in 1991 and for the Jays first World Series victory over Atlanta in 1992. Ed Sprague offers up another example of a player who peaked in his late 20s. Sprague was the Jays regular third baseman for six seasons. After Gruber was moved to the Angels, Sprague took over at third in 1993 at 26. He hit .260 with 12 homers and 73 runs batted in and was a key member of the Jays second straight World Series victory over the Phillies in 1993. Still he didnt have his first really big year until he was 29, when he broke through with 36 homers and drove in 101 runs. Yes there are exceptions to the rule...guys who hit the ground running and continue to thrive practically from the moment they arrive in the Majors. Two of those kind of guys enjoyed brief stints with the Blue Jays in the last decade. Troy Glaus came over from the Diamondbacks along with Sergio Santos in a deal for right hander Miguel Batista and infielder Orlando Hudson. Glaus played third for the Jays for two seasons in 2006 and 2007. As a 22-year-old with his original club the Angels, he hit .240 with 29 homers and 79 runs batted in. At 24 with the Halos, he upped his power numbers to 41 homers and 108 runs batted in. Glaus had a good year with the Jays in 06, but his numbers fell off a bit in 2007, and he ultimately asked for a trade since the artificial turf at Rogers Centre was playing havoc with his back. The Jays dealt Glaus to St. Louis for another standout third baseman in Scott Rolen, who had had a falling out with Cards manager Tony LaRussa. As a 22-year-old with his original club the Phillies, Rolen - arguably the best defensive third baseman the Jays have ever had - hit .283 with 21 homers and 92 runs batted in. Rolen only spent one season with the Jays, at age 33 before asking for a trade to the U.S. midwest to be closer to his family. He wound up going to Cincinnati in a deal that saw the Jays land two pitchers, Zach Stewart and Josh Roenicke and a guy named Edwin Encarnacion. The point of all this is, Lawrie is still young enough to take off the way Rolen and Glaus did, or he may take a little longer like Gruber or Sprague. If you want to pipe dream a bit, consider Royals legendary Hall of Famer George Brett. At 24 he batted .312 with 22 homers and 88 runs batted in. The bottom line on Lawrie is, with the defence he plays, and the infectious hustle he plays with, the Blue Jays will be very patient with him indeed. The real Brett Lawrie could even emerge this season, if only he can stay healthy. Spring Roots The Blue Jays may not be leaving their spring training home in Dunedin after all. About a year ago a story first surfaced that the Houston Astros were talking with the Jays about teaming up with them on a new two-team state of the art facility in Palm Beach County on Floridas east coast. The Astros lease with Kissimmee, Florida runs through 2016, so the target date for moving obviously would have been 2017. However a local group of citizens didnt want any part of having this type of complex in their area and threatened a lawsuit. So now the Astros are looking elsewhere in Palm Beach County and are now talking with the Washington Nationals about being their potential partners. Nike Vapormax 2019 Cheap . -- With his team down 16 points in the second quarter and headed for another blowout loss at home, Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson yelled out to his players to keep shooting and keep fighting on defence. Vapormax Flyknit 2 Nz . MLB.com reported that the Dodgers locked the left-hander in for one year at $10 million with up to $4 million in incentives. http://www.airvapormaxnz.com/. Of course that doesnt mean hes ignoring it. Thats actually rather impossible given the behind-the-scenes access to the Toronto Maple Leafs the network is getting. Nike Tn For Sale Nz . The D-Backs came into being in 1998 and appear destined to finish second in the AL West after the Tsunami that is the Los Angeles Dodgers swept over them. I thought it might be interesting to see what the D-backs have done over their 16 years compared to what the Blue Jays have done over their past 16 campaigns. Vapormax New Zealand . -- Jerel Worthy and his Michigan State teammates charged across the field, holding four fingers in the air while celebrating another sweet victory over their biggest rival.Colorado gets an epic goaltending performance, Backes drops four on Arizona, another strong game from Mason, lineup news, Fantasy tips and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES Semyon Varlamov – Recorded a 54-save shutout in Colorado’s 2-0 win at Chicago, the most saves in a road shutout since 1987-88. In his past six starts, Varlamov has a .942 save percentage, a step forward after a relatively slow start to the season, which included a .909 save percentage through his first 15 games. David Backes – The Blues centre scored four goals in a 6-0 rout over Arizona. He now has eight points (5 G, 3 A) in the past six games and comes following my post that included data about how Backes was generating a lower percentage of scoring chances. Steve Mason – Philadelphia’s netminder stopped 41 of 42 shots in a 2-1 shootout win against Ottawa, giving him a .927 save percentage over his past 10 games and he currently has a career-high .919 save percentage. ZEROES Goalies: Anders Lindback – Allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 4-2 loss to Columbus, not unusual for the Stars backup, sporting an .856 save percentage this season. Mike Smith – Arizona’s former starter isn’t going to reclaim the crease from Devan Dubnyk after surrendering six goals on 39 shots in a 6-0 loss to St. Louis; he has a career-low .882 save percentage after 25 games this season. Michael Bournival – The Habs winger only played 6:24 at even-strength against Tampa Bay, but was on for zero shot attempts for and nine shot attempts against, despite starting half of his shifts in the offensive zone. Nail Yakupov – In 11:39 of even-strength ice time against Detroit, the Oilers winger was on the ice for eight shot attempts for and 27 against (22.9%). He has one goal in the past 25 games and seven shots on goal in the past five games. LINEUP NEED TO KNOW Claude Giroux – Returned to the Flyers’ lineup, after missing a game with a lacerated leg, and had an assist and 12 shot attempts (8 SOG) in a 2-1 shootout win over Ottawa. Martin Hanzal – Arizona’s 6-foot-6 centre missed Tuesday’s game against St. Louis with an upper-body injury. Adam Larsson – The Devils defenceman played 23:35 against Buffalo, the third straight game in which he played more than 23 minutes. Prior to this three-game ice-time surge, Larsson had played more than 23 minutes in a game once in 84 games since the start of the 2012-2013 season. Nick Schultz – Played a season-high 23:46 in Philadelphia’s 2-1 shootout win against Ottawa. Zach Parise – The Wild winger missed Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to San Jose, spending time with his father, J.P. Parise, who is gravely ill. Jeremy Morin – Played just 5:20 for the Blue Jackets at Dallas, the first time that he’s played under 10 minutes in a game since joining Columbus. Tomas Jurco – Detroit’s winger, a high-end possession player, left Tuesday’s win at Edmonton early with a back injury. Michael Grabner – Returned to the Islanders’ lineup, with Josh Bailey going out due to an upper-body injury. Radim Vrbata – Missed Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Islanders due to the flu, allowing Alex Burrows to skate with the Sedins on Vancouver’s top line. Mark Letestu – Returned to the Columbus lineup for his first game since October 28, and scored a goal in 9:38 of ice time at Dallas, skating with Jeremy Morin and Jared Boll. Freddie Hamilton – The 23-year-old winger played his first game of the season for the Sharks, playing 8:27 at Minnesota. He had 21 points (6 G, 15 A) and was minus-13 in 32 AHL games when he was called up. SHORT SHIFTS Yet another note on Tampa Bay’s line of centre Tyler Johnson, who scored two goals, and wingers Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov, who each had two assists in a 4-2 win at Montreal. Undrafted Johnson now has 45 points (17 G, 228 A) on the season, behind only Jakub Voracek and Tyler Seguin…Canadiens D Sergei Gonchar assisted on both Montreal goals, giving him five assists in the past six games…Devils LW Patrik Elias recorded a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over Buffalo, has five points (3 G, 2 A) in his past five games and reached 1,000 points for his career, ranking sixth among active skaters…Devils C Travis Zajac added a goal and an assist, giving him five points (2 G, 3 A) in the past five games…Hurricanes C Eric Staal had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss at Nashville, giving him six points (4 G, 2 A) in the past six games…Sharks D Brent Burns had two assists in a 4-3 overtime win at Minnesota, and has 14 points (4 G, 10 A) in the past 15 games…Sharks RW Joe Pavelski picked up a goal and an assist at Minnesota, giving him 17 points (11 G, 6 A) in the past 15 games…Wild RW Jason Pominville had a pair of assists in the 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose; he has 12 points (2 G, 10 A) in the past 11 games.dddddddddddd Wild LW Jason Zucker – one of the league’s most efficient goal-scorers – recorded two goals and an assist, with eight shots on goal and team-leading possession stats (21 shot attempts for, 11 against, 65.6%) in the loss…Blue Jackets winger Nick Foligno had three assists in a 4-2 win at Dallas, giving him 15 points (6 G, 9 A) in the past 12 games…Blue Jackets LW Scott Hartnell had a pair of assists, giving him nine points (3 G, 6 A) in the past nine games…Blue Jackets C Ryan Johansen added a goal and an assist, and now has nine points (4 G, 5 A) during an eight-game point streak…Blues RW T.J. Oshie had three assists in a 6-0 win vs. Arizona, and has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) during a six-game point streak…Blues C Paul Stastny notched a goal and an assist against Arizona, giving him eight points (1 G, 7 A) in the past six games…Blues LW Alexander Steen added a pair of assists and has nine points (2 G, 7 A) during a four-game point streak…Red Wings LW Justin Abdelkader had a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win at Edmonton, giving him six points (3 G, 3 A) in the past six games…Islanders C John Tavares was held without a shot attempt in a 3-2 loss at Vancouver; credit to the Sedins, who won the territorial head-to-head matchup…Avalanche RW Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win at Chicago; it’s been a rough stretch for MacKinnon, with six points (2 G, 4 A) in the past 16 games. Lightning D Mark Barberio had excellent possession stats (20 shot attempts for, 5 against) in Tampa Bay’s 4-2 win over Montreal…Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews kept play in the Colorado end (29 shot attempts for, 7 against, 80.6%) in a 2-0 loss. Blues G Brian Elliott had a 23-save shutout in a 6-0 win against Arizona…Senators G Craig Anderson stopped 33 of 34 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss at Philadelphia. FANTASY FOCUS Four games on tap tonight. Here are four players to consider for your lineup: Daniel Winnik – Here’s a limited recommendation for a winger with one goal in 38 games, but the defensively-responsible Winnik is also skating with Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel on Toronto’s top line. Steve Downie – The Penguins winger leads the league with 141 penalty minutes and has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in the past eight games. Playing on Sidney Crosby’s wing certainly helps. Joe Colborne – Played a season-high 21:42 last game for Calgary and has three goals in the past four games. Rene Bourque – When he’s not a healthy scratch, the Ducks have been force-feeding Bourque an opportunity on the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and he does have a couple of points (1 G, 1 A) in his past three games. Much of the data included comes from www.war-on-ice.com, www.puckalytics.com, www.hockeystats.ca and www.naturalstattrick.com Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca ' ' '

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Its not like the Miami Heat playing well in the postseason is newsworthy, but the way theyre getting it done at the moment should terrify the remaining seven teams with a chance at the title. The fact the Heat are 6-0 is impressive enough, but with every victory, theyre building momentum. Are they going to go undefeated in the postseason? No, but in these early rounds, Miami is just having its way with Charlotte and now Brooklyn. Its not like the Heat need confidence what with winning the last two titles, but they did finish the regular season 11-14. Teams are trying to figure out ways to be at their best (in the playoffs), said MVP runner-up LeBron James. We have to continue to work our offense, work our defense, put ourselves in a position to be successful. The Heat have done that and it started on the defensive side of the ball. Miami has yet to allow 100 points in the postseason and surrenders an average of 89.3 points per game. Thats a stout improvement from the regular-season number of 97.4 ppg and the Heat rank No. 1 in the postseason in opponents scoring. Granted, the Bobcats at their best are offensively challenged and things became easier for Miami to defend when Al Jefferson got hurt. But, Brooklyn has firepower and the Heat have cooled them off, not allowing the Nets more than 86 points in either of their two games. With that side of the ball in good shape, the offense has been clicking. When one thinks of the Heat, the mind wanders inevitably to the Big Three of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Its fair since theyre all going to the Hall of Fame, but the Heats versatility has been on display like that weird, hologram egg in Oceans Twelve. Eleven members of the Heat are averaging 10 minutes a game or more. Sure, not all have played in all six games, but when theyre out there, everyone is contributing. Look at the starters for example. Shane Battier played 2:04 of the entire series against Charlotte. Head coach Erik Spoelstra reinserted him in the starting lineup against the smaller Nets and hes 3-for-6 from beyond the 3- point line. Conversely, Spoelstra pulled the plug on Udonis Haslem since the Nets only play one player over 6 feet, 10 inches in height at any given time. Its been an underrated aspect of Spoelstras tenure in Miami -- his ability to sit players down and choose the right one. Battier sat out times against the San Antonio Spurs in last seasons NBA Finals. Same goes for Chris Andersen. Anyone want to bet Spoelstra employs more Haslem and Birdman in the next round when the Heat will face either the Indiana Pacers or the Washington Wizards? Both teams are bigger, so Spo will adapt. Spoelstra isnt Red Auerbach just for using the correct rotation, but his second-unit guys are paying dividends. The Heat bench ranked 17th in scoring during the regular season, but at least one Miami player has scored in double figures in five of their six postseason games and its been four different players. In fact, the Heat have had five double-figure scorers in the last three games, a great sign for a group that has, at times, been too reliant on letting James or Wade do their thing and everyone else watches with glowing admiration. We dont really care about who scores. Five guys in double figures once again tonight, so the ball is moving, James said after Thursdays Game 2 win. Guys are in a great rhythm. James may say he doesnt care who scores, but hes walking the talk. After averaging 30 points in the Bobcats series, LeBron is down to 22 ppg versus the Nets. His shot numbers remained steady and his assists are in decline against Brooklyn. So basically, the Heat are still winning convincingly with James not producing to his maximum. Is that not the scariest thing imaginable? The Heat have been tested to some degree and many thought they would be considering the Nets went 4-0 against them in the regular season. Even if Brooklyn gets a game at home, Miami is going to advance. The Wizards could give them some trouble with their size, which is still a sore spot for Miami. The inexperience in the postseason will doom Washington against the Heat. For months, everyone has waited for the Miami/Indiana series, but at this stage, that matchup would be more anticlimactic than the ending to an M. Night Shyamalan movie (not including The Sixth Sense). Miami is poised for another deep run. Anything less than a fourth consecutive trip to the Finals would be shocking, but the Heat are doing their part. Theyre playing fantastic basketball and improved in important aspects from the regular season. Just wait until James plays like his dominant self. They might not lose. RANDOM THOUGHTS - Even if Donald Sterling doesnt tie up the NBA with litigation and delays, things might remain bad if he tries to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to his wife Shelly. Head coach Doc Rivers said it would be a very hard situation. That translates into some Clippers players or staff would have a problem with it, and then its gets really complicated. Remember, the players got everything they wanted from commissioner Adam Silver, so if they dont get what they want, what happens next? - Ill ask - what is the fascination with Steve Kerr? Hes never coached, didnt do all that well in his only capacity in the league as a personnel guy with the Phoenix Suns and, even if he has a good basketball mind, think of the ex-coaches on the sidelines and ask yourself, why are two teams fawning over Kerr? My theory is that once Phil Jackson expressed interest, which was basically from the day he was hired, maybe the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz thought, If Phil wants him, he must be something. Otherwise, Im kind of lost on this one. - George Karl, Lionel Hollins, Avery Johnson, Mike DAntoni, Mike Woodson and Mark Jackson are all available. Pick a Van Gundy. Nate McMillan and Byron Scott are, too. Lets not even discuss if Rick Adelman is serious about retirement, because then he should be a major candidate as well. This just drives home how strange it seems that Kerr is the leading candidate for two such highly attractive jobs. - Kobe Bryant wants some say in the next Los Angeles Lakers coach. This is a tricky issue. As the superstar, and one who can be tough to manage, it might make some sense to consult him. But, Bryant cant be the one making these decisions. Its too much power. In theory, the Lakers want a long-term solution and Bryants contract is for two years, so you do the math. - The San Antonio Spurs are demolishing the Blazers, but I give Portland some credit. There was a rattlesnake in the Blazers locker room Thursday. I wouldnt have played. Id have booked a seat on a plane back to Portland, or wouldve started jogging there if I couldnt find one in a suitable amount of time. - Love making the medias votes on awards public. It explains a lot of the strange votes. - Sticking with Heat versus Spurs in the Finals. - Movie moment - Planes is my 2-year-olds latest movie obsession. I can not wait until hes old enough for The Godfather. At this rate, Im going to show it to him when hes 4. - TV moment - 24 is still better than most of whats on television at the moment. My beef with the two-hour debut was it took all of 45 minutes to immediately circle back into regular 24 mode. Wouldve been a golden opportunity to shake up the plot structure a little. Wholesale Jerseys China . I suppose Sternberg has earned the right to speak out since his Rays, despite one of the lowest payrolls in the Majors at $58 million, are entering the final weekend of the regular season holding down the first Wild Card spot in the American League, one game ahead of Cleveland and two up on Texas. China NFL Jerseys . It was the start of one nice night for the goalie and the Minnesota Wild. Backstrom made 33 saves in his first win of the season and the Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Saturday in a rematch of their first-round playoff series. https://www.cheapjerseysfromchinareview.com/. "Hes over there," the first baseman said. "You dont need to talk to anybody else." Indeed, Peralta did it all as the majors top team won again. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping .The law passed on Friday, in a 128-62 vote in the lower chamber of parliament, was prompted by FIFA bribery scandals in recent years.Switzerland-based sports leaders such as FIFA President Sepp Blatter and IOC President Thomas Bach are now classed as politically exposed persons in wider legislation covering money-laundering. Wholesale Authentic Jerseys . Not because it was right, but because referees werent allowed to determine it was wrong.GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Michael Frazier II scored 14 points, highly touted freshman Chris Walker had two crowd-pleasing dunks in his debut and No. 3 Florida beat Missouri 68-58 on Tuesday night. The Gators won their 14th consecutive game and extended a school record with their 28th straight victory at home. Frazier came up huge in the latest one. The sophomore drained three 3-pointers in a 2-minute span in the second half, giving Florida some breathing room in a tight, back-and-forth game. Patric Youngs driving layup with 4:10 remaining gave the Gators (20-2, 9-0 Southeastern Conference) a 58-48 lead. Missouris 3-point shooting kept the Tigers (16-6, 4-5) in it for much of the game. Missouri made 8 of 21 from behind the arc, but just 4 of 13 in the second half. The Tigers went more than 4 minutes without a point, a stretch that helped Florida build its biggest lead. Jabari Brown led the Tigers with 15 points while Jordan Clarkson added 14. Scottie Wilbekin finished with a career-high 19 points for the Gators. He was 13 of 16 from the free throw line, most of them down the stretch. Young chipped in 13 points and six rebounds. Florida coach Billy Donovan notched his 16th consecutive 20-win season. Only Syracuses Jim Boeheim and Dukes Mike Krzyzewski have longer active streaks. Donovans current team has some issues -- shaky free throw shooting and few long-range threats outside Frazier -- but the addition of Walker could increase Floridas chances of making another deep run in the NCAAA tournament.dddddddddddd. A forward from Bonifay in Floridas panhandle, Walker sat out 12 games, or 40 per cent of the season, because the NCAA determined he "received preferential treatment from five people, including two agents." The NCAA said Walker and people close to him accepted free cellphones and service, airfare, lodging, meals and apparel while he was a prospect. He was ordered to donate the $270 received from the agents to a charity of his choice and serve 80 hours of community service. Walker, who failed to qualify academically and spent the fall taking online classes to gain eligibility, joined the team Dec. 14 and has been practicing since. His debut had been much-anticipated. Walker, who drew oohs and aahs with every move during pregame warm-ups, entered the game to a standing ovation with 11:28 remaining in the first half. His first few minutes on the court gave Florida fans even more to celebrate. Walker blocked two shots and pulled down a rebound in just 3 minutes. There was some obvious confusion, especially on the defensive end, but he showed surprising poise considering all the hype, the wait, the atmosphere and the opponent. He was even better in his second stint. Walker had two thunderous dunks in the final 2:07 of the half, finishing alley-oops from fellow freshman Kasey Hill. The second one had the OConnell Center rocking -- but just briefly. Brown hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer a few seconds later, giving Missouri a 28-25 lead. ' ' '

CLEVELAND -- A person familiar with the trade says the Cavaliers have sent guard Carrick Felix to Utah for three players with non-guaranteed contracts, a deal to give them more assets to go after Kevin Love. The Cavs sent Felix a second-round pick in 2015 and $1 million to the Jazz for guard John Lucas and forwards Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy, said the person who spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams are not commenting on the deals. The moves will allow the Cavs to clear $3.3 million in salary cap space. Cleveland has been in talks with Minnesota about a blockbuster trade for Love, hoping to team the All-Star forward with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Yahoo was first to report the trade to Utah. Fake NBA Jerseys 2019 .com) - Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll knows about life in the NFL from other stints around the league. Wholesale Fake NBA Jerseys . It was the first game back in Columbus for Rangers star Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets franchise leader in goals, assists and games. He was given a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period, but was booed loud and long after a second-period, two-handed shove up high on Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. http://www.fakenbajerseys.com/. Sociedad remained in sixth place with Villarreal a point behind in seventh, both in Europa League spots and in striking distance of fourth place and the final Champions League berth. Sociedad forward Carlos Vela chipped goalkeeper Jaime Jimenez after receiving an equally exquisite lobbed pass from Ruben Pardo to set him up in the 23rd minute at Anoeta Stadium. Cheap Fake NBA Jerseys . Chris Heisey connected for his first grand slam and Devin Mesoraco homered and drove in a career high-tying four runs as Cincinnati took advantage of Tampa Bays depleted pitching staff for a 12-4 victory on Sunday. Discount Fake NBA Jerseys . Watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 9pm et/6pm pt. Serge Ibaka returned to the Thunder lineup from a calf injury that was supposed to sideline him for the remainder of the postseason and the results were sparkling. NEW YORK -- Ryan Callahan heard the Madison Square Garden crowd roar loudly each time he scored for the New York Rangers against Colorado. Those cheers seemed more special this time because the captains run on Broadway could soon be over. The adoration surely sounded much nicer to Callahan than all the recent trade talk. Callahan shook that off and scored two first-period goals to lead New York to its fourth straight win, 5-1 over the Avalanche on Tuesday night. Callahan is eligible for free agency after the season, and if he doesnt reach a new contract agreement with the Rangers before two upcoming trade deadlines, he could be sent packing. "I try not to bring that business to the rink," Callahan said. "I try to concentrate on the Rangers and what were doing here. Thats my main focus. "That is where I want to be, on the ice playing for the Rangers." Callahan staked New York to a 2-0 lead with goals 3:19 apart. Defenceman Anton Stralman added his first of the season in the second period, and Derick Brassard and Brad Richards scored in the third -- with an assist from Callahan -- in the Rangers 10th win in 13 games. After Callahan was stopped with a chance at a hat trick, Brassard made it 4-1 at 1:58. Richards finished the scoring with 1:36 left. Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves for his 297th win, four shy of Mike Richters club record. The Rangers looked well rested after a three-day break and took advantage of the Avalanche, who played for the third time in four days -- including an overtime win at New Jersey on Monday. "I dont think they came out very hard," Lundqvist said. "We set the tone." Gabriel Landeskog, Lundqvists teammate with Sweden in the Olympics, scored in the second, and Russian Olympian Semyon Varlamov stopped 38 shots, but the Avalanche had a four-game winning streak snapped. The shots were 16-2 in New Yorks favour at one point, but the game was still scoreless. Callahan took care of that. "Even though we didnt score early, we came out and created chances," Lundqvist said. "When we finally got that first one, I felt like we were doing so many good things." Carl Hagelin chipped the puck away from defenceman Jan Hejda in the Rangers zone and raced up left wing. Hagelin sent a crisp pass across to Callahan, who took it at the bottom of the right circle, shifted to his backhand and scored with 5:44 left in the first. The Ranngers continued their barrage before Callahan connected again.dddddddddddd Brad Richards made a pass from the right circle into the slot to Callahan for a quick one-timer past Varlamov. Callahan raised both arms over his head and then dropped them to his waist as he let out an emphatic yell to celebrate his 11th goal with 2:25 remaining in the frame. "Ryans been playing hard since the first game," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "Hes the captain of the team. He prepares real well and competes every shift. "Tonight was one of those nights where he did exactly the same thing, except he was able to finish a couple of great setups." New York ended the first period with a 20-4 edge in shots. "Those three days (off) definitely helped us," Callahan said. "We jumped out in the first and we get that momentum. We seemed to roll with it and never really gave it back." Colorado briefly cut the deficit in half when Landeskog turned a faceoff win in the Rangers end into his 17th goal. Lundqvist had kept the Avalanche at bay with a save on a hard shot by Nathan McKinnon during a power play. But following the faceoff, McKinnon sent a pass from below the goal line out front to Landeskog for the goal at 6:37. The Avalanche were down 31-11 in shots but trailed only 2-1. Just 53 seconds later, the Rangers went back in front by two. Stralman took a pass from Mats Zuccarello and wristed a shot from just inside the blue line through traffic and past Varlamov for his first goal in 60 games, dating to April 19, 2013. Colorado had a great opportunity to get back into the game late in the second when back-to-back penalties gave the Avalanche a two-man advantage for 1:50. They spent plenty of time with the puck in the Rangers end, but put very few shots on Lundqvist. When they did, he turned them aside. "At 2-1, we came right back and made it 3-1, and we killed off that full 5-on-3," Vigneault said. "Those were probably the biggest points." Colorado mustered three shots on that double penalty and 14 overall in the second period, but still faced a two-goal deficit entering the third. "Five-on-three -- you dont get many of those," Landeskog said. "We just werent good enough." NOTES: It was Callahans second two-goal game this season. He had scored only twice in his previous 19 games. ... Landeskog extended his point streak to seven games (three goals, six assists). ' ' '

CLEVELAND -- A night after flexing their muscles, the Cleveland Indians used a different tactic to beat the Texas Rangers. While the offence was limited to run-scoring singles by Lonnie Chisenhall and Nick Swisher in the sixth inning, five pitchers combined on a five-hitter for a 2-0 victory on Saturday night. "We got a couple of big hits and we were able to piece it together," Indians manager Terry Francona said. Scott Atchison (4-0) pitched 1 2-3 innings and worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the sixth. Cody Allen worked a shaky ninth for his 14th save. J.P. Arencibia drew a leadoff walk and Leonys Martin singled, but Allen regrouped. Pinch-hitter Jim Adduci struck out and Rougned Odor fouled out before Daniel Robertson struck out to end the 24-pitch inning. "Luckily, I was able to make some pitches to get out of it," Allen said. "Youre going to get in jams. Youre facing very good hitters who are going to beat you. Its just part of being a closer." The win moved the Indians (55-55) back to .500 while the Rangers have dropped 18 of 21 away from home and are the worst team in the majors (43-67). The Indians pounded out 16 hits in a 12-2 win Friday, but couldnt do anything with Texas starter Miles Mikolas, who went into the game with an 8.54 ERA, through five innings. That finally changed in the sixth. Jason Kipnis started the rally with a single, took second on a sacrifice and went to third on a groundout. The Rangers elected to walk Carlos Santana intentionally on a 2-0 count, but Chisenhall foiled that strategy by dropping a single into centre field on the first pitch. Swisher lined a single to right for a two-run lead. "Lonnie found some outfield grass and Swish got the hit," Francona said. "He tried to get in on Chiz and he jammed him, but there was just enough there for him to hit," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "That was a tough break for Miles." T.J. House, called up from the minors before the game, pitched five scoreless innings for Cleveland. House, who struck out seven and allowed three hits, was pulled in the sixth when Elvis Andrus drew a leadoff walk and took second on Alex Rios infield hit. Atchison retired Adrian Beltre on a groundout that moved both runners into scoring position. Andrus was tagged out in a rundown trying to score on Arencibias grounder. Martin struck out on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning. Mikolas (1-4) allowed two runs in seven innings. BIG FAN Francona led his players and coaching staff to the pregame ceremony in which the Indians unveiled a statue of Jim Thome. As an opposing manager, Francona always respected Thomes power. "If you go to a game, you dont really want to go get something to eat when hes hitting," Francona said. His strategy to stop Thome seldom worked. "When he walked to the plate Id gave him the bunt sign," Francona said. "Hed always smile and hit one in the upper deck." TAKE IT INSIDE The plan for Indians outfielder Michael Bourn (strained left hamstring) to run the bases was scrubbed by an afternoon thunderstorm. So he was sent across the street to Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cleveland Gladiators were hosting an Arena League playoff game. Bases were set up on the carpeted playing surface and Bourn was able to get in his work before the football game. TRAINERS ROOM Rangers: Catcher Geovany Soto (strained right groin) was scheduled to catch seven innings Saturday on his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Round Rock. He went 1 for 2 with a walk Friday in his debut with the Express. Soto has only played in three major league games this season after undergoing right knee surgery in late March. Indians: Outfielder Chris Dickerson missed his second straight game with a sore left knee, but Francona said he will probably be able to play Sunday. Dickerson left Thursdays game when he made an awkward attempt to catch a fly ball that fell for a double. ON DECK Rangers: Right-hander Yu Darvish (10-6) will start the finale of the three-game series on Sunday. Darvishs 1.24 ERA in day games is the second-lowest in the AL, while his 2.90 season ERA ranks ninth. Indians: Right-hander Trevor Bauer (4-5) starts for Cleveland. He faced Texas for the first time in his career on June 6, allowing four earned runs in 6 1-3 innings and taking the loss. Vapormax Blanche 2020 . Johnny Manziel, college footballs most entertaining player with the reputation for pulling off magical plays, was selected with the No. Vapormax Homme Soldes . Samir Nasris 88th-minute equalizer at Etihad Stadium will be of little consolation to City, which is now six points behind league leader Liverpool and four points behind second-place Chelsea. Third-place City has a game in hand but the surprise result against Sunderland, coupled with Sundays 3-2 loss at Liverpool, may be a setback too far in its bid for a second championship in three seasons. http://www.vapormaxsolde.fr/basket-vapor...-grossiste.html. Only it wasnt the extended right pad of his old teammate Jonathan Bernier early in the final frame, it was James Reimer, who stole a night that was supposed to belong to the former King. Vapormax Plus a Vendre . Not Peyton Manning. Hes holding on to the heartache to stoke his competitive fire. Vapormax Femme Pas Cher . Minutes before the final whistle of Sporting Kansas Citys 3-0 victory over a shorthanded Montreal Impact squad on Saturday afternoon, Saputo tweeted: "Our fans deserve better.San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The 2014 Holiday Bowl is the first postseason venture pitting a pair of ranked foes against each other, as No. 25 Nebraska takes on No. 24 USC on Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium. Nebraska comes in sporting a 9-3 record (5-3 Big Ten), which by many standards would be considered a success, but to the Cornhuskers and their faithful fans, it meant another season of failed expectations. As a result, and partly due to his somewhat abrasive personality, Bo Pelini was relieved of his duties as head coach after seven solid seasons. The school has hired a new coach in former Oregon State head man and USC assistant Mike Riley, and while the Huskers will play this game under the direction of interim coach Barney Cotton, Riley has already begun to lay the groundwork for his tenure. Cotton had a pretty simple message for the team moving forward, four basic things that the team should rely on as it prepares for this game. I am basically telling them four things -- honor God with your effort. Honor your teammates with your effort. Honor Coach Bo (Pelini) with your loyalty and love and support, along with your effort. Cotton said. And lets reveal our character one last time in the Holiday Bowl. Nebraska has a long history of performing well in bowl games, this being the teams 51st postseason appearance (25-25). The Cornhuskers will be seeking their second straight bowl win after beating Georgia in the Gator Bowl last January, 24-19. USC won twice as many games as it lost this season (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12), but the team too underachieved in the eyes of its supporters. Still, head coach Steve Sarkisian isnt going anywhere as he had been entrusted with ushering in the next phase of the Trojans championship-or-bust run. USC is making its 49th official bowl appearance (32-16), and it blasted Fresno State in last years Las Vegas Bowl, 45-20. The Trojans are playing in the city of San Diego for just the seventh time, and the first since 1992. We are excited to go play in the Holiday Bowl and be the first USC team to do so, said Sarkisian, who previously guided Washington to the 2010 Holiday Bowl, where his Huskies beat Nebraska, 19-7. We get to play close to home and our fans will show up in force. Theyll get to see a pair of Top-25 teams with storied football heritages. Having been to the Holiday Bowl when I was at Washington, I know this bowl experience will be a good one for our players and fans. The series between these two stories programs features four previous meeting, with USC leading 3-0-1. The most recent encounters occurred during a home-and- home series in 2006-07, with the Trojans winning both times. Nebraska was one of the top scoring offenses in the Big Ten this season, putting up 37.4 ppg behind typical outputs of 248.dddddddddddd2 ypg rushing and 198.0 ypg passing. The Cornhuskers relied heavily on star RB Ameer Abdullah to carry much of the load, and he responded by totaling 1,523 yards and 18 TDs. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Jr. was next on the teams rushing list with 664 yards and five scores, while throwing for an additional 19 TDs and more than 2,300 yards, despite completing only 51.7 percent of his passes. Jordan Westerkamp and Kenny Bell were the guys Armstrong looked to most often, as they combined for 81 catches, 1,383 yards and nine scores. The Nebraska offensive line did a nice job in helping the backs average 5.5 ypc, while at the same time yielding only 19 sacks. The defense was middling unit compared to the other 13 teams in the Big Ten, the Huskers allowing 24.8 points and 372.8 yards per contest. Foes ran for more than 176 ypg against the Blackshirts, scoring 23 TDs on the ground to rank Nebraska fourth from the bottom in that category. The effort against the pass permitted fewer than 200 ypg, and the team recorded 27 sacks while ranking fourth in the league in opponents third-down conversion percentage (.307). The Cornhuskers were also among the league leaders in red zone defense (.805). Zaire Anderson has amassed 95 tackles to pace the unit, and that includes 12 TFL and two sacks, while Nate Gerry is second with 85 stops to go along with his club-best five interceptions. Randy Gregory has the most sacks of anyone on the roster with seven, and Josh Mitchell has been credited with a dozen PBU. Even though they averaged 35.1 points and 452.8 yards per outing, the Trojans were a middle-of-the-pack offensive team compared to the others calling the Pac-12 Conference home. Five teams churned out more yardage, although it wasnt for a lack of effort on the part of standout QB Cody Kessler, who hit the mark on an impressive 70.7 percent of his passes, doing so for more than 3,500 yards, 36 TDs and only four INTs. Also turning in sensation seasons were WR Nelson Agholor, who caught 97 balls for 1,223 yards and 11 scores, and RB Javorious Allen, who rumbled his way to 1,337 yards and nine TDs. Allowing 23.8 points and 400.2 yards per contest ranked the Trojans third and second, respectively in the conference, with their effort against the run (132.5 ypg) being the better of the two pursuits. USC ranked eighth in pass defense (267.7 ypg), but finished second in pass efficiency defense (118.5). Hayes Pullard logged a team-best 87 tackles during the 2014 campaign, while Sua Cravens had 16 of the squads 73 TFL. J.R. Tavai tallied seven of its 30 sacks. USC led the Pac-12 in opponents third-down conversion percentage (.352), while also pacing the league in interceptions with 13, although no player had more than two. ' ' '

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The New Orleans Pelicans were hoping for a quick start coming off a tough loss. They did just that, shooting extremely well early and building a big lead in a 99-84 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Eric Gordon scored 19 points to lead the Pelicans, and Anthony Davis had 18 points and nine rebounds. It was New Orleans first road win of the season and followed 104-98 loss to Phoenix on Tuesday. "We came out with a lot of defensive intensity, moving the ball, sharing the ball pretty well, and we got open shots," said Davis, who also had three blocks and three steals. "When we play like that, it is tough for us to get beat." Strong defence allowed the Pelicans to get out in transition and hit 13 of their first 16 shots. "We played really good defence," Gordon said. "It gave us opportunities to get fast-break points. We did that all night, and we really hunkered down defensively." Tyreke Evans had 16 points, Jrue Holiday scored 11 and Jason Smith finished with 10 points for New Orleans, which led by as many as 29 points in the fourth quarter. Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 26 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a cut that required three stitches. Marc Gasol had 11 points for Memphis, but connected on only 4 of 11 shots and grabbed one rebound. Memphis played most of the game without starting forward Zach Randolph, who left in the first half when his fiance, Faune, went into labour. The Grizzlies announced after halftime that Randolph made it to the hospital in time for the birth of their 7-pound, 4-ounce boy. While Randolph left to celebrate the birth of his child, two Memphis guard left the game with injuries. Jerryd Bayless sprained his right knee in the third quarter, then Conley left after he caught an inadvertent elbow from New Orleans guard Anthony Morrow. Bayless is day to day and Conley was expected to be at practice Thursday. New Orleans shot at least 50 per cent through most of the game before finishing at 49 per cent. The Pelicans outrebounded Memphis 39-29 and forced 18 turnovers. The Grizzlies committed eight turnovers in the first quarter, and the Pelicans made 14 of their first 20 shots in opening a 51-41 lead at halftime. It was a quick reversal from the home loss to the Suns. "When you lose the way that we lost (Tuesday) night, it leaves a sick feeling in your stomach," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. "I did expect us to play with a bit of passion and with a chip on our shoulders. I didnt know that we would come out and have the defensive quarters like we had." Things just kept getting worse for Memphis in the second half. New Orleans opened the third with an 8-1 run. Davis had 10 points in the quarter, and New Orleans extended the lead to as many as 23 points before carrying a 79-57 lead into the fourth. The Grizzlies were so frustrated that Gasol slammed the scorers table with both hands in anger as he headed to the huddle at the end of the third quarter. "Weve got to play better, play more as a unit and help each other," Gasol said. Brian Roberts scored on a 3-pointer and a jumper to start the fourth, and when Morrow scored on a layup after Memphis second straight turnover to make it 86-57, the Grizzlies fans started booing. The Memphis reserves made it a bit exciting in the fourth, crafting a 16-0 run, eventually cutting the Pelicans lead to 93-84 with 2:32 left. "We are a little frustrated," Conley said. "If we lost giving the effort that we normally give and laid it all out there, we would have been fine with that. I saw that we came back at the end, but we were never really in the game." NOTES: Memphis is now 0-3 vs. Southwest Division. The Grizzlies were 10-6 in the division last season. ... Memphis has trailed after three quarters in all five games this season. ... New Orleans, which entered the game with the best shooting percentage in the league beyond the arc at 52 per cent, connected on only 4 of 13 (31 per cent). Black Vapormax Womens Uk . Here is a look at all the moves through the first week of NHL Free Agency. The most significant deals will get the full Numbers Game column treatment, like these:Briere-for-Parenteau trade. White Vapormax Womens Uk . -- Billy Andrade hasnt played much competitive golf over the past four years. http://www.vapormaxwholesaleuk.com/whole...trainers.html.Y. - Sven Andrighetto scored once and set up two more as the Hamilton Bulldogs hung on to defeat the host Adirondack Flames 5-3 on Tuesday in American Hockey League action. Nike Vapormax Womens Trainers Sale .Y. - Phil Varone was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Rochester Americans edged the Toronto Marlies 3-2 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. Vapormax Trainers Uk . - After spending the morning in the hospital, Logan Couture gave the San Jose Sharks the spark they needed.Raleigh, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - The NC State Wolfpack continue their run through an ACC gauntlet, as they play host the second-ranked Duke Blue Devils on Sunday afternoon at PNC Arena. Mark Gottfrieds Wolfpack are a solid 11-5 on the season and 2-1 in conference play. However, NC State is coming off a 61-51 setback at No. 3 Virginia last Wednesday, and following this game against the Blue Devils, will play host to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Jan. 14. Mike Krzyzewskis Blue Devils are one of just three undefeated teams left in the country (Kentucky and Virginia are the others). Duke is 14-0 overall, 2-0 in conference play and opened the season with 13 straight double-digit victories. The team faced its toughest challenge to date on the road at Wake Forest on Wednesday, but was able to remain unbeaten with a 73-65 decision. Already the all-time winningest coach in Division I history (997 career victories), Coach K is closing in on 1,000 for his career. There is plenty of history between these two local rivals. Duke owns a 142-98 series advantage and has won nine of the last 11 meetings with NC State. With this being the 241st all-time meeting, this series is the second-most played rivalry in ACC history. The Blue Devils needed to play nearly flawless basketball down the stretch against Wake Forest and did just that, going 5-of-5 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line over the last five minutes to earn the win over the Demon Deacons and remain undefeated. Freshman Justise Winslow led the way with a career-high 20 points. Fellow freshman Jahlil Okafor recorded a double- double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon tacked oon 12 and 10 points, respectively.dddddddddddd Duke has the ability to win games at either end of the floor. The team has shown very few weaknesses thus far, averaging a stout 84.4 ppg on .518 shooting, while holding foes to just 60,9 ppg, while boasting of a +8.3 rebounding margin and a +2.7 turnover margin. Okafor came in as the nations top recruit and the 7-footer hasnt disappointed, leading the nation in field- goal percentage (.681), while pacing the team in both scoring (18.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg). Cook is the teams veteran, as the senior guard posted 14.4 ppg. Freshmen like Winslow 12.7 ppg), and Tyus Jones (10.0 ppg, 5.2 apg) add to the teams youth movement. NC State fell victim to Virginias suffocating defensive play, as the Wolfpack managed just 51 points on a less-than-stellar .397 shooting in Charlottesville this past week. Ralston Turner led the team in defeat with 14 points. Kyle Washington recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but leading scorer Trevor Lacey was just 3-of-11 from the floor and finished with just nine points. A transfer from Alabama, Lacey has fit right in as NC States top performer, trying to fill the void left by ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warrens departure. Lacey is shooting just under 50 percent from the floor and leads the team in scoring at 16.7 ppg. Turner is a nice second option at the offensive end at 13.1 ppg, while Anthony Barber (11.8 ppg) rounds out the teams top scoring threats. Averaging a modest 71.4 ppg this year, tight defensive play has been a huge asset. NC State is currently limiting foes to just 62.4 ppg and holding them under 40 percent accuracy from the floor (.385). ' ' '

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks brought the Stanley Cup home Tuesday and proceeded to take it on a pub crawl, with scores of ecstatic fans flocking to taverns and restaurants in hopes of catching a glimpse of their beloved players and the sacred trophy awarded to the NHL champion. Many fans, bleary eyed from staying up the night before to watch Game 6, looked to the skies for TV news helicopters that would alert them they were on the right track. Others set themselves up at bars, hoping the rumours from friends or Twitter might turn out to be true. "Weve been packed since 7 this morning." said Brad Tice, general manager of The Pony on Chicagos North Side. "In 2010 (the last time the Blackhawks won the cup) it came here, and players hang out here and live in the neighbourhood, so everyone is hoping it will show up." In suburban Oak Brook, fans descended on a restaurant said to be a favourite spot of Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. By midafternoon, the cup hadnt shown up at either spot. The trophy that turns into a drinking buddy once it is awarded to the National Hockey League champions had already put in a pretty full day. Though it hadnt made it to the runway of a strip club or the bottom of a swimming pool -- just two of the many places that players have taken it over the years -- it did make the rounds, stopping at two restaurants and the United Center, where the Blackhawks play, and a downtown steakhouse. "Im shaking, that was so cool," said 21-year-old Anne Fernandez after she reached out and touched the cup as Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough pulled it out of a black SUV in front of Phil Stefanis restaurant and held it aloft as so many players had on the ice in Boston the night before after their series-clinching win over the Bruins. Fernandez showed up after a rumour showed up on Twitter, while others got their tips from friends -- though nobody knew where this intelligence was coming from. "I got an email that said if I wanted to see the cup to be at 437 (the address of the steakhouse) in 15 minutes," said Carrie Williams, a 28-year-old magazine editor, who did not know how the emailer got that information. At about 4 a.m., the jet carrying the players and the Cup touched down at OHare International Airport, where they received a water cannon salute from about a dozen fire trucks and police cars, all with their lights flashing. Veteran forward Michal Handzus was the first player to emerge from the aircraft shortly after 4 a.m., hoisting the 35-pound cup above his head with both hands and shaking it several times. Guests, police officers and firemen cheered at the bottom of the stairs. Players, coaches and team officials mingled with the crowd for about 10 minutes before heading for the city to continue the party that began in Chicago shortly after the team stunned Boston by scoring twice in a 17-second span during the final 1:16 of the game. There was a stop at a Harry Carays restaurant in Rosemont -- the same first stop the Blackhawks made after winning the championship in 2010. There were more than 1,000 fans waiting, and players took turns hoisting the cup over their heads to screams of excitement. The Scout bar in the South Loop area of downtown was the next stop, as team members greeted cheering fans outside with high-fives before filing into the bar. "My (5-year-old) son stayed up to watch the game but I told him he could go over there if it was packed and we looked outside and it was packed so we went," said Ekta Joshi after she and her son, Kabir, went over to cheer the players. Because she and her husband know people who work there, she was one of the lucky few to be allowed inside, where they met some players and the coach. "He got a few autographs on his hat and Im sure hes showing it off at school now," Joshi said. After that stop, the cup made it out to the United Center. There were rumours that it was on the move and, in fact, McDonoughs driver at the steakhouse said earlier in the day when he drove off -- without the cup -- he saw in his rearview mirror TV news trucks that obviously thought he had it. ------ Freelance writer Matt Carlson contributed to this report. NMD Shoes Wholesale .J. -- Travis Zajac of the New Jersey Devils took a lot of grief considering his scored the first of his career-best three goals just 12 seconds into a crucial game against the Florida Panthers. Adidas NMD NZ Sale . The four-time Grand Slam champion has beaten Hantuchova nine straight times, with the Slovaks only win coming when they first played 10 years ago. "I had a tough first opponent who can play extremely good tennis," Sharapova said. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/adidas-falcon-cheap-nz.html. -- Lara Gut of Switzerland regained the overall World Cup lead with Sundays super-G win in Lake Louise, Alta. Cheap Adidas Shoes NZ . And all things considered, the first 40 games have offered a little bit of everything from a hockey club that faced many questions in its first year under new management, with a new head coach and with a number of new faces in the lineup. However, with a recent dip in scoring, it seems some of the same old questions persist and several new ones have been raised after a somewhat troubling homestand. Stan Smith Shoes NZ .com) - Richard Shermans two interceptions highlighted a dominant defensive effort, as the Seattle Seahawks routed the San Francisco 49ers in a highly anticipated NFC West Thanksgiving clash. ST. JOHNS, N.L. -- Its clear that if the St. Johns IceCaps want to win their American Hockey League playoff series against the Norfolk Admirals theyll need to solve goalie John Gibson. Gibson stopped 42 of 43 shots he faced to beat St. Johns 3-1 on Tuesday in Game 1 of their series, improving his 1.42 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage in four first-round playoff games. "Their goaltender is obviously really strong in net," IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge said. "He has the numbers he has in the playoffs for a reason and he was very strong for them tonight. I thought we did a good job of trying to get traffic in front of him. "Their defencemen did an excellent job boxing out and making our forwards work." St. Johns defenceman Will ONeill said the key to solving Gibson is the same as beating any hot goalie. "Just like (solving) any goalie, we need to get more traffic to the net," ONeill said. "I think second and third opportunities are where we are going to have success. We need bodies to the net and to (capitalize) on those opportunities." McCambridge said scoring the first goal would have been key Tuesday night. "I thought we had some opportunities," he said. &"Obviously we would have liked to get the first goal to build some momentum.dddddddddddd With regards to generating offence, I thought we generated some good scoring chances and had some decent traffic." Nic Kerdiles scored two goals and John Kurtz had the game-winner for Norfolk. Andrew Gordon replied for St. Johns, while IceCaps goalie Michael Hutchinson stopped 24 shots. Norfolk opened the scoring when Kerdiles one timed a wrist-shot from the slot 10:14 into the first period, finishing off a pass from Andre Petersson, who sent a pass from behind the net. St. Johns killed a 40-second 5-on-3 power play, starting at 13:15 in the first period. Despite the IceCaps outshooting the Admirals 18-5 in the second period, Gibson was impenetrable in the Norfolk net. St. Johns found the equalizer 3:20 into the third period when Gordon tipped in a heavy point shot just as a power play expired. Gibson saw little of the shot, if anything, as Jason Jaffray and Gordon had set up on the doorstep. Admirals forward Zack Strotini carried the puck to the net and, on the ensuing scramble, Kurtz tapped it in to retake the lead, 2-1, at the 7-minute mark of the third period. Kerdiles added an empty netter with 13.8 seconds left. ' ' '