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GLENDALE, Ariz. Jonas Valanciunas Raptors Jersey . -- It wouldnt bother Zack Greinke if he didnt have to travel for the Los Angeles Dodgers opener against Arizona in Australia. "I would say there is absolutely zero excitement about it," Greinke was quoted as saying in a story by ESPNLosAngeles.com last weekend. "There just isnt any excitement to it. I cant think of one reason to be excited for it." The Sydney Morning Herald reported that organizers of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 22-23 demanded an explanation from the Dodgers and Major League Baseball. Officials from the club and MLB assured them Monday that Greinke was speaking for only himself and not the entire team, according to the newspaper. Greinke hasnt talked to other media about the comments. He told ESPNLosAngeles he understood the reason for the trip. "Its a baseball thing," he was quoted as saying. "Its an ownership thing, spreading stuff around. Thats what its for, and its for the greater good of baseball." Dodgers President Stan Kasten said Greinkes comments were rooted in his detailed approach to spring training and his meticulous adherence to routine. Both habits, Kasten said, make him a good pitcher and great teammate. Greinkes teammates say they are looking forward to the trip. "Itll be fun to see what Sydney has to offer," first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. The trip is scheduled to start with a flight of about 16 hours from Phoenix after an exhibition against Colorado on March 16. The Dodgers are scheduled to return to Los Angeles on March 23 and play three exhibition games against the Los Angeles Angels before playing in MLBs North American opener at San Diego on March 30. "Its a long trip for us," said projected starter Dan Haren, who has a dressing stall next to Greinkes in the Dodgers spring training clubhouse. "But we have to think of the game. The actual trip will be a lot to handle, especially for the starting pitchers." Arizona and the Dodgers opened their training camps about a week before the other 28 big league clubs. "This is not a normal spring for us," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Tuesday. Because of the trip, the Dodgers are scheduled for about half of their usual total of spring training games. And they may alter their rotation. While two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and Greinke are their top two starters, Mattingly might not want them to get that many innings early with starts in both Australia and San Diego. Kershaw in theory could line up to start the season opener, the North American opener and the Dodgers home opener against San Francisco on April 4. Mattingly said he wont start Kershaw in all three. "Ill pitch when they tell me to," said Kershaw, who is scheduled to start Wednesdays exhibition opener against Arizona in Scottsdale. Mattingly said 10 days ago he will monitor the workload of Kershaw, who agreed last month to a $215 million, seven-year contract, the largest deal for a pitcher. Kershaw pitched a career-high 259 1-3 innings last season, including the playoffs Mattingly does say Josh Beckett wont make the trip. Beckett is fighting to re-claim his spot in the starting rotation after surgery in July to alleviate a nerve problem that affected his right hand. He had a rib and muscle tissue removed. "Im hoping were going to feel a sense of urgency, make sure our minds are right," Mattingly said. "Its not like were starting tomorrow and we have 37 spring games to play. "Weve got 19 games and then a game that counts." Bruno Caboclo Raptors Jersey . This time, Tebow was in a groove the entire second half -- not just in the waning minutes -- and his teammates on defence were getting gobbled up. Jason Thompson Jersey . However, Jim Popp isnt sure how long hell be able to admire wide receiver Duron Carter.MILWAUKEE -- San Diego Padres starter Josh Johnson is scheduled to undergo elbow ligament-replacement surgery for the second time and will miss the entire season. The right-hander, signed in November to an $8 million, one-year contract, was placed on the disabled list before the season began. He strained his elbow during spring training and the Padres initially thought he would be out about one month. Johnson had surgery on his right elbow in the off-season to remove bone spurs. He was examined after the lastest setback by Dr. James Andrews, who performed Tommy John surgery on Johnson in 2007. The 30-year-old Johnson was a two-time All-Star with the Marlins. He was 2-8 with a 6.20 ERA last season with Toronto. "This is a tough oone. Patrick Patterson Raptors Jersey. You know Josh Johnson has been banged up the last couple of years. He was really, really hopeful for this season," Padres manager Bud Black said before the teams game Wednesday night at Milwaukee. San Diego thought Johnson was over his problems following his off-season surgery. Black said Johnson will work hard to return to the mound. "Any time you go in for a second Tommy John surgery, it raises some eyebrows," Black said. "If anyone can come back, it is Josh Johnson." San Diego has also pitchers Cory Luebke and Casey Kelly on the disabled list due to Tommy John surgeries, and right-hander Joe Wieland is on the 60-day DL recovering from right elbow surgery. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

Frazer McLaren and Devan Dubnyk were placed on waivers Monday, two days ahead of Wednesdays trade deadline. Isco Jersey . The Toronto Maple Leafs forward and Nashville Predators goaltender highlighted Mondays waiver transactions, with Calgarys Chuck Kobasew and Edmontons Philip Larsen also being placed on waivers. The 26-year-old McLaren has no points and a minus-3 rating in 26 games with the Leafs this season. Dubnyk, who was traded from Edmonton to Nashville for Matt Hendricks earlier this season, has played in just two games for his new team this year. The 29-year-old has an .891 save percentage and 3.43 goals against average this season. Meanwhile, Davis Drewiske of the Montreal Canadiens cleared waivers Monday and was sent to Hamilton of the AHL. Paco Alcacer Spain Jersey . The club says its first-choice centre back "underwent medical tests on Wednesday morning" which confirmed he has injured his right hamstring. The injury was caused in the second minute of Tuesdays 4-1 league win over Real Sociedad in the Camp Nou when teammate Sergio Busquets accidentally struck Mascherano just above the knee with an outstretched boot. Sergio Rico Spain Jersey . Maricopa County spokeswoman Cari Gerchick says thats the finding from an autopsy conducted Thursday by the county Medical Examiners Office.With the playoffs around the corner, catch a doubleheader of action from the hardcourt tonight on TSN2. First, the Miami Heat will continue their march toward the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference when they welcome the Brooklyn Nets to AmericanAirlines Arena. Then with a playoff spot already locked up, the Houston Rockets can focus on postseason positioning when they open a three-game road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers. All the action gets underway on TSN2 at 8pm et/5pm pt. The Heat have won five of their last six and are one game clear of the Indiana Pacers for Eastern Conference supremacy. The two-time defending NBA champs have clinched a fourth straight Southeast Division title. After a heartbreaking one-point home loss in double-overtime to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, the Heat dispatched the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon. Miami prevailed, 102-91, and overcame an NBA record 10 made 3-pointers by New Yorks J.R. Smith. "You do your job and you live with the results," Miami forward LeBron James said. "We lived with the result of J.R. making some of those bombs." James led Miami with 38 points and six assists. Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh added 15 and 14 points, respectively for the Heat, while Ray Allen went 4- for-9 from long range for 12 points. Miami was without the services of Dwyane Wade (hamstring), Greg Oden (back) and Chris Andersen (back/knee). The Heat shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 44 percent from long range. They held the Knicks under 38 percent and will play three of their remaining five after Tuesday on the road. The Nets are also headed to the playoffs, but their seeding is still up in the air. They trail the Toronto Raptors by 2 1/2 games not only for the Atlantic Division lead, but also for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls are tied with the Raps for the No. 3 spot. Brooklyn has won two straight and five of its last six. The Nets started this three-game road trip with a four-point win in Philadelphia on Saturday night and will close out the sojourn in Orlando on Wednesday. The Nets snapped a three-game road losing streak with a 105-101 victory over the 76ers on Saturday. The Nets led by as many as 21 points in the second half but stumbled down the stretch, allowing Philly to pull within a point in the final minutes. Head coach Jason Kidd ran his bench players out late and that was the unit that nearly coughed up the huge lead. Mirza Teletovic, moments after air-balling a similar shot, drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 99-95 margin with 48.9 seconds to play, and Brooklyn hit 6-of-6 from the foul line in the final 30 seconds to hang on for the win. "I felt it gave us the opportunity to execute on some late-game stuff," said Kidd. "Guys made free throws and we got stops when we had to." Deron Williams posted 19 points and nine assists to lead the Nets. Mason Plumlee scored 16 points off the bench for Brooklyn, winners in five of six. Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce deposited 12 and 11 points, respectively. The Nets have taken all three meetings with the Heat this season and those wins halted a 13-game series losing streak. They could sweep the season series against thhe Heat for the first time since the 2002-03 season. Mario Gaspar Spain Jersey. The Nets are the only team the Heat havent beaten yet in the 2013-14 campaign. Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers (TSN2, 10:30pm et/7:30pm pt) With a playoff spot already locked up, the Houston Rockets can focus on postseason positioning when they open a three-game road trip Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets will makes stops in Denver and Minnesota on this trip and have a 20-17 record on the road. They are currently fourth in the Western Conference, sitting two games ahead of Portland and three behind the L.A. Clippers. Houston posted its seventh win in 10 tries with Sundays 130-125 overtime triumph against the Nuggets. James Harden scored 15 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, while Chandler Parsons scored eight points in the extra session and finished with 15 for the Rockets, who clinched a playoff berth in Fridays win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden scored 10 points in the final 3:55 of the fourth as part of a 16-3 quarter-closing run to help force overtime. Harden tied the game with 7.1 seconds left in regulation for Houston, which scored 13 of the 21 in OT. "Well we battled," said Rockets coach Kevin McHale. "We were not ready starting that game off. Our guys kept battling and James (Harden) made the huge 3 to get it to overtime, but other than that we were shaky." Harden is averaging 31.1 points in his last eight games. Dwight Howard (ankle) missed another game and is questionable Tuesday. Omer Asik has been filling in nicely for Howard and is posting an average of 12.0 points and 16.8 rebounds in his last five games -- all starts. He has three double-doubles in that stretch. A disappointing season for the Lakers couldnt end any sooner, but they still have five games left. Los Angeles is 25-52 on the season and has lost four in a row and 13 of the last 17 games. In Sundays 120-97 blowout loss to the rival Clippers, Jordan Hill had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the way. Nick Young scored 17 of his 18 points in the first half and was bothered by a balky knee. "We battled," said Lakers head coach Mike DAntoni. "We didnt have enough to win today. They focused more. They upped the ante and got us." Jodie Meeks had 17 points in defeat. L.A. was outrebounded by a 52-38 margin and committed 15 turnovers, leading to 24 Clippers points. Hill, meanwhile, is averaging 16.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in his last eight games -- all starts. The Lakers are opening a three-game homestand Tuesday versus Houston, Golden State and Memphis, and are 14-24 as the host. Lakers guard Kent Bazemore (foot) is done for the year and center Pau Gasol is expected to miss another game with vertigo. Gasol hasnt played since April 1 and has missed several games over the past few weeks. Guard Steve Nash (back) is probable versus the Rockets. Nash needs five assists to pass Mark Jackson for third on the NBAs all-time list. Only John Stockton (15,806), Jason Kidd (12,091) and Jackson (10,334) have dished out more assists than Nash (10,330). Houston is 2-1 against the Lakers this season, but has lost six of the previous eight as the guest in this series. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

No Jose Bautista, no problem. Emre Can Jersey . At least thats the hope for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night when they host the Chicago White Sox for the second of a four-game series. Bautista has missed four games thanks to a hamstring injury, but the Blue Jays have won three times while scoring 25 runs and compiling a .324 batting average without him. The teams 1-2-3 hitters -- Jose Reyes, Adam Lind and Melky Cabrera -- put together eight hits, four runs batted in and four runs scored in the series opener on Thursday. Bautista could be back for the weekend portion of the series. On the contrary, the Chicago pitching rotation has posted a 5.83 earned run average during an 11-game road stretch in which the White Sox have won just once. R.A. Dickey gets the starting call for the Blue Jays with a chance to end a two-start skid in which hes allowed just five runs in 14 1/3 innings, but had only four runs of offensive support. "I think all but one of my earned runs over my last four or five starts have come on home runs," Dickey said. "Thats tough to overcome." Hes unbeaten in his last seven starts at home, but the White Sox pasted him for seven runs in five innings of a 10-6 Chicago victory when they last met last season. Lefty John Danks goes for the White Sox and faces the Blue Jays for the seventh time. However, hes not met them since May 2011, when he lasted just four innings and gave up nine runs in a 13-4 loss. Danks was a 6-5 loser on Sunday at Minnesota while allowing six runs on 10 hits in five innings. On Thursday, J.A. Happ tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings as the Blue Jays blanked the White Sox, 7-0. Happ (7-4) struck out eight and scattered four hits while walking two for Toronto. Lind posted three hits and three RBI in the triumph, while Reyes had four hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Scott Carroll (2-4) yielded five runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings for the White Sox. Mesut Ozil Jersey .A. Happ is coming off his first start of the year, a win at Philadelphia Monday. The former Phillie allowed three hits in five scoreless frames of a 3-0 triumph. Blank Germany Jersey .com) - Markus Granlund scored the game-winning goal as the Calgary Flames used an early offensive flurry to defeat the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1, on Monday.ASHBURN, Va. - Ryan Clark is returning to the Washington Redskins after the veteran free agent safety agreed to a deal Monday. He was quickly welcomed by Robert Griffin III on Twitter, with Clark telling the franchise quarterback: "Lets go win a lot of games & have some fun!" Clark visited the Redskins earlier this month after he became a free agent following eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steeelers. Thomas Muller Jersey. Clark played in Washington in 2004-05, but the Redskins opted not to re-sign him and instead paid big money to Adam Archuleta, who became one of the top free agent busts in franchise history. Safety has been a top priority for Washington this off-season. The 34-year-old Clark would also add leadership to a defence that is losing captain London Fletcher, who plans to retire. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork. Joseph Young Pacers Jersey .com) - The second-ranked Florida State Seminoles and 12th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will collide at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday evening, with the Atlantic Coast Conference championship on the line. Jimbo Fishers Seminoles have staved off defeat more than a few times this season but have come through the battles unscathed, as they have now won 28 straight games. The defending national champions knocked off rival Florida last weekend, 24-19 to finish the regular season at 12-0. The team won the ACCs Atlantic Division a couple of weeks ago and is eyeing up its 15th ACC championship since joining the league in 1992. FSU is playing in its fifth ACC Title Game and fourth in the last five seasons. Paul Johnsons Yellow Jackets are a formidable obstacle in the way. Georgia Tech earned the Coastal Division title and will be playing in its third ACC Championship Game in the last six years. The Yellow Jackets moved to 10-2 on the season with a thrilling 30-24 overtime victory over archrival Georgia last weekend. Earlier this week, Johnson was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the third time. I accept this award on behalf of our football program - assistant coaches, players, staff, and everyone involved, Johnson said. As everyone knows, this is not a one-person award. I appreciate the honor. These two teams are meeting in the title game for the second time in the last three seasons. Florida State won that matchup (21-15) and holds a 13-9-1 series advantage all-time. The Seminoles have been playing with fire this season, but have not been burned yet, thanks in large part to Jameis Winston and his cool demeanor in the face of defeat. Last years Heisman winner has engineered three game- winning drives this season alone to keep the Seminoles win streak going. The offensive numbers on the year are pretty good, with the team averaging 34.6 ppg on 430.2 yards of total offense. A good portion of that yardage comes via Winstons arm, as FSUs signal caller has completed 65.1 percent of his passes, for 3,250 yards and 21 TDs. However, he has been prone to make mistakes in 2014, with a whopping 17 interceptions, including four last week against Florida. FSUs all-time leading receiver is at Winstons disposal on the outside, as senior Rashad Greene is having yet another stellar season, catching 86 balls, for 1,183 yards and five TDs. Tight end Nick OLeary (44 rec, 517 yds, 5 TDs) is a viable option downfield as well. The FSU ground game has posted modest numbers this season (131.2 ypg), but freshman Dalvin Cook has come on late and really showed signs of explosive play. He currently leads the team with 728 yards (5.9 ypc) and seven TDs. Fellow tailback Karlos Williams (609 yards, 10 TDs) can move the chains as well, although he is listed as questionable with concussion-like symptoms. Hell have to be judged, Fisher said of Williams. Well keep him out for a couple days no matter what. They always do that. Then day by day well see how hes doing. Florida State has shown itself vulnerable on the defensive side of the football this season, yielding 22.0 ppg on 371.1 yards of total offense. The team has recorded 23 takeaways, but just 17 sacks in 12 games. Linebackers Reggie Northrup (101 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Terrance Smith (83 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 2 FF) lead in the way in the middle of the defense. Defensive backs Jalen Ramsey (69 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 2 INT, 2 FF) and P.J. Williams (51 tackles, 1 INT) highlight the play in the secondary, while Mario Edwards Jr. (41 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) and Eddie Goldman (35 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks) have been productive up front. The Yellow Jackets prefer to run the ball right down the throats of the opposition and they use their potent triple-option to near perfection week-in and week-out. Georgia Tech is averaging 333.8 yards per game on the ground, ranking third in the nation in rushing. Everything is set up by redshirt sophomore quarterback Justin Thomas. The 5-11, 189-pounder leads the team in rushing with 861 yards and five TDs, while showing rarely seen passing skills for a Tech QB, throwing for 1,460 yards and 16 TDs this year. Of course, Thomas isnt the only Yellow Jacket chewing up yardage on the ground. Both Zach Laskey (748 yards, 8 TDs) and Synjyn Days (686 yards 3 TDs) have contributed a great deal. In all, Georgia Tech has scored 37 times this year via the run. The team may have to rely even more on the run than usual, as Techs top receiving threat DeAndre Smelter (35 rec, 715 yds, 7 TDs) tore his ACL against Georgia and is out. Georgia Techs defense hasnt quite kept pace with its explosive offense this season, but has had its moments of dominant play. In all, the team is giving up 24.1 ppg, on .388.8 yards of offense and has forced 27 turnovers this year. Linebacker P.J. Davis is the teams top tackler and is closing in on the century mark in stops with 97 on the year. He also has four sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles to his credit. Fellow LB Quayshawn Nealy (84 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 2 INT, 3 FR) has made his share of plays as well. Freshman DE KeShun Freeman (46 tackles) leads the team in TFL (9.0) and sacks (4.5), while safety Jamal Golden (46 tackles) paces the team in INTs (4). Mark Jackson Pacers Jersey . Hes even holding a bat on one of his 2014 baseball cards. So far, hes playing like his picture. Ty Lawson Pacers Jersey . - Florida State has suspended Jameis Winston for the entire game against Clemson on Saturday, extending its initial punishment of one half after the quarterback made offensive and vulgar comments about female anatomy earlier this week.MELBOURNE, Australia - Andy Murray beat Portugals Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-1, 7-5 at the Australian Open on Friday to set up a 4th round clash with Grigor Dimitrov.The sixth-seeded Murray is attempting to become the first man to win the Australian Open after losing three times in the final. He lost to Novak Djokovic in 2013 and 2011 and Roger Federer in 2010.His next match against thee 10th-seeded Dimitrov will be a reprise of their Wimbledon quarterfinal last year, won by the Bulgarian. Mark Jackson Jersey. .With coach Amelie Mauresmo watching from the stands, Murray has yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park.He said, Ive played three quite quick matches, which helps. You expect with every round theyre going to get a little longer, tougher on the body. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

CINCINNATI - The Bengals defence is getting closer to full strength with Pro Bowl linebacker Vontaze Burfict practicing in helmet and pads on Wednesday. Landry Jones Oklahoma Jersey . Given how the last game went, its an encouraging sign.Cincinnatis defence played its worst game in years, losing at New England 43-17 on Sunday night. The Patriots piled up 505 yards, the most against a Bengals defence since 2007.Burfict has missed the last two games while recovering from his second concussion of the season. The Bengals missed tackles, had breakdowns in coverage and got pushed around in New England without Burfict in the middle of the defence.Cincinnati (3-1) hosts Carolina (3-2) on Sunday. The Bengals lead the AFC North, while the Panthers are atop the NFC South.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Archie Manning Ole Miss Jersey . - Kentucky freshmen Stanley Boom Williams, Dorian Baker, Drew Barker and Tymere Dubose have been charged with disorderly conduct for their involvement with air pistol shots being fired near a residence hall on the South campus Sunday night. Brian Bosworth Oklahoma Jersey . TSN platforms will broadcast 75+ live games per season – tripling the networks current slate of MLB games.  With the new deal TSN retains rights to ESPNs SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL and, for the first time, acquires rights to ESPNs MONDAY NIGHT BASEBALL and WEDNESDAY NIGHT BASEBALL.If I ever needed a brain transplant, Id choose a sportswriter because Id want a brain that had never been used.- Norm Van Brocklin When I was 13, I transferred to a new school for the first time. I had spent ten years from junior kindergarten through Grade 8 at the northwest corner of Bathurst Street and Viewmount Avenue in midtown Toronto. It was my home court advantage. I knew the roll of the rims and the carom of the walls and which teachers were lax at taking attendance. It couldnt last forever. At some point a promotion was coming, and my record setting minor league career wouldnt matter once new maths and makeup-laden girls challenged all that I had honed. I was heading to St. Andrews Junior High. Grade 9. The Show. Embarking on my first day in the wilds of the public school system, I knew I had to make my mark early. Mr. Pelech, my clever English teacher, noticed my t-shirt just minutes into the first class. It was a tattered, ink-drenched Grateful Dead concert tee. He remarked that "Grateful Dead" was an example of a contradiction. Contra what now? Coach tapped my shoulder and I hopped the boards. I proceeded to argue with a shellshocked Mr. Pelech for several minutes. My arguments were lithe, varied and completely illogical, but I had been trained to stand my ground no matter how ridiculous my position. Eventually, a hapless Mr. Pelech scanned the class and sputtered, "Just who is this guy?" Each one of my classmates shook their heads sheepishly as if to say uh, dont look at me. Mark made. Within two weeks I owned that school. They didnt realize the repressed explosiveness that ten years of private school Yiddish lessons would unleash. It is in this brazen spirit I introduce myself to you now, Dear Reader, as your new weekly columnist for Bardown. Why was I chosen as The One to guide you through the international sports landscape, particularly with so many scribes vying for your sports-saturated eyeballs? Commence the elucidation (AKA bring da noize): Basketball. This is my wheelhouse. I know all the lyrics to Kurtis Blows Basketball and I have for decades. I own a Sweet Georgia Brown-humming Harlem Globetrotters pinball machine from 1979. I still play pickup every week at a local high school against stiff competition in their very extremely late twenties. Also, I was an associate producer for the Toronto Towers of the NBA for nearly 500 games, post-games, pre-games and exactly five playoff games. Ooh, another thing, I call the Toronto Raptors the Toronto Towers because I have some self-respect. Baseball. I spent five teenage summers selling peanuts outside the Dome under the alias Mike Simmons. Despite a promising career as a sidearm Eephus pitch-throwing specialist, the leagues advanced scouts were never able to unravel the mysteries of my potential, because apparently throwing over the plate was a "prerequisite for success". Racists. I submit that using the All Star Game to decide home field advantage in the World Series is akin to the winner of the submission portion of Americas Funniest Home Videos determining the nominees for The Oscars Best Picture award. Also, you can thank me for getting the old Blue Jays logo back, as days after writing this piiece, the marketing director for the Jays was following me on Twitter, and months later a new logo was born. Brandon Weeden Oklahoma State Jersey. Also, my therapist says I have something called a narcissistic personality disorder. Football. In 1998, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue the dream of being rich and famous which is why you know me so well today. That same year I became a fan of an upstart outfit known as the Baltimore Ravens because I thought Ray Lewis was almost definitely innocent of murder and I am obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe. Fifteen glorious seasons later I have two championship rings (made of foil and buttons) as my testament. I have correctly predicted, in pre-season, the Super Bowl participants for 13 consecutive years and I defy you to prove otherwise. (Note: Please dont reference my Twitter feed. Just be cool. This claim is all I have.) Hockey. I worked camera on the 2003 documentary A Day in the Life of the Maple Leafs so I know a thing or two about hockey. Well, exactly two things. One, when I was eight years old, my teenage neighbour convinced me his Mats Naslund rookie card could be mine for the extremely low price of my 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gurtski rookie card. (Note: I have forgotten how to spell that particular Edmonton Oilers name. At least my night terrors have subsided.) Two, I have developed an algorithm demonstrating the NHL to be the worst run league in the history of Industry. It involves a complicated geometric measurement involving my eyes and common sense. (A fact I will gladly prove over and over again until they, oh I dont know, realign the conferences to have an equal amount of teams. Lets start there.) Fantasy Sports. I Am Legend. In its heyday of 2001, my sprawling website, mikegallay.com, was a sports fantasy powerhouse boasting 16 writers covering all sports, catering to an audience of nearly 16 unique daily readers (and fans of ravines who misspelled mygulley.com). Chances are, if you were a Canadian sports fan in the early 2000s, you were reading articles about topics we also covered on mikegallay.com. The Professor And Mary Ann. I will happily cover all the secondary sports every time a participant either murders someone, is attacked by a spouse using the tools of their own sport, has sex on camera on TMZ, or breaks an important racial, cultural or gender barrier while also keeping our interest for more than eight minutes. Thats my pledge. Am I the precisely correct author to bring you whimsical, satirical, deadly accurate analysis of the sports that matter to you? Absolutely. And can I say that with total sincerity because part of my contract stipulates I have no editor? Two for two. Have I earned your attention to read my column next week? Lets put it this way. My topic will be 23 Ways to Make Over 7K a Week Working Part Time From Your Couch. My third column will be Bardown Seeks New Columnist, No Experience Required.   Gallays Poll #1 What would you like to see Gallay write about in his next column? a) A 20,000-word essay conclusively proving Mike is the third Williams sister. b) Doug Gilmours Secret Recipes for 3am Snacks. c) My Weekend In The Hamptons With Barry Bonds. d) No column, just use this space to expand Badminton coverage. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

The Chicago Blackhawks try to open up the season with a third straight victory on Wednesday night when they resume their homestand against the Calgary Flames. Samuel Umtiti Barcelona Jersey . The Blackhawks began the season with a road shootout win over Dallas and then kicked off a four-game residency with Saturdays 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Patrick Kane scored the first of four third-period goals for Chicago, while Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Daniel Carcillo all tallied in the final frame. Andrew Shaw and Duncan Keith netted third-period goals. Corey Crawford made 21 saves in the win for Chicago. I didnt mind, even though it was 2-2 after 40 (minutes), I liked the way we played for the first 40 (minutes), but I really liked the third period, obviously. It was nice to get that go-ahead goal, said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. Crawford expects to start again tonight and is 3-2-2 in his career versus the Flames with a 2.75 goals against average and .897 save percentage in seven meetings, all but one of those starts. The Flames play for a second straight night looking to build off of a 3-2 shootout win over Nashville. Joe Colborne had the lone shootout tally for the Flames on Tuesday and Karri Ramo made saves on James Neal and Olli Jokinen. Defensemen Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie both had a goal and assist to resume their hot start. Giordano has four assists and five points through four games, while Brodie has notched a pair of goals and two assists. Ramo turned away 19 shots for the Flames, who have split their first four games of the season and play the fourth contest of a six-game road trip tonight. I didnt see many pucks today, but made a couple key saves, Ramo said. Jonas Hiller will start in net tonight for Calgary looking for his first victory of the season and with the franchise. He has yielded seven goals on 71 shots in losing his first two starts of the season after signing with the club this past offseason. Hiller is 10-6-2 with a 2.30 GAA and .927 save percentage in 19 career starts against the Blackhawks. The Flames won two of three versus the Blackhawks last season, including a 3-2 overtime victory on Nov. 3, 2013 that snapped a 10-game series road losing streak. It was Calgarys first win in Chicago since March 16, 2008. Ivan Rakitic Barcelona Jersey . The teams were scoreless for most of the first two periods before Canada scored three times in a span of less than four minutes. Sarah Potomak opened the scoring on the power play. Xavi Hernandez Jersey . He could have transferred when academic sanctions barred the Huskies from the NCAA tournament his junior season.NAPLES, Fla. -- Even though he has beaten Bernhard Langer twice down the stretch for Champions Tour titles, Kirk Triplett isnt ready to say hes the German stars nemesis. "No," Triplett said. "Were just going to say the sample size is still very small." The 51-year-old Triplett won the ACE Group Classic on Sunday for his third Champions Tour title, holing a 6-foot par putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory. Triplett shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 16-under 200 on TwinEagles Talon Course. He won the 50-and-over tours Pebble Beach event the last two years after winning three times on the PGA Tour. "Ive never won out here on this side of the world," Triplett said. "Im a West Coast guy through and through, so to win on this Bermuda grass is, I think, a little bit of a minor miracle for me." Langer, the defending champion, Duffy Waldorf and Olin Browne tied for second. Playing in the final threesome, Triplett, Langer and Waldorf were tied for the lead with a hole to play. In Tripletts last win at Pebble Beach, he also was paired with Langer, who has owned this event the last three years, winning in 2011 and 2013 and finishing second behind Kenny Perry in 2012. "Hes awesome to play with," Triplett said. "Im telling you, you know the guy, hes such a great competitor and hes such a nice man. We were joking last week, If you shot one shot worse than Bernhhard every day all year, what would you finish on the money list? Somebody goes, Second, right? because it just feels that way sometimes. Andre Gomes Barcelona Jersey. ." On the par-4 18th, Waldorf drove into a bunker and wound up with a bogey for a 66. "I hit a bad drive," he said. "So I mean, it was a bad drive. The pin was in a tough spot. I laid up fine, but I spun my wedge a lot and just didnt -- I didnt hit it close enough to have a chance for par." Admittedly using the wrong club, Langers second shot sailed left, and his 12-footer for par curled around the cup for bogey and a 67. Tripletts second shot from a divot landed about 25 feet from the pin. His birdie putt went past the hole and he made the 6-footer for the victory. "You want to make birdies but you dont want to make bogeys and youre thinking to yourself, 4s not going to lose this probably, " Triplett said. "I mean, it might. If it does, if it loses the 18th hole, you look the guy in the eye, shake his hand and say, Well done, sir. "It wasnt the best (putt) I made all day, but it was good enough." Langer has finished in the top 10 in 40 of the last 48 tournaments hes played in. The German star won the season-opening event in Hawaii last month for his 19th Champions Tour title. Waldorf, coming off a playoff loss to Michael Allen last week in Boca Raton in the Allianz Championship, almost holed out on the par-3 16th. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

Den Bosch, The Netherlands (SportsNetwork. Sebastian Rudy Jersey .com) - Dutchwoman Michaella Krajicek won her opening match at the Topshelf Open on Monday, then got engaged after the match. Following Krajiceks 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Slovakias Jana Cepelova, she was surprised by boyfriend Martin Emmrich, a German on the ATP World Tour. He proposed on the court and Krajicek said yes. "It was a huge surprise," said Krajicek. "We spoke about marriage a couple of times before, but I didnt expect it now. Its very special. Im really happy and I feel so lucky that he did it like this. We met here one year ago and I think its such a very special place to do it." Other winners Monday included Belgiums Kirsten Flipkens, Spains Garbine Muguruza and the Czech Republics Klara Koukalova. The sixth-seeded Flipkens, last years runner-up, thumped Slovenias Polana Hercog, 6-4, 6-0, while the seventh-seeded Muguruza eased past Dutch wild card Lesley Kerkhove, 6-4, 6-2. Koukalova, the eighth seed, outlasted Spains Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-2. American qualifier Coco Vandeweghe advanced with a three-set win over New Zealands Marina Erakovic, while German qualifier Mona Barthel advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Russian Maria Kirilenko. Germanys Annika Beck knocked off Israeli qualifier Julia Glushko in straight sets and the Ukraines Elina Svitolina dropped just three games in a pasting of Japans Kurumi Nara. The top four seeds are all set for play Tuesday. Simona Halep, the defending champion and top seed, will take on qualifier Olga Govortsova of Belarus, while second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia will meet Kazakhstans Yaroslava Shvedova. Third seed Eugenie Bouchard of Canada will square off against American Vania King and fourth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain will battle Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic. Leroy Sane Germany Jersey . Right-hander Ricky Nolasco and the Twins agreed to terms on a free-agent contract Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. Sebastian Rudy Germany Jersey . LOUIS -- The St.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady looked into the end zone and found his favourite receiver. Rob Gronkowski caught the ball then slammed it to the ground. The familiar spike was back after the star tight ends first touchdown of an injury-delayed season. So was the Patriots offence. Brady shook off the inconsistency of his first eight games, threw for season-highs of 432 yards and four touchdowns and led New England to a 55-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. "You throw it, they catch it, they run with it," he said. "It makes a good day for a quarterback." The Patriots (7-2) go into their bye week with a two-game lead in the AFC East despite playing mediocre football for most of the first half of the season. The 55 points were the most scored in an NFL game this season and the most ever against the Steelers (2-6). The Patriots 610 yards were the third most in team history and the most ever allowed by Pittsburgh. "We are going to comb through this with a fine tooth comb," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, "and those people who are lacking effort wont be playing. Its just that simple." Brady had 252 yards passing in the first half, more than in five of his other eight games. And 119 of those came on seven catches by Gronkowski in his third game since missing the first six recovering from surgeries on his left forearm and back. He finished with a career-high nine catches for 143 yards. He caught his 19-yard touchdown pass with 4:30 gone in the second quarter as the Patriots took a 14-0 lead. "It felt great out there," Gronkowski said. "It was important for us to play this way. Until now, we hadnt been clicking for all four quarters." The Steelers wasted a solid performance by Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 28 of 48 passes for 400 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. The excitement began before the game when Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, accompanied by several teammates, carried the World Series trophy onto the field. "Im not sure exactly how it all happened today," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "Maybe we got inspiration from the Red Sox." The Patriots gained the most yards in the NFL last season but were just 18th in that category going into Sundays game. And Brady threw for just 116 yards a week earlier in a 27-17 win over the Miami Dolphins. But he was sharp all day Sunday, completing 23 of 33 passes against a deefence that let receivers run free for several long receptions, including a 57-yarder to Danny Amendola that set up Stephen Gostkowskis 20-yard field goal that made it 17-3. Toni Kroos Jersey. Brady threw scoring passes of 34 yards to Amendola, and 17 and 81 yards to Aaron Dobson, while Stevan Ridley rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns as part of a 197-yard ground game. The Patriots led 24-10 at halftime before the Steelers tied it on their first two series of the third quarter on Roethlisbergers touchdown passes to Jerricho Cotchery of 20 and 8 yards. He added a 6-yarder to Cotchery midway through the fourth quarter that made it 41-31. But two plays after the kickoff, Brady launched a pass down the left sideline that Dobson caught at the Steelers 40 and carried into the end zone. LeGarrette Blount got the final touchdown on a 5-yard run with 2:41 left. Three Patriots had more than 100 yards receiving, Gronkowskis 143, Dobson with 130 and Amendola with 122. "Its embarrassing for our organization to give up points like that," Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. Brady "is the most accomplished quarterback of our era. Tom Brady played like Tom Brady." Roethlisberger turned the ball over twice on his first two series when he fumbled then threw an interception. "Were all angry and disappointed," Roethlisberger said, Brady "is good, so you know that your mistakes have to be limited." After Gronkowskis touchdown, Pittsburghs Shaun Suisham and Gostkowski traded field goals before Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a 27-yard touchdown. It was the 200th touchdown pass of Roethlisbergers career, second in Steelers history to Terry Bradshaws 212. The Patriots got the ball back with 1:50 left in the half and went 77 yards on nine plays to a 1-yard scoring run by Ridley. After Cotchery tied it at 24, the Patriots took the lead for good on Gostkowskis 32-yard field goal. "When (Gronkowskis) healthy and on the field, hes tough to stop," Brady said, "Its been a process for us, but at the bye week, 7-2 is not bad and, hopefully, our best footballs ahead of us." NOTES: The Patriots scored at least 50 points for the sixth time with Brady as their starting quarterback. ... New England has 36 straight games with at least one takeaway, the current longest streak in the NFL. ... The Steelers fell to 2-6 for the first time since 2006, the season after they won the Super Bowl. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers arent just winning games this week. Ivan Rakitic Barcelona Jersey . They are making history. One night after Rajai Davis hit Detroits first game-ending grand slam in 10 years, Rick Porcello significantly raised the bar. In a 3-0 win over Oakland, Porcello became just the fourth pitcher in franchise history to throw a shutout without walking or striking out a batter, and the first since Dizzy Trout in 1944. Porcello was slightly disappointed by his 95-pitch outing, even after learning how rare it was. "In the last couple innings, I was hoping Id get at least one strikeout," he said. "I didnt want to go out there and put up a zero. Still, with a game like this, Im certainly not going to trade it in for anything." Porcello recorded 17 groundball outs and 10 in the air while becoming the first major-leaguer to accomplish the feat since Baltimores Jeff Ballard on Aug. 21, 1989. Porcello was eight months old when Ballard did it against Milwaukee. "To be honest, it was pretty boring out there," said Torii Hunter, who didnt record an out in right field. "But that just shows you how great he was tonight. He was throwing that sinker right down the middle, and it was dropping out of the strike zone, and they were just beating it into the ground." The As got three singles and a double, and only got one runner to third base. "Our guys were swinging at strikes, but everything was moving," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Hes got a good sinker and a good change-up, and now hes mixing in a good breaking ball to keep you off balance. Thats just a very well-pitched game by him." Porcellos night might have been historic, but it certainly didnt come out of the blue. He pitched his first career shutout in his previous start, beating the Rangers on June 26, and pitched six shutout innings against Cleveland on June 20. "I dont want to jinx it," he joked when asked about his shutout streak. "All I know is that Im throwing the ball really well right now, Im making consistent pitches when I need them, and my defence is helping me out. Im also getting some good breaks, which every pitcher needs." Porcello (11-4) only had one career complete game before this stretch, but is now the first Tigers pitcher since Jack Morris to throw back-to-back shutouts. Morris threw three in a row in July, 1986. "Obviously, Rick is throwing the ball extremely well right now," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He had a great curveball and changeup tonight, and the sinker was better than that. It makes my job a lot easier when the starter has only thrown 88 pitches through eight innings." Brad Mills (1-1) took the loss for Oakland, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in six-plus innings. The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Miguel Cabrera walked, took third on J.D. Martinezs double and scored on a groundout by Hunter. Oakland, in the meantime, was becoming the latest team to struggle for answers against Porcello, managing only two hits in the first six innings. Martinez, starting for the second straight night while Victor Martinez deals with soreness in his left side, made it 3-0 with a two-run homer in the sixth. After moving into the everyday lineup in early June, J.D. Martinez is hitting .376 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 19 games. "I threw him a change, and I think he was sitting on it," Mills said. "I certainly didnt locate it where I wanted it." After that, the only suspense was if Porcello could finish off the shutout, and do it with a double-digit pitch count. He accomplished both, becoming the first Tigers pitcher to throw a shutout in under 100 pitches since Armando Galarraga in 2010. That was the game Galarraga had to face an extra hitter after first base umpire Jim Joyce blew the call on what should have been the last out in a perfect game. NOTES: Victor Martinez took batting practice before the game, and told Ausmus that he could play, but Ausmus decided to rest him for another day. ... Tigers 3B Nick Castellanos took full advantage of his position in Detroits shifted defence, picking up a pair of 5-3 assists while playing in short right field. ... Oakland C Derek Norris is getting closer to returning from a sore back, and could play in Wednesdays series finale. ... The time of the game was 2:13, meaning that a 7:08 start ended less than 10 minutes after sunset. ... As OF Yoenis Cespedes sat out after leaving Mondays game with a cramp in his hamstring, but Melvin said he will be available on Wednesday. Jordi Alba Jersey . - Young and old. Xavi Hernandez Barcelona Jersey . The Maple Leafs will play on the road for the first time this season after dropping home contests to Montreal and Pittsburgh to begin the campaign. After losing a one-goal decision to the Canadiens on Wednesday, they were bested 5-2 on Saturday by the Penguins.CLEVELAND -- Defenceman Matt Hunwick scored the winner with a short-handed goal in the third period as the Lake Erie Monsters snapped Torontos three-game winning streak, edging the Marlies 2-1 in American Hockey League action Thursday. Troy Bodies power-play goal at 19:01 of the first period gave Toronto (12-8-11) a 1-0 lead. Denis Suarez Barcelona Jersey. Bryan Lerg tied it for Lake Erie (11-9-1) with a power-play goal in the second period. Calvin Pickard turned back 30 shots for the Monsters, while Marlies goalie Christopher Gibson stopped 21. The Marlies were 1 for 7 on the power play, and the Monsters were 1 for 5. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

The Florida Panthers have signed centre Dave Bolland to a five-year contract worth an average annual value of $5. Juan Fernando Quintero Colombia Jersey .5 million. Bolland played just 23 games last season in his first year with the Toronto Maple Leafs after an ankle injury suffered early in the season. He was effective for the Leafs when he did play, scoring eight goals and four assists in 23 games, all but two of those points coming in the 15 games before he went down due to injury. He is coming off a five-year deal he signed with Chicago prior to the 2009-10 season worth an average annual value of $3.375 million. The Mimico, Ont. native spent the first six years of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning two Stanley Cups in the process, before the team dealt him to Toronto at the 2013 NHL Draft. The 28-year-old forward has 78 goals and 102 assists for 180 points over 355 career games in the NHL. Bolland was drafted by Chicago in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The Panthers also signed forward Jussi Jokinen to a four-year deal worth an average annual value of $4 million. In 81 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013-14 Jokinen scored 21 goals and added 36 assists for 57 points, the second-highest single-season total of his career. He is coming off a three-year contract that paid him an average annual value of $3 million. Jokinen spent his first full year with the Penguins this past season after being dealt to the team at the 2013 trade deadline by the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also spent time with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning over his 10-year NHL career. The 31-year-old forward has 149 goals and 265 assists for 414 points over 660 career games in the NHL. Jokinen, a native of Finland, was drafted by Dallas in the sixth round (192nd overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He has represented Finland on the international stage on numerous occasions, most recently winning bronze at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Florida would also add forward Shawn Thornton to a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $1.2 million. The Panthers also signed centre Derek MacKenzie to a contract. The 33-year-old scored nine goals and added nine assists in 71 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013-2014. The Panthers added another veteran later in the day, signing defenceman Willie Mitchell to a two-year, $8.5 million contract. Juan Camilo Zuniga Colombia Jersey . The All-Pro left tackle agreed to a five-year contract with the Eagles on Wednesday. Peters was signed for 2014, and his new deal adds four years through 2018. Stefan Medina Jersey . Granlund scored 2:04 into the first period. Max Reinhart, on his first NHL shift of the season, neatly stripped the puck from Zack Smith at the Senators blue-line. As he moved in, his attempted shot deflected into the slot where Granlund buried a shot past Craig Anderson.CHARLOTTE, N.C. - With 2.7 seconds left in the second overtime and the game tied, an exhausted Lance Stephenson looked at Steve Clifford and said, Cmon Coach, draw me up a play.So Clifford did.Stephenson inbounded the ball to Marvin Williams, got it back off a handoff and knocked down a 33-foot jumper off the glass at the buzzer to lift the Charlotte Hornets to a 122-119 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.Stephenson, who played 47 minutes, celebrated by racing to the scorers table and leaping on top. He started pounding his chest as the teal and purple-clad crowd went wild.Stephenson said hes hit shots to tie games before but had never hit a game-winner at any level of basketball.For me to hit that big shot, there was a lot of emotion that came out, Stephenson said. I got real hyped.When asked if he called bank, Stephenson laughed and said, I cant hit a swish yet, so I tried to throw it off the backboard and it went in.Stephenson registered his first double-double with the Hornets, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds.I havent made a shot all season long, said Stephenson, who shot 26.7 per cent in his first five games with his new team. Hopefully that will give me more confidence to keep hitting more shots.Al Jefferson scored a season-high 34 points and reserve Gary Neal added 23 points as the Hornets (3-3) beat the Hawks in Charlotte for the first time since 2011, snapping a six-game home losing streak to their division rivals.Al Horford led Atlanta (1-3) with 24 points and Jeff Teague added 22. Kyle Korver had 20.The Hornets had a chance to win the game in regulation when Jefferson missed a key free throw with 9.9 seconds left that would have given his team a one-point lead, and also surrendered a six-point lead in the first overtime.With the game tied at the end of the second overtime, Kemba Walker drove, lost his balance and threw up a shot that missed the rim, resulting in a 24-second violation with 2.7 seconds left. That gave the Hawks a chance to win it, but Korver was called for an illegal screen on Williams at midcourt, giving the ball back to the Hornetss with no time elapsed off the clock. Felipe Aguilar Jersey. The offensive foul on Korver left Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer a little upset.The league is working really hard to gauge when players were overreacting, Budenholzer said. I think it may have been case where Kyle set a good screen. Thats part of the game. Calls go against you. I obviously dont agree with it.It was an exhausting, physical game that took its toll in the players.Jefferson said he was thankful Stephenson hit the shot when he did, saying he didnt think he could have played another five-minute overtime period.Lance is as tough as nails, those New York guys, Jefferson said. You see when he got the ball what he did with it.The Hawks had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but Paul Millsap missed an 18-footer at the buzzer.The Hornets had a six-point lead in overtime with 24 seconds left, but managed to waste that away. Teague hit a driving layup and Korver knocked down a 3-pointer after Atlanta won a jump ball, trimming the Charlotte lead to 108-107 with 12 seconds left.Walker was fouled on the inbounds pass and hit two free throws to push the lead to three. Mike Scott missed a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left, but the ball bounced off Walker. This time, Scott buried a 3-pointer from the right baseline on an inbounds play under the Hawks basket.___TIP-INSHawks: The Hawks have shared the ball well, entering the game averaging an NBA-high 26 assists per game. They had 28 against Charlotte.Hornets: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games with a rib injury. ... The Hornets head out on a four-game West Coast swing that includes games against the Lakers, Trail Blazers, Suns and Warriors.MOVING ON UPRookie P.J. Hairston replaced Gerald Henderson as the first player off the bench for the Hornets and had an immediate impact, knocking down a 3-pointer from the corner and drawing a foul to complete a four-point play. However, those were his only points in 12 minutes.UP NEXTHawks: Host New York Knicks on Saturday night.Hornets: At Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. 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BAD GASTEIN, Austria -- The 147th-ranked Shelby Rogers upset Sara Errani of Italy 7-6 (12), 6-3 at the Gastein Ladies tournament on Saturday to reach her first career WTA final. Amir Johnson Jersey . The American, who won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw and hadnt beaten a top-50 player before the event, will face the fourth-seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany in Sundays final. Petkovic, who beat Grace Min of the United States 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the first semifinal that was interrupted by rain for 1 1/2 hours, won the first of her three career titles here in 2009. Petkovic and Rogers have not played each other before. Rogers, who is from South Carolina, saved four set points against the 14th-ranked Errani before converting her fifth chance in the tiebreaker of the opening set. In the second set, Rogers came back from a break down and closed out the win with a backhand winner on her first match point. Errani, who won the doubles at Wimbledon last week and was looking to reach her third singles final of the year and first since losing to Serena Williams in Rome in May, criticized the humid conditions on the clay court. After slipping and losing the point at 10-10 in the tiebreaker, Errani talked with WTA supervisor Martina Lutkova who judged the conditions were okay for play to continue. Errani, who was seeded second, had already been unhappy after Fridays quarterfinals, comparing the centre court to "a swimming pool." Petkovic reached her second final of the season after winning in Charleston in April. The 20th-ranked German broke Mins serve twice coming from 5-1 down in the opening set but then lost her serve at 5-4. The German used three more breaks in the second to level the match. Petkovic broke Min again at 3-3 in the final set and missed one match point on the Americans serve before closing out the match in the next game. The 138th-ranked Min had not been beyond the second round of a WTA event before. The American had drawn top-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the opening round but the Italian pulled out injured shortly before the match. Jonas Valanciunas Raptors Jersey . Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros. Delon Wright Jersey . INJURIES - Reds RF Jay Bruce is facing knee surgery for a torn meniscus and it could cost him a month of playing time. Chris Heisey, who has shown some pop (43 home runs, .MINSK, Belarus -- From a disallowed goal to a penalty kill in the final minutes, Team Canada didnt enjoy a lot of easy moments in beating Norway 3-2. But thats exactly how coach Dave Tippett wanted it, as his team got the regulation victory it needed Tuesday to finish first in Group A at the world hockey championship. "We played well, and I like that we got pushed right to the end," Tippett said. "If it wouldve been a 5-1 or 6-1 game, maybe you get into bad habits, you just kind of float through it. This pushed us as a team, and the harder you get pushed as a team the better you get in a short amount of time. I like the fact that we won the game, obviously, but I like the fact that it was a close game." It was close because Norway took the lead, and then Canada had a would-be goal by Kevin Bieksa waved off for goaltender interference because Jonathan Huberdeau had his stick in the crease. And it remained close even after Joel Ward scored the second of his two goals, the eventual game winner, midway through the third because Norway didnt go away. Canada outshot Norway 42-16 and only beat goaltender Steffen Soberg three times, on Wards two on the power play and Mark Scheifeles at even strength. Meanwhile, James Reimer gave up goals to Anders Bastiansen and Mads Hansen that came about from defensive miscues but still improved to 3-0-1 in the tournament. "This is one of those games where you really just have to grind it out and battle because they protect so well, they collapse so well, and sometimes you just pass the puck around the outside but you cant really get to the good scoring areas," Reimer said. "I think were just happy to grind this one out." Canada, which finished the preliminary round with 18 points and a 6-0-1 record, will face Finland in Group B in the quarter-final round Thursday. Along the way, the Canadians outscored opponents 28-13, and their only blemish was a shootout loss to France. Tippett seemed pleased with his teams progression to this point. "Most of our players didnt play for three weeks and as you get back into game shape, your game starts to elevate," he said. "Every game our players continue to pick up a step." Finishing first in the group assured Canada of avoiding powerhouse Russia until a potential gold-medal game Sunday. The United States, led by Tyler Johnson and Seth Jones, could wind up on Canadas side of the bracket, pending the result of Russia-Belarus on Tuesday night. The chance to pass Sweden for first place almost slipped away Tuesday agaiinst Norway at Chizhovka-Arena. DeMarre Carroll Jersey. Canada fell behind on a power-play goal by Bastiansen and then had to overcome some frustration later in the first. It looked like Bieksa scored a power-play goal at the 15:01 mark, but it was waved off apparently because Huberdeau had his stick in the crease. Tippett said the referee wouldnt come over to explain the decision, which seemed to stem from the IIHF rule that an attacking player cannot have even his stick blade in the crease when the puck goes into the net. "I didnt think my skate was in the crease. I guess it was the stick," Huberdeau said. "I dont know the call, but it was the call and you cant do anything. Its not a big deal." It wouldve been a much bigger deal had it cost Canada the chance to win in regulation. But with seven power plays, including five after Bieksas goal was disallowed, there were plenty of opportunities to keep it from being the reason for a loss. "We were not going to let one call ruin the whole day for us," said Ward, who now has six goals and is tied with teammate Cody Hodgson and Frances Antoine Roussel for second in the tournament behind Russias Viktor Tikhonov. Canada managed to grind away at Norway enough, and Tippett had special praise for the fourth line of Ward, Scheifele and Sean Monahan. "We had lots of opportunities, but (the Norwegians) kept the game very tight," Tippett said. "They did a good job penalty-killing against us, and I was proud of our guys to just keep pushing, not get frustrated and hopefully wed find the chances we needed to win." Once they did, the Canadians could start to look ahead to elimination play. "Get some playoffs going here," Reimer said. "To get going to the quarter-finals here, I think were jelling well as a team. We have some good chemistry. Hopefully things bode well in the playoffs." NOTES -- Alex Burrows missed his second straight game with a charley horse suffered in a knee-on-knee hit Friday against Italy. Tippett said he skated each of the past two days, would practise with the team the next time it was on the ice and would be ready to play in Thursdays quarter-final game. ... Reimer approached Soberg, who made 39 saves on 42 shots, after the game to ask why he wasnt playing in the NHL. Soberg was a 2011 fourth-round pick of the Washington Capitals and refused to come to North America to play for the WHLs Swift Current Broncos, opting instead to continue playing in Norway. The Capitals lost Sobergs rights last summer, making him an NHL free agent. 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