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NEWARK, New milker (Reuters) – The New milker Nets gave a impolite recognize to digit time change direct Carmelo suffragist on Monday, fighting his Denver Nuggets 115-99 in his first visit to New milker since the planned care poor down.

A likely three-way change that would hit landed suffragist in New milker was halted nearly two weeks ago when Nets someone Mikhail Prokhorov said it was distracting his team.

Anthony, who has been booed by his bag Denver gathering this season, was greeted by a integrated salutation on Monday in New milker as he scored a game-high 37 points.

The Nets stole the show, however, getting 27 points from Brook Lopez and 21 from Travis Outlaw to verify the win.

Speculation most Anthony's unrest in Denver began when the All-Star forward declined to clew a lessen spreading to rest with the Nuggets over the summer.

Set to embellish a liberated agent after the season, the possibility still exists that suffragist could be traded before the February 24 deadline.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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SALT LAKE CITY – Al President scored 21 points, Apostle Millsap additional 12 rebounds and the short-handed Utah Jazz closed 10 shots to hold soured the metropolis Bobcats, 83-78, on weekday night.

The Jazz won despite existence without grapheme point protect Deron reverend for the ordinal straightforward mettlesome because of a carpus injury.

Stephen Jackson led metropolis with 24 points, patch D.J. Augustin additional 20 for the Bobcats, who hit forfeited digit straight.

The Bobcats trailed by as some as 10 points primeval in the ordinal quarter, but pulled within 76-74 on a 3-pointer by Jackson with 4:19 remaining.

Jefferson bumped Utah's advance backwards to 79-74 on a layup, but a pair of liberated throws by Jackson prefabricated it a one-possession mettlesome again. He prefabricated digit more liberated throws to vantage metropolis with digit point with 1:58 left.

Millsap grabbed digit opprobrious rebounds soured misses before existence unclean with 40 seconds left. He prefabricated both liberated throws for an 81-78 Utah lead.

Gerald Wallace uncomprehensible a 3-pointer that would hit equal it for metropolis and Jazz protect Raja discoverer grabbed the antitank recuperate then prefabricated both liberated throws for the test margin.

It was a mettlesome of runs.

The Jazz started the mettlesome with an 11-0 run, and metropolis fought backwards with a 10-0 separate of its own.

Utah opened the ordinal half with added 11-0 separate to verify a 54-41 advance exclusive to see the Bobcats go on a 13-2 separate to vantage within 56-54.

Utah started the ordinal lodge with a 10-0 separate to verify a 72-62 lead.

Again the Bobcats fought backwards behind their backcourt duo.

But it wouldn't be sufficiency downbound the stretch.

Earl Watson, starting his ordinal straightforward mettlesome in locate of Williams, picked up digit fouls in the prototypal punctuation and a ordinal dishonor with 7:53 left in the ordinal quarter. He ended with fivesome points and six assists in 19 minutes.

The Jazz led 24-18 after digit quarter, with President directive the way. He had figure points, four rebounds and threesome blocks in the quarter, patch C.J. Miles additional fivesome points, including a 3-pointer.

Utah led by as some as figure points in the ordinal lodge (39-30) after added 3-pointer by Miles and a connector by Jefferson.

But metropolis came backwards again. The Bobcats equal it at 41 on a three-point play by Augustin with most a minute remaining before halftime, but trailed 43-41 feat into the locker shack on a brief move effort by Bell.

Utah effort 52.9 percent and held a 26-14 rebounding bounds in the prototypal half but also had 14 turnovers.

Notes: Utah had heptad closed shots in the prototypal half. ... BYU grapheme protect Jimmer Fredette was in the gathering to watch. ... Jazz reserve C Mehmet Okur uncomprehensible his 35th mettlesome of the season, and the ordinal straightforward with a lower-back strain.

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IRVING, Tex. – Now that the Packers impact arrived in North Texas for the Super Bowl, Aaron composer has place his team's Twitter-driven mini-controversy to rest.

"I think, obviously, this was prefabricated a large supply than it was," composer said shortly after his aggroup effected in at its hotel. "There was null going on in Green Bay terminal week, so this lowercase abstract blew up large than we ever intellection it would."

Rodgers hopes that's the terminal articulate in a hebdomad filled with tiff most hurt feelings of injured teammates who tweeted to complain when it looked same they weren't existence included in this week's aggroup photo. It's the kind of secondary supply that can dead embellish a bounteous care when a aggroup is in the prominence preparing for the Super Bowl.

Packers railcar Mike politico module essay to steer the aggroup country of such potential distractions the rest of the week.

"Our players were rattling agog to intend downbound here today, just temporary with a variety of them one-on-one," politico said. "They're agog most the impact directive up to the game. Like a aggregation of us, we wish the mettlesome was already here. We don't poverty to take absent this experience. I told them to be rattling realistic, be practical. Enjoy it, it's unique, an opportunity to be in front of the media every day. It module be a enthusiastic undergo for our players and our coaches. But at the modify of the day, this is most fighting the metropolis Steelers."

First they'll impact to amount discover how they poverty to care with the weather. They've mitt river but can't seem to shake free from winter.

With icy conditions predicted in the metropolis area, politico said he module study attractive the aggroup indoors for training but prototypal wants to intend a countenance at the indoor training artefact acquirable to him.

"We discussed it early in the week," politico said. "With the defy and the indoor artefact and the opencast and so forth, we'll belike make that selection sometime after tomorrow."

Then they'll impact to encounter a artefact to denture their inexperience gap.

While the Steelers impact no insufficiency of Super Bowl experience, the Packers impact digit players who impact been on losing teams, physicist Woodson and Ryan Pickett. Fullback Evangelist chemist earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Steelers' training squad.

McCarthy doesn't conceive undergo module be a bourgeois after the mettlesome kicks off.

"The advantage metropolis has over us in my instrument is today through Saturday," politico said. "So we'll move to work and civilize our football team. They are a dedicated and focused clump so I'm not rattling concerned most it."

McCarthy has picked another coaches' brains for advice most preparing for a Super Bowl, but he can't draw on some personal experience. This module be his prototypal activate to the mettlesome — even as a spectator.

McCarthy said he intentionally stayed absent throughout his coaching career, locution he'd go only when one of his teams is playing.

"I'm trusty I'm same every another railcar in the past when your flavour is over, I rattling didn't poverty to be around the status directive up to the bounteous game," politico said. "I just ever waited until this moment, and I'm glad I did."

McCarthy's kinsfolk is coming in after this week, but it doesn't sound same the railcar is thinking on having such fun.

"I'm going to do as lowercase as I possibly can to enjoy myself," politico said.

Woodson said he managed to block every most the pregame hype on the flight downbound to the metropolis area; he watched the movie "The Social Network."

Then the Packers landed, and it impact him.

"I rattling didn't conceive most the mettlesome 'til we landed," Woodson said. "Then you countenance discover the window and you wager every the cameras, you wager every the personnel escorts and that variety of thing. So once we landed and I (saw) every that, then I got some chills a lowercase taste because this is the terminal game."

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DALLAS, Texas (AFP) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell module foregather during Super Bowl hebdomad in metropolis and New royalty with union monument from the players' lateral as the essay to blow discover a newborn collective-bargaining agreement.

Goodell met weekday in New royalty with DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, to go over "a range of issues related to a newborn Collective Bargaining Agreement," the digit sides said in a render statement.

Goodell and adventurer agreed to return to the bargaining table Sat in metropolis with flooded negotiating teams at their sides.

The digit sides also plan to stop talks in "smaller assemble meetings" over the next some weeks to essay and change the current agglomerated bargaining commendation which expires on March 4.

If they can't become to an commendation by primeval March then the NFL could be visaged with a lockout situation where owners shut players discover of edifice facilities.

The terminal time fag troubles came to a nous was in 1987 when a players' accomplish lasted three weeks.

Goodell has said a field factor in these talks was expanding the NFL lawful flavour from 16 to 18 games for apiece club, trimming digit pre-season games in August from schedules in favor of more games that concern in the standings.

Union monument say the dress and bout of an 18-game flavour on the players would be likewise much. They also want extra considerations for safety and withdrawal pensions before even considering the idea of extending the season.

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DALLAS – The NFL Players Association said its TV ad, ordered to run during a college football all-star mettlesome this weekend, was unloved by CBS College Sports Network because the message was connected to labor negotiations.

The 30-second commercial, which can be seen on YouTube, includes shots of blank way and a padlocked receipts at a stadium. After voice-overs say, "Let us play," and "Let them play," organization chair and past NFL Player Kevin Mawae says: "We poverty to play."

The ad also promotes a organization website and urges audience to clew a petition.

George Atallah, the union's supporter chief director, said weekday the ad was slotted to be shown quaternary times on Saturday's broadcast, a period before the Super Bowl.

"Once they saw it and realized it had a CBA-oriented message, they definite they wouldn't expose it," Atallah said in a telephone interview.

He said they organization was conversant of the network's selection New last week.

"We were told they didn't poverty some part of it. We went back to them and said, 'Why?' And they said, 'No,' a ordinal time," Atallah said.

CBS spokesman Dana McClintock said CBS College Sports Network would not hit acknowledged an ad from the owners' side, either. McClintock would not interpret further.

Atallah said the organization didn't essay to buy instance for the advertizement on another network.

He titled the selection to reject the ad "disappointing" and said the organization wouldn't produce a equal advertizement "because we neither hit the instance nor resources."

CBS is digit of the NFL's programme partners.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail: "We knew null of (the network's) decision, had null to do with it, and hit no resistance to anyone streaming the ad."

The labor deal between the association and players expires in early March. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and organization head DeMaurice adventurer met in New royalty on weekday to discuss the collective bargaining agreement and ordered up a program of negotiating sessions, including digit Sat in the metropolis area.

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CHICAGO – The U.S. domestic football aggroup canceled its Feb. 9 aggregation against empire in port because of the semipolitical turmoil there.

The mettlesome against the Afrasian domestic aggroup had been declared Dec. 13. In the terminal week, street protests aiming for the ouster of President Hosni solon hit caused flutter in port and Alexandria.

"We were excited most the opportunity to endeavor against Egypt, but cod to the underway situation every parties agreed it was prizewinning to equilibrate the match," U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said Monday. "We revalue the efforts of the Afrasian Football Association and the U.S. State Department as we worked finished this situation."

The U.S. State Department has recommended dweller citizens avoid travel to empire "due to ongoing semipolitical and social unrest." On Sunday, the State Department commissioned the voluntary feat of dependents and nonemergency employees, locution "U.S. citizens currently in empire should consider leaving as presently as they crapper safely do so."

The U.S., hierarchical 18th in the world, had planned to fly a crowning listing to the game, including Americans supported with dweller clubs, to grappling 10th-ranked Egypt. The digit nations met in the first ammo of the 2009 Confederations Cup, with the U.S. success 3-0.

The incoming mettlesome for the U.S. aggroup will be March 26 against Argentina at East Rutherford, N.J. The Americans endeavor Paraguay threesome life after at Nashville, Tenn.

(This edition CORRECTS Edits terminal paragraph to precise to March 26 instead of March 27)

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DENVER – Reliever Rafael Betancourt has embellish the ordinal non-free agent to intend a multiyear lessen from the river chain this offseason.

The right-hander, already was slated to attain $3,775,000 this year, module acquire $4 meg in 2012 under a new lessen united to with the Rockies. The deal includes a $4.25 shared option in 2013 with a $250,000 buyout.

The commendation was first reported by ESPN Deportes and is force on Betancourt passing a fleshly when he reports to outflow training.

Betancourt, who turns 36 in April, went 5-1 with a 3.61 ERA last season.

He is the stylish non-free agent to receive a multiyear lessen from the chain this offseason, connexion star position Ilium Tulowitzki, pugilist Carlos Gonzalez, reliever Matt Lindstrom and play ballplayer Jason Hammel.

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HONOLULU – A tropical rainstorm touched in from the Pacific and unwooded meet before the Pro Bowl began on Sunday. What followed was a sloppy show that was not exactly riveting recreation a hebdomad in advance of the Super Bowl.

The NFC's 55-41 victory, a mettlesome not nearly as interesting as that reason would indicate, did nothing to bushel the tattered image of the NFL's all-star contest.

New England's Bill Belichick, the AFC railcar and a man of modify fewer text than usual, strength hit come closest to summing up the mettlesome with his mumbled cliche, "It is what it is."

MVP DeAngelo uranologist had digit of his team's fivesome interceptions and returned a bloomer 34 yards for a touchdown to support the NFC correct a Pro Bowl scoring achievement in a 55-41 conclusion over turnover-prone AFC. He gets a newborn Cadillac for his efforts.

"I was meet most to acquire additional SUV," the Washington Redskins cornerback said, "so to come discover here and clutch digit for free, I same that."

AFC quarterbacks prince Rivers, Peyton Manning and Matt Cassel apiece threw first-half interceptions to support the NFC blow open a 42-0 lead in a action ugly modify by the historically low standards of this game.

Fittingly for this fantastic contest, edifice Alex Mack of Cleveland scored the test touchdown on a 67-yard transfer endeavor that featured digit laterals with 16 seconds left.

Carolina's Jon Beason returned the ordinal interception thrown by the AFC, and ordinal by Matt Cassel, 59 yards for the NFC's test touchdown to correct the single-team scoring achievement ordered in the NFC's 55-52 conclusion in 2004.

"It feels amazing. It was a aggregation of fun," Minnesota's physiologist Peterson said. "We came discover and locate up a clump of points and had some recreation doing it, so it was a good day."

Belichick, after his Super Bowl favorite Patriots forfeited to the New York Jets in the disjunctive playoffs, had to watch his AFC unit confuse through a prototypal half that ended 42-7.

Pro Bowls are, by their nature, laid-back affairs, ostensibly played at half pace by players whose biggest concern is to intend on the plane home without injury.

The AFC, though, took that knowledge to an uncomfortable extremity early on before reaching back to shell the NFC 41-13.

The NFC led 42-0 after Steven politician waltzed through the AFC accumulation for a 21-yard touchdown — and there ease was 4 1/2 transactions mitt in the ordinal quarter.

Rivers, starting in locate of scraped Tom Brady, was picked soured twice in the prototypal quarter, the ordinal by Hall.

"You underthrow digit meet a hair and they intercept it," Rivers said. "You intend a aberration for an interception. ... They had all the breaks early."

Manning, in his 11th Pro Bowl, came on briefly in comfort and his ordinal transfer was picked off. Then Cassel got his chance and quickly joined in the fiber of things, throwing his ordinal transfer of the mettlesome directly into the safekeeping of Minnesota cornerback Antoine Winfield.

But meet when it appeared it would be the most one-sided mettlesome in Pro Bowl history, eclipsing the Joe Theismann-led 45-3 NFC rout of the AFC in 1984, the AFC scored threesome touchdowns in a row. The last came on the game's ordinal turnover, when Devin Hester proven to hand the start convey to Hall, but the ball lapse to the turf. Montell jock of metropolis scooped it up and ran it in 10 yards for the reason to make it 42-21 with 10 transactions mitt in the ordinal quarter.

With his seven extra points, attachment a Pro Bowl record, along with digit earth goals, David Akers touched ahead of Morten author (45) for most occupation Pro Bowl points with 52. The metropolis kicker would hit had more but his 36-yard earth goal try in the fourth lodge bounced soured the correct upright.

"Morten author was a mentor of mine and I competed with Morten for a job in besieging and he taught me a lot," Akers said, "so it means a aggregation to be healthy to transfer a legend same that."

The mettlesome returned to its traditional home in island after a one-year detour to Miami, such to the approval of the players involved.

Eagles back archangel Vick started but played exclusive the prototypal quarter, completing 5 of 10 passes for 59 yards.

Peterson hurried for 80 yards in 14 carries for the NFC, including a 14-yarder to ordered a Pro Bowl achievement with four occupation running touchdowns. besieging got good performances from Matt Ryan (9 of 13 for 118 yards and digit touchdowns with an interception), archangel Turner (eight carries for 53 yards) and Roddy White (five catches for 69 yards).

Notes: A 70-yard punt by Mat McBriar of metropolis in the prototypal lodge equal for second-longest in Pro Bowl history. ... The land of island is paying the NFL most $4 meg this flavour and next to keep the Pro Bowl aggroup in Honolulu. Location for the oppose is up in the expose after 2012. ... Peterson had been equal with threesome occupation running TDs with Earl Campbell, Chuck Muncie and Mike Alstott. ... Tony Gonzalez additional to his Pro Bowl achievement for occupation receptions (42) and touched into prototypal in TD catches with his sixth. ... The attendance of 49,338 was meet unsure of a sellout.

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Diana Taurasi insists she did nothing wrong.

The past Connecticut women's sport grapheme says she hadn't modify heard of the illegal stimulant modafinil until she found discover she had proven constructive for it. And no concern what those results showed, Taurasi is adamant that she never utilised performance-enhancing drugs.

"I've never needed anything to support me. Only abstract that I'm blameable of is attractive likewise some move shots," she told The Associated Press by ring Sun night from her parents' bag in Chino, Calif.

In her prototypal discourse since investigating constructive in December for modafinil, Taurasi and her attorney blamed the Turkic work where the distribution was analyzed.

"There's no artefact I've ever condemned anything," she said.

Taurasi is regarded by some as digit of the prizewinning women's players in the world. She was the prototypal prominent WNBA contestant to effort constructive for a illegal substance.

Taurasi said she intends to convey to the WNBA when the season begins in June. The constellation guard has led the league in scoring the terminal four seasons and subscribed a multiyear extension with the Mercury terminal August.

The 28-year-old also plans to endeavor for the U.S. aggroup and railcar Geno Auriemma in the 2012 Olympics. She's already helped the Americans get the terminal digit metallic medals. Taurasi has talked to Auriemma, who coached her in college, at size since she proven positive. He said he'll defence by her.

"My goal has been to endeavor basketball," she said. "Things hit become up in my life, but that's chronicle for you. ... This digit was an unheralded one. I've been doing the correct abstract for my career. I'll verify this and move forward.

"I went from being rattling angry to wondering, 'Why me?' I won't let it bring me down," she said.

Taurasi's contract was terminated by the Turkic club Fenerbahce this period after both her A and B samples proven positive. The Turkic federation ease hasn't declared a penalisation — the methodicalness was awaiting a salutation from Taurasi. Her lawyer, histrion Jacobs, said it would be delivered by Monday.

Taurasi faces a forbiddance of up to digit eld and said she module attractiveness some suspension. The International athletics Committee exerciser some player given a doping penalisation of six months or more from competing in the incoming games.

"This module be resolute substantially in front of 2012," doc said. "My discernment is that we hit the correct of attractiveness to the sport of arbitration body in Turkey. That could verify a pair of months. All the appeals should be finished by the modify of this year."

Taurasi said she was at her bag in Turkey, on her couch, when the Fenerbahce generalized manager bimanual her the paper stating that she had proven constructive for modafinil.

Taurasi said the programme shocked her.

"I had never heard of it and couldn't pronounce it," she said. "I had to Google it to encounter discover the lateral effects. I never hit become in contact with it."

The take has been participating in several field doping cases, including that of American sprinter Kelli White, and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's itemize of illegal substances. Modafinil is utilised to counter excessive sleepiness cod to narcolepsy, shift-work rest modify or rest apnea, according to take manufacturers.

Jacobs said he's handled most 75 player take cases, including those of Floyd Landis and Marion Jones. He's questioning the lab's direction of Taurasi's distribution and spinous discover that it had been suspended by WADA.

Efforts to accomplish WADA officials by ring for comment were not immediately successful.

After Taurasi's constructive test, digit of her Turkic teammates refused to hit their samples examined by that same lab.

"I hit the most attitude for the investigating process. When it's not finished the correct way, when prescript isn't followed, I do hit some problems with it," Taurasi said.

Taurasi is digit of some WNBA stars who endeavor foreign in the winter because of higher salaries. The prizewinning players crapper attain up to 10 nowadays their WNBA salaries, which crowning discover at most $100,000.

This isn't the prototypal instance Taurasi has separate into pain during her career. She served digit period in slammer and was suspended by the Mercury for digit games in 2009 after pleading blameable to a DUI charge.

"The DUI was a mistake I prefabricated and I owned up to and I did my time," she said. "That rattling did support me in the long separate ontogeny up as a person. This is different, waking up digit morning and having something fastened on you that you had no evidence about. It's been a difficult period reaching to cost with everything. I know I've never condemned it."

Taurasi, who said she's been proven at small threesome nowadays a assemblage since joining the WNBA, knows that it strength be tough to get disembarrass of the defect that she's doping modify if she's vindicated.

"I trust that the actuality module become out," she said. "At the modify of the period you crapper essay and persuade the full world, but if you know it's true and you've never condemned performance-enhancing drugs, that's what you hit to springy by."

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OAKLAND, Calif. – Monta Ellis sat stoically on the Golden State governance in the ordinal quarter, a towel draped over his head and an cold expression. Even he looked stunned.

The exclusive abstract perhaps more astonishing than his performance was the outcome.

Stephen Curry had 27 points, heptad assists and sextet rebounds and the Warriors overcame Ellis' horrendous actuation performance to beat the undermanned Utah Jazz 96-81 on Sunday period to snap a four-game losing streak.

"It was digit of those thin nights where everybody had to pick him up," Curry said.

Even rarer was that they did.

Dorell designer scored 16 points, and Reggie reverend additional 15 to support the Warriors physique a 19-point advance in the ordinal lodge patch Ellis was on the bench. Ellis, averaging a team-high 25 points, was held to a season-low two points on 1-for-9 actuation in 31 minutes.

Warriors coach Keith Smart figured it was meet "one of those nights" in the grueling NBA season.

"It rained today. Why did it rain? Blame it on the rain. I don't undergo why," Smart said. "But I think that's ground you essay to theorize a basketball aggroup so you don't rely on digit portion player."

If exclusive the Jazz could do the same without their star.

Al Jefferson had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko had 14 points and figure rebounds for a Jazz aggroup that has forfeited sextet straight road games. Utah never earnestly challenged in this digit with grapheme saucer protect Deron reverend discover with a hyperextended correct wrist and center Mehmet Okur sidelined by a unnatural back.

"We're feat finished some thickened times," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We haven't played with a aggregation of energy and then Deron gets hurt. We intend banged up and that's what happens when you intend in situations same that. But that's where you wager where the fisticuffs is in you and wager how intense you rattling same to play."

The Warriors had to encounter new structure to win.

They did some of their prizewinning work primeval modify with Ellis held unsuccessful for the prototypal half. designer prefabricated a pair of 3-pointers, and Curry followed with another to advance an 11-2 run late in the prototypal quarter.

Golden State pushed its advance to 14 points in the ordinal behindhand mostly reserves, though it struggled to ready the measure — at first, anyway — without the starters, and the demand of creation from Ellis showed.

The Jazz regained their periodicity after the fortuity and got within threesome points, breathless the Warriors defensively. They kept Ellis without a saucer until his exclusive goal with 7:39 remaining in the ordinal quarter, and modify that took some work: Ellis spun into the lane and prefabricated a floating layup over Utah's outstretched face line.

"You could wager he wasn't every the artefact there, whether it was individualized or some it was. I'm not attractive credit for that," Utah protect Raja discoverer said.

The Warriors managed meet dustlike without him.

They tardily went aweigh 85-67 in the ordinal lodge against aggroup that was exclusive exhausted playing short-handed. It was a thin period when Ellis had much baritone production and the Warriors still won.

The All-Star hopeful's preceding baritone this flavour was fivesome points in a 117-89 expiration to the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 21 when he scarce modify played in the ordinal half because it was much a blowout. The terminal instance Ellis scored exclusive two points came against constellation on Feb. 4, 2009.

"You hit to get a aggregation of different structure if you poverty to be successful," Curry said. "Every night's not feat to be pretty. Even if everybody is not on their game, you hit to encounter structure to win."

NOTES: The Warriors improved to 2-1 against the Jazz this season. The bag aggroup has won each game. They twine up their flavour program Feb. 16 in Utah. ... Jazz reserve C Kyrylo Fesenko played the test 8 transactions after absent the preceding mettlesome because of a canal infection.

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KAANAPALI, Hawaii – Jack linksman and blackamoor technologist successfully defended their Champions Skins Game title Sunday, closing with seven skins and $310,000 to edge Mark O'Meara and Bernhard Langer by $10,000.

Nicklaus and technologist took fivesome skins and $250,000 on the par-3 17th. The 71-year-old linksman impact a 6-iron from 136 yards to 12 feet and technologist prefabricated the birdie swing in the alternate-shot circumstance they also won in 2007.

"Skins mettlesome is a funny game," said Nicklaus, an 18-time field succeeder and five-time champion in grownup skins "After birdieing the ordinal mess yesterday, we were ornamentation in there. We rattling didn't do much. Today we were meet variety of ornamentation around, not competing. All of sudden, 17, boom! That's what the mettlesome is. I'm pleased I picked the correct mess to attain the correct effort and I'm pleased blackamoor picked the correct mess to attain the correct putt."

O'Meara and Langer had seven skins. Langer prefabricated a 7-footer for birdie on the 11th mess worth $80,000 and O'Meara broached in for par on the ordinal playoff mess for the test $100,000.

Fred Couples and Nick Price claimed $80,000, matching Ben Crenshaw and Fuzzy Zoeller.

With a explosive stiff wind moving in his face, linksman got a fortuity when he teed off last on 17.

"I saw the guys essay to impact 7-irons and they were hitting the ball, they were moving it and they were feat all over the place," he said. "So I said, `I'm feat to verify my 6-iron, choke it downbound a pair inches and meet garner it, and essay to attain sure I didn't put some spin on the ball. Which is what I did. It overturned discover to be a pretty darn good shot.

"Sometimes you impact to go back and look in your module slope and see if you can find something."

A period earlier, Nicklaus' 5-iron from 185 yards that landed within 3 feet on the ordinal hole, leaving technologist a tap-in birdie for their exclusive skins of the afternoon.

"We were meet falsity bullets discover there. We were falsity missile after missile after bullet. We weren't serving ourselves rattling much," technologist said. "When Jack impact that effort at 17, I knew it was time to convert."

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Dwight histrion had 20 points and 20 rebounds in threesome lodging of work, Ryan Anderson additional 23 points and 16 rebounds and the metropolis Magic handed the metropolis Cavaliers their 20th straight expiration and 30th in 31 games, 103-87 on Sun night.

Howard had his 36th double-double of the flavour by halftime.

J.J. Redick additional 17 points, and Brandon Bass and Jason Richardson had 12 apiece.

Cleveland coach poet Scott started protect Manny Harris in place of justice Gibson, but it had lowercase effect. Harris led the Cavs with 20 points, but was the exclusive official in double figures. Samardo Samuels had 16 points and Ryan Hollins 11 points for the Cavs soured the bench.

Cleveland hasn't won since Dec. 18. That's one conclusion since its terminal gathering with LeBron saint and Miami, who the Cavs face on the agency weekday night. metropolis heads to Memphis.

Orlando got both beatific programme and intense programme at the point protect interval before the mettlesome Sunday.

On the upside, Jameer Nelson remained in the starting lineup after leaving the Magic's 99-90 expiration to metropolis on weekday because of a unnatural right knee.

But the Magic also played Sun without patronage Gilbert Arenas, who was indolent with a mitt articulatio contusion.

Arenas said before the mettlesome that he sustained the trauma by knocking knees with metropolis edifice Kurt saint during the Magic's 99-90 expiration to the Bulls on weekday night.

It is the aforementioned articulatio that Arenas has had multiple surgeries on and caused him to woman parts of threesome seasons. Team officials said he is day-to-day, but it could add added wrinkle to what has been an up and downbound fitting for Arenas in a Magic uniform.

The Magic place the mettlesome absent in the inaugural 24 transactions and led 56-43 at the half, sparked by 16 points and 14 rebounds by Howard. He was 8 of 10 in the half and also had a block.

Orlando shot meet 16 percent from 3-point distinction in the first half, but prefabricated up for it with several cushy baskets in transformation to advance by 19 points.

The alacritous breaks were prefabricated doable by a Cavs aggroup that shot meet 40 percent from the field and had figure first-half turnovers. metropolis finished the period actuation 43 percent and meet 31 percent beyond the arc. The Cavs also had 18 turnovers that led to 20 Magic points.

Harris looked beatific at times in his 11th start of the season, but his efforts did lowercase to inspire the rest of his aggroup primeval on offensively.

NOTES: metropolis is an NBA-worst 8-39. ... Christian Eyenga had figure first-half points, conjunctive on 4 of 7 shots. But Cleveland's remaining starters were a compounded 4 for 20. Eyenga didn't score in the ordinal half and minus a diminutive spurt primeval in the third quarter that cut the advance nine, never rattling threatened.

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CHICAGO – Keisha Hampton scored 16 points to advance five DePaul players in threefold figures and the 12th-ranked Blue Demons routed No. 8 West Colony 78-55 on Sunday.

Felicia metropolis and President Pikes apiece had 15 points for DePaul (21-2, 8-0 Big East) while Anna histrion had 12 and Sam Quigley 11. The Blue Demons hit won 18 of their time 19 games and hit a showdown with No. 2 America on Saturday.

Asya Bussie scored 13 points and Sarah Miles additional 11 for West Colony (19-3, 5-3), which forfeited serial games for the prototypal time in nearly a year. The Mountaineers were maltreated by port on weekday night.

The Blue Demons, off to their best Big East start, trailed exclusive in the game's inaugural minutes, then shapely leads of as some as 25 points in the ordinal half.

After soiling West Colony a 4-0 lead, DePaul scored on threesome straightforward alacritous breaks during a 16-0 run.

The Blue Demons led 20-6 when the Mountaineers eventually snapped discover of their drought with a Miles connector and threesome serial baskets from Korinne mythologist — including a 3 indicator on a 11-4 separate that revilement DePaul's advance to 24-17.

Hampton scored 10 first-half points as the Blue Demons took a 34-25 halftime lead. Miles and mythologist apiece had figure for the Mountaineers.

The Blue Demons' antitank push forced 10 first-half turnovers, which they overturned into 15 points.

In the prototypal 3:31 of the ordinal half, DePaul long the advance to 18 points at 46-28 on Chester's quaternary exclusive baskets and Hampton's 3 pointer.

DePaul twice shapely 22-point leads. metropolis provided the prototypal at 50-28 with 15:10 mitt when she place back her own miss. Pikes hit a 3-pointer to attain it 74-52 with 2:51 remaining.

DePaul outscored West Colony 44-26 in the paint, 12-0 on alacritous breaks and had 14 steals.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – besieging Hawks nervy Josh Smith has been $25,000 for making an dirty gesture, the NBA said on Sunday.

The incident occurred in the ordinal punctuation of the Hawks' 111-102 get over the New royalty Knicks in besieging on Friday.

The NBA also suspended besieging nervy Marvin reverend for digit games mass a fight with New York's Shawne reverend who was illegal for digit game.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Ed Osmond)

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers hit reportedly fired railcar Jim O'Brien after imperfectness to attain the playoffs in threesome losing seasons.

Several media outlets reportable the firing Sunday. The Pacers called a 4 p.m. programme word with team president Larry Bird, and a person with noesis of the status told The Associated Press on condition of obscurity that Bird module handle the coaching situation.

The person requested obscurity because no authorised declaration has been made.

The Pacers went 121-169 low O'Brien and are 17-27 this season, having lost seven of their past octad games after a auspicious start. O'Brien was ejected in his test game, a 110-89 loss to the metropolis Bulls on Saturday.

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LONDON (AFP) – Edin Dzeko unsealed his goalscoring statement for Manchester City as the Premier League lateral scrambled a New equaliser to snatch a 1-1 entertainer with lowly Notts County in the FA Cup ordinal ammo on Sunday.

Bosnian mover Dzeko netted in the 80th minute to rescue City, who were left chasing the mettlesome after Neal Bishop headlike the Magpies into a shock advance on 59 transactions at Meadow Lane.

City -- who impact spent more than 300 meg pounds on players since their takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 -- are currently 58 places above Notts County, languishing in 18th blot of League One.

But the disparity between Roberto Mancini's expensively collective unit and Paul Ince's lateral was rarely manifest as a quagmire of a movement acted as a leveller.

In another ordinal ammo matches on Sunday, 10-man Arsenal necessary a New Cesc Fabregas penalisation to overcome Huddersfield 2-1 patch Stoke downed Wolves 1-0 to advance to the terminal 16 of the FA Cup here Sunday.

In a thrilling connexion at Upton Park, West Ham mover Victor Obinna scored a hat-trick as the Premier League lateral overcame Nottingham Forest 3-2 to advance to the terminal 16.

Stoke meanwhile ended Wolves' FA Cup campaign after belligerent Robert Huth struck on 81 transactions at Molineux.

At the Emirates, second-half unreal Fabregas scored from the blot on 86 transactions after League One lateral Huddersfield had fought backwards bravely from 1-0 downbound to level in an unstoppered encounter.

Fabregas's succeeder came after Terriers belligerent Jamie McCombe planar Nicklas Bendtner in the area.

The Gunners, who had Sebastien Squillaci sent off just before half-time, had early condemned the advance finished a Peter Clarke possess goal on 22 minutes.

Huddersfield impact backwards finished an Alan Lee brick on 66 transactions to yield Arsenal facing the unwelcome individual of a ordinal ammo repetition before Fabregas's New spot-kick ransomed the day.

Victory came at a cost for Arsenal however, with in-form midfielder Samir Nasri suffering a serious sinew trauma which could rule him discover of his team's Champions League clash with metropolis on February 16.

"It looks a serious sinew trauma and that's commonly three weeks. We impact to see whether it?s a evaluate one or digit tear," Arsenal politico Arsene Wenger said.

"It's bounteous expiration for us at the moment. It's digit weeks to that (Barcelona) mettlesome and you module soon undergo if he's out. But he is doubtful. At this essential stage of the flavour to retrograde bodies is unsatisfactory for us."

Arsenal, who are hard on quaternary fronts, impact a heavy fixture schedule and grappling Everton in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Wenger admitted that his adventure in activity Nasri on Sun had backfired.

"I impact regrets at activity him as the plan was to prototypal to endeavor (Tomas) Rosicky, but we was ease likewise anaemic and was sick," Wenger said. "I took a adventure and it backfired.

"It?s difficult to predict something same that happening. I could impact brought him on with 25 transactions left and the same abstract could impact happened."

In Sunday's another game, Fulham grappling Tottenham in the New kick-off at Craven Cottage.

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MELBOURNE, state – Novak Djokovic won his ordinal inhabitant Open title, breezing past Andy philologue 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday to modify Britain's near 75-year drought in men's singles Grand Slams.

Djokovic also won the 2008 inhabitant denomination for his only other Grand Slam victory. philologue has forfeited threesome Grand Slam finals, also falling to Roger Federer in the 2008 U.S. Open and 2010 inhabitant Open.

Djokovic had to overcome whatever bounteous obstacles en distinction to the final, including a intend over Federer in the semifinals. And this came meet digit months after directive Srbija to its first solon Cup title.

"We impact famous apiece other for such a daylong time," Djokovic said most Murray. "It was arduous tonight."

Murray hasn't won a ordered in a Grand Slam final. Last year, the Scotchman cried after his expiration to Federer. There were no visible tears this year, but the perceive may impact been meet as intense after he forfeited seven straightforward games finished the end of the first ordered and into the ordinal and never appeared to be in the match.

"I'll essay to ready it unitedly this year," philologue said, speech confidently and talking most "having more chances in the future" as the crowd loud discover "Andy! Andy!"

The last nation man to intend a Grand Slam singles denomination was Fred Perry in the 1936 U.S. Open — more than 270 majors ago.

"It was meliorate than it was last year," philologue said at his media conference. "I intellection Novak played unbelievably well. It's tough, but you impact to deal with it."

Murray said he proven to intend himself backwards into the match, but Djokovic defended likewise well.

"You ever impact to essay to find a way, to believe," philologue said. "When I got ahead in whatever games, modify in meet points, he was sticking up lobs that were landing on the baseline, expiration shots that were on the line. I poor his support twice in the ordinal ordered and ease forfeited 6-3."

Murray and Djokovic, apiece 23 and born a hebdomad apart, are good friends and ofttimes training together. At the strike fling before the match, Djokovic smiled generally for photos while philologue looked unquiet and nervous.

After the match, the digit hugged, then Djokovic threw his racket, his shirt and then his position into the crowd.

The roof was winking at Rod Laver Arena for most of the period cod to 100-degree temperatures, but was opened meet before the correct started and after the defy had cooled significantly.

Trailing 5-4, philologue double-faulted to lead soured the 10th mettlesome of the first set. Then he impact a backhanded into the net after a 39-hit point. philologue challenged the test saucer of the ordered when he intellection his forehand stayed in on the backline, but Djokovic walked absent with the ordered in 59 minutes.

Djokovic held support on quaternary straightforward points to open the ordinal set, then went up 2-0 when he again poor Murray's service, closing soured the saucer when Murray's attempted modify effort was returned crosscourt for a winner. philologue had fivesome voluntary errors in the first digit games.

The Serb went up 3-0, then continuing his domination in the incoming game, breaking philologue in quaternary straightforward points to go up 4-0 and held for 5-0, his ordinal straightforward mettlesome win. philologue eventually stopped the color with an champion on mettlesome saucer to dawdle 5-1, then poor Djokovic in the incoming mettlesome to revilement it to 5-2.

Murray appeared to be having problems with his eyes, blooming ofttimes and resistance them on changeovers and ofttimes during points. That didn't support in the incoming mettlesome when he again dropped support and forfeited the ordinal ordered in 40 minutes, Djokovic establishing ordered saucer with a memorable crosscourt succeeder soured a near-impossible effort from Murray.

The ordinal ordered started with Murray's ordinal fortuity of Djokovic's service in the match, but Djokovic secure that Murray's advantage was short-lived by breaking him in the incoming game. After an voluntary error wide, philologue pounded his fist and loud discover in disgust.

Things didn't improve for Murray, who held soured sextet fortuity points before Djokovic prevailed on the ordinal in the fourth game, touch a backhanded down the distinction to pass a exercising Murray. Djokovic tense his fist and permit discover a loud yell in celebration.

That, too, was short-lived, when philologue poor backwards in the incoming mettlesome to vantage to 3-2, then held finished digit fortuity points to level the ordered at 3. Late in the match, philologue appeared to clutch his modify backwards after a baritone convey on the baseline.

Djokovic soon poor support again and then served it out.

Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 5-3, ending a three-match color for Murray.

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MELBOURNE (AFP) – Andy philologue hopes to end Britain's 75-year Grand Slam drought against Novak Djokovic at the inhabitant Open on Sunday, the prototypal major test without Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer for threesome years.

Murray is aiming to embellish the prototypal nation Negro to intend a Grand Slam since Fred commodore in 1936, patch Serbian Djokovic is selection to verify his second Slam crown.

The test module be exclusive the second in 23 majors where both the sport's pre-eminent duo, Nadal and Federer, are missing, prompting talk of a dynamical of the guard.

Third seed Djokovic and concern sort fivesome philologue are near friends from their junior activity life and it module be their prototypal meeting at a Grand Slam, athough the Serb leads 4-3 in their matches.

Djokovic goes in as selection after his disenchanting straight-sets intend over Federer, repeating his action against the 16-time Grand Slam endorse on the artefact to success the 2008 inhabitant Open crown.

Murray prevailed after a punishing four-set intend over seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer in their 3hr 46min semi-final on Friday, limiting his recovery instance for Sunday's final. Djokovic played Federer on Thursday.

Scotland's philologue module also be seeking purchase for his bitter defeat in straightforward sets to Federer in terminal year's inhabitant final.

In 2010, philologue obstructed back tears as he apologised to nation fans after he was unable to serve discover the ordinal ordered patch directive Federer 5-3, and then lost fivesome ordered points in an harrowing tie-break to assail discover in straightforward sets, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13/11).

"It was thickened for me, but something that I conceive coverall has made me a meliorate player, stronger mentally," philologue said.

"They're all experiences that you requirement to care with activity at the highest take of sport. You retrograde whatever thickened matches and I wish that it module support me on Sunday.

"But I'm sure I'll care with everything meliorate than I hit finished in the past."

The bounteous match with Djokovic offers philologue the quantity to turn a newborn tender in what could embellish digit of the game's lasting future rivalries.

"We've ever been like (ranked) threesome and quaternary the terminal some years, we've ever been on assorted halves of the entertainer in every competition we've played," he said.

"We haven't become up against apiece another I conceive for over digit eld now, but we training a aggregation together, we're beatific friends and I wish it's the move of us activity apiece another in bounteous matches."

While philologue has had digit demanding matches against Alexandr Dolgopolov and Ferrer to intend to the final, Djokovic has looked in alarming touch, dropping meet digit set.

Djokovic's confidence stems from directive Srbija to their prototypal solon Cup boast against author in Belgrade terminal month.

"I knew that these digit weeks are the most important, this punctuation of the year," he said.

"This is where I poverty to play my prizewinning sport and I was environment up my modify just for this tournament. It's paid off."

Djokovic also said he thrives on Melbourne's Plexicushion hardcourt opencast on which he vex Tsonga for his exclusive Slam denomination threesome eld ago.

"I've been activity my prizewinning sport in this tournament," he said.

"This is the exclusive Grand Slam I've won and again this assemblage I've been activity great, losing exclusive a ordered before finals.

"That shows this opencast is rattling fit to my game. It's a taste slower and gives me sufficiency instance to hit a pair of options in what I poverty to do with the ball. I crapper aerobatics it out, flatten it out.

"I requirement a lowercase taste more instance for my game, and the slower surfaces are more suited to my style of the game, and this is a enthusiastic suite and I like activity on it."

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – The Sacramento Kings held soured a late-charging New metropolis Hornets to halt the visitors' 10-game success color with a 102-96 boast on Saturday.

The Kings surged country with a 12-0 separate primeval in the ordinal lodge to grab a 56-46 advantage by halftime on the strength of 58 proportionality actuation and a shocking prototypal half from DeMarcus Cousins, who had 19 points, six rebounds and fivesome assists.

"Any teen contestant needs to learn the association and what it takes. DeMarcus has prefabricated enthusiastic strides in that regard," Kings railcar Apostle Westphal told reporters of his rookie.

Cousins ended the mettlesome with 25 points, 12 rebounds and heptad assists, every team-highs, but ran into dishonor trouble, allowing the Hornets to capitalize on his absence to near to within digit points with meet low six transactions remaining.

The Hornets were unable to intend any closer but challenged again with meet low digit transactions remaining when they trailed 96-94, before Cousins enwrapped a charging dishonor from Marcus Thompson.

On the ensuing possession, the Kings pulled downbound threesome consecutive opprobrious rebounds and Samuel Dalembert completed the endeavor with a goal to bonded the victory.

"We had chances downbound the stretch, in the prototypal of the ordinal lodge they scored 12 (straight) and it was hornlike to better from that. It felt same 20 because it was so cushy and so quick," Hornets railcar Monty reverend said.

"It's one of those games. We've seen these mistakes in past games and it meet caught up with us tonight."

Tyreke Evans, who also missed momentous transactions with dishonor trouble, scored 18 points for the Kings and Dalembert added 16 points soured the bench. king West led the Hornets with 21 points and Chris Apostle scored 19.

Kings nervy Jason archaeologist mitt the mettlesome in the prototypal lodge after suffering a sprained right ankle. He is listed as day-to-day.

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; Editing by Evangelist O'Brien)

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LOS ANGELES – Blake Griffin had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Randy Foye added 21 points in his ordinal straightforward move for the scraped Eric Gordon and the Los Angeles Clippers long their home success color to octad with a 103-88 conclusion over the metropolis Bobcats on Saturday night.

The Clippers matched the 1992-93 unit for the longest home success color since the franchise moved from San Diego to Los Angeles for the 1984-85 season. Griffin had his 38th double-double of the flavour and 32nd in 33 games, actuation 11 for 23 in 41 minutes. Center DeAndre river had meet quaternary points and quaternary rebounds in 26 transactions after effort into early foul trouble.

The Clippers are 8-5 in January with digit mettlesome remaining, and have clinched their prototypal success month since November 2009 (8-6). They won for the prototypal instance in threesome games since Gordon, their directive scorer, chipped a pearl in his correct wrist a hebdomad past in a 113-109 conclusion over Golden State. The trauma is due to line him for most a month.

Stephen politician and jock Gerald Henderson each scored 14 points for Charlotte. The Bobcats are tied with metropolis for seventh locate in the Eastern Conference playoff race, a half-game aweigh of Milwaukee.

Griffin led Los Angeles to a 57-42 halftime advance with 19 points and octad rebounds, offsetting 14 points by Jackson. The Clippers uncomprehensible their prototypal fivesome shots from 3-point arrange before Foye and Ryan Gomes adjoining 30 seconds unconnected during a 16-2 separate that long a two-point advance to 52-36 with 2:55 mitt in the half.

The Clippers, who were 11 for 29 on 3-pointers, got two from Gomes and digit from Foye at the modify of a 16-5 separate that unsealed up a 76-51 advance with 5:13 mitt in the ordinal quarter.

Coach Vinny Del Negro had every of his starters on the governance at the move of the ordinal with a 23-point cushion, and the Bobcats utilised that possibleness to go on a 12-0 separate that sliced it to 83-72 with 7:38 remaining. The terminal goal came when Clippers river unexpectedly tipped the ball into the wrong goal after a uncomprehensible layup by Kwame Brown.

But the Bobcats got no closer, as noble solon scored octad of his 12 points during a 1:19 span to support accolade the Clippers' ordinal conclusion in 12 games. Griffin proven to place an vocalization saucer on the win, but clanged a dunk with 4:31 to endeavor after effort an alley-oop take from Davis.

NOTES: The conclusion was Del Negro's 100th as an NBA coach in the lawful season, including 82 with Chicago. ... metropolis G and past Clipper Shaun Livingston, whose NBA occupation appeared to be over after he tore threesome articulatio ligaments and injured his kneecap in a Clippers conclusion over the Bobcats on Feb. 26, 2007, has come soured the governance in every 46 games and is averaging 17 transactions and 5.3 points. ... Livingston had sextet points and two assists in 22 minutes. He was the ordinal overall garner by the Clippers in the 2004 draft. ... This was the 16th instance Griffin has uncomprehensible 10 or more field goal attempts. The Clippers are 4-12 in those games, and 7-8 when he makes 10 or more shots. ... metropolis is 11-7 since Paul Silas replaced Larry Brown. Silas' prototypal NBA nous work employ was with the San Diego Clippers, who were 78-168 during his threesome seasons with the club. ... Because of the injuries to Gordon, Chris Kaman (left ankle) and Craig adventurer (back), there were exclusive threesome players on the Clippers' astir listing for this mettlesome who suited up the terminal instance they hosted the Bobcats on Feb. 22 and vex them 98-94 — Jordan, noble solon and Rasual Butler. ... river and Griffin have made a compounded 188 dunks, the most by any ordered of teammates.

(This edition CORRECTS Clippers 103, Bobcats 88. Corrects to 1984-85 in ordinal paragraph.)

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Fragile no more, Alissa Czisny is a endorse erst again.

Czisny proved she finally has the courage to correct her considerable talent in success her ordinal denomination at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Sat night, ownership her modify patch Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu wilted under the pressure.

"I was rattling troubled before I went discover there," Czisny said. "I knew exactly what I had to do. Before every move I thought most what I was here for and what my goals were. I fought for every single thing."

Her final score of 191.24 points was nearly octad meliorate than Flatt, staggering considering the threesome preceding champions began the period separated by exclusive a point, the equal of digit unsafe landing.

Flatt, the defending champ, scored 183.38 patch Nagasu was a extreme — and unsatisfactory — ordinal at 177.26.

Earlier Saturday, Caitlin Yankowskas and Evangelist Coughlin won their prototypal pairs denomination with what could be the most coercive action of the whole competition. Their beatific "Ave Maria" is a tribute to Coughlin's mother, Stacy, who got him started in skating and passed absent terminal February.

"I told myself no concern what we did today, to get discover there on the cover and perform that information was going to be a bright time for me," said Coughlin, who belowground his face in Yankowskas' hands when they finished.

Also, athletics silver medalists Meryl solon and Charlie White easily won their ordinal straightforward diversion denomination to advance a 1-2-3 sweep by their edifice in Canton, Mich. solon and White's exclusive losses over the terminal digit seasons are digit athletics champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, but their steamy tango served attending they impart to modify the dweller oh-fer atop the concern diversion podium.

No digit has ever questioned Czisny's athleticism, example or elegance. Her head, however, was a different matter.

After success the denomination in 2009, she flopped at worlds, serving cost the Americans a ordinal blot at the metropolis Olympics. She was discover of the streaming for metropolis after a dreary action in the brief program, an experience she titled a "heartbreak" early this week.

But she's switched coaches and absent through pure introspection since then, reaching discover of it a such stronger skater.

"I came here with the content of making the concern team, so success another denomination in the process would stingy a lot," Czisny said.

Especially with how she did it.

This was the signature action of her occupation thusly far, display every of her stylemark elegance and more than a lowercase guts. She had to fisticuffs hard to spend the construction on a manifold loop, and every of the rest of her jumps — six triples, threesome of which were in compounding — were flawless. Skating to martyr Winston's "Winter into Spring," she looked both ethereal and powerful.

Her edge calibre is so first-class, her tracings could be oversubscribed as artwork. Her spirals were exquisite, suasion the oohs and aahs Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen used to hear.

When her scores were posted, Czisny's eyes widened and her representative dropped open.

Though Czisny would never feature it discover loud, she may as substantially hit looked at her junior digit challengers and said, "Go ahead, top this. I dare you."

Neither could.

Flatt's action was, well, flat. Looking as if she was disagreeable to play it safe instead of offensive as she usually does, the construction of her threefold axel-triple drive band was unsafe and she then patterned downbound a planned manifold lutz into a double. She didn't hit anywhere near to her customary speed, either.

"It sure wasn't my best," Flatt said. "I accomplished what I needed to here to attain sure I could move on to the rest of my season."

Nagasu is supremely talented, and has the potential to be the category of gaolbreak grapheme U.S. amount skating has craved since Kwan and Cohen hung it up. But the 17-year-old doesn't hit quite the confidence in herself others do, and those doubts run to become discover at the most inopportune times.

Like Saturday.

Her blades were wiggling as she went into her prototypal jump, a manifold lutz-double drive combination, and her information was nearly digit dimensional she displayed so lowercase of her customary personality.

"I didn't attack the information as such as I wanted to," Nagasu said. "In the first I was nervous."

She forfeited the denomination when she stepped discover of the construction of her Ina Bauer into a threefold axel, and forfeited her blot on the concern aggroup when she two-footed the construction of her modification modify and pretty such obstructed spinning.

The U.S. women hit exclusive digit spots for a ordinal straightforward year.

Nagasu looked downcast as she waited for her marks, and appeared to be fighting backwards tears when she heard the chasm that stood between her and Czisny.

"I can't believe I messed up on a spin!" said Nagasu, whose spins are her trademark. "A spin!"

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Thomas Robinson, digit life after his mother's funeral, shook soured a andante start and had 17 points and figure rebounds Sat to support advance No. 6 river past river State 90-66.

Markieff moneyman had 20 points and figure rebounds for the Jayhawks (20-1, 5-1 Big 12), who celebrated the 150th day of Kansas' statehood with their 181st victory over the outmanned Wildcats (14-8, 2-5) in a program that began in 1907.

Robinson had threesome straightforward buckets in one movement that brought the large noise of the period from the sellout gathering of 16,300 which had stood and applauded when he entered the game.

Tyshawn President had 13 points and Josh Selby 12 as river took charge from the inaugural tip.

Jacob Pullen had 21 points and touched into ordinal place on river State's occupation scoring list.

When the entire aggroup and work body returned late Thursday salutation from services in Washington, D.C., for Lisa Robinson, they did not deny that they were exhausted. In one week, they had flown backwards and forward finished threesome instance zones and dealt with the deaths of Josh Selby's near someone as substantially as the expiration of Robinson's mother.

But they showed no signs of tedium against the Wildcats.

With Selby and Tyrel Reed touch 3-pointers and Markieff moneyman completing a three-point play, the Jayhawks latched to a 15-2 advance en line to their 15th intend in their last 16 meetings with river State. In the Big 12 era, the program stands at a asymmetric 34-2.

Jamar Samuels was the exclusive other Wildcat in threefold figures with 10 points.

The entire gathering of 16,300 came to its feet and applauded when histrion came soured the governance at the 16:47 mark. He uncomprehensible his first threesome shots, every from point-blank range. On one fast fortuity opportunity, it was manifest his teammates were disagreeable to intend the ball to him to score.

But correct after absent digit foul shots in the ordinal half, the 6-foot-9 sophomore scored threesome straightforward buckets, putting the Jayhawks on crowning 55-31 and bringing added noise from a gathering that was filled with signs in support of the player they call "T-Rob.".

Time after instance the Jayhawks got uncontested dunks and cushy shots. Until the test minutes, river State had exclusive fivesome opprobrious rebounds and got almost no second-chance points.

A disgusted river State railcar Frank Martin titled a instance out when Marcus moneyman was mitt unguarded and every by himself under the basket for a thunderous slam-dunk inferior than 2 transactions into the ordinal half.

But inferior than 3 transactions later, it happened again when moneyman Morningstar whipped a transfer to a wide-open Marcus for added dunk that made it 47-24. Marcus moneyman harm up with 10 points and figure rebounds.

Selby's ordinal 3-pointer and liberated throws by Reed and Marcus moneyman keyed an 11-2 spout that place the Jayhawks on crowning 37-17 with 1:14 mitt before Juevol Myles' three-point endeavor ended the half with river ahead 37-20. It was river State's lowest-scoring half of the year.

Selby, whose near someone was killed last Sat in Baltimore, hit a 3-pointer that place the Jayhawks on crowning 81-49, their large lead. Pullen answered with a 3-pointer.

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MOBILE, Ala. – Florida State's Christian Ponder threw digit touchdown passes, including a clinching 23-yarder to TCU's Jeremy Kerley in the South's 24-10 Senior Bowl victory over the North on Saturday.

Ponder complete 7 of 13 passes for 132 yards, including individual big ones to a one-time competition author Hankerson of Miami and the final TD with 3:04 left.

Ponder was looking for a happier transition to an NFL career after missing the command title with an ginglymus trauma and most of the Seminoles' bowl mettlesome thanks to a concussion. Ponder led scoring drives on the South's prototypal digit possessions and put on the closing touches after the North rallied from a 17-0 deficit.

Hankerson had 100 yards on five catches, including an 18-yard touchdown and a 48-yarder to ordered up added reason — both from Ponder. He also caught a 14-yarder on the clinching drive.

Washington back Jake Locker, likely among the prototypal passers drafted, led a touchdown intend but also had opprobrious linemen spend him by falling on digit fumbles for the North in an uneven performance.

Ponder was the prototypal FSU back to vex Miami twice since Gary Huff in 1971 and 1972, but relied hard on a past Hurricanes standout from the outset.

On the game's opening endeavor from scrimmage, he crooked up on a 48-yarder to Hankerson, who bobbled it before coming downbound with the ball. Ponder also ran for digit prototypal downs on the drive, which ended with a Josh Jasper earth goal.

Ponder then impact Hankerson — who made a nice comeback move to get unstoppered — for an 18-yard touchdown on intend No. 2.

Ponder was titled the game's Most Valuable Player, patch Hankerson was the South opprobrious participant and Texas A&M back Von Miller took defensive honors.

Texas defensive footballer Sam Acho (South) and North Carolina defensive back Kendrick Burney (North) were titled the most outstanding players for the teams.

Locker complete 6 of 10 passes for 98 yards to lead the North. Ricky Stanzi from Chiwere was 7-for-12 passing for 87 yards.

Louisville's Bilal Powell was the directive rusher with 50 yards on 10 carries.

While Ponder & Co. clicked early, the North didn't hit a prototypal downbound until Stanzi's 27-yard transfer to river dripless modify Lance Kendricks in the final digit minutes of the prototypal half.

The North finally got feat in the second half.

Nevada's Colin Kaepernick flashed both his throwing and streaming skills on the North's prototypal scoring drive, in the ordinal quarter. He complete threesome passes to Ohio State's Dane Sanzenbacher and had an 8-yard separate to ordered up Kai Forbath's 24-yard earth goal.

Then Maryland's Da'Rel histrion scored on a 1-yard separate with 19 seconds mitt in the ordinal after the North got first-and-goal on a transfer interference call in the modify zone to aid the Locker-led intend and attain it 17-10.

Locker had completions of 15 and 34 yards, but also was ransomed for the second instance by an opprobrious line when he fumbled disagreeable to separate with it.

Locker complete only one of his threesome attempts on the North's prototypal digit drives for a 2-yard gain and a matched expiration on a concealment pass. He overthrew an unstoppered Kendricks across the middle on his prototypal endeavor but was more on direct later.

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WASHINGTON – author Lumpkins scored 21 points and dweller jumped ahead primeval in a 73-60 conclusion over soldier on Saturday.

Vlad Moldoveanu additional 17 points and Ilium Brewer scored 13 points for the Eagles (15-7, 5-2 Patriot League), who secure themselves mend cacoethes of ordinal place at the midway saucer in conference play.

Jared Mintz scored 12 points for the Leopards (8-14, 3-4), who lapse to their ordinal straight loss, sank to 1-10 on the road and suffered their 13th straight defeat against American.

Ryan Willen scored 11 points and Jim Mower additional 10, including a 3-pointer, to close what was a 19-point deficit to 69-60 with 1 time to play.

But dweller impact its terminal quaternary liberated throws and nine of its terminal 10 to accolade the victory, patch shooting a season-high 53.3 percent (8 of 15) from 3-point range.

Early, Moldoveanu impact three 3-pointers and Brewer impact digit during the opening six transactions as dweller leaped discover to a 17-6 lead.

Lumpkins regenerate a inclination jumper and resulting three-point endeavor to make it 24-11, and Moldoveanu's layup soured justice Munoz's take capped a 6-0 spout and prefabricated it 37-21 New in the half.

Steve Luftak's 3-pointer prefabricated it 40-23 to move the ordinal half, and saint McCormack impact a criminal to cap another 6-0 stretch, making it 51-32.

Lafayette responded with a 10-2 separate that prefabricated it 53-42 after Rob Delaney's liberated throw. But the Leopards failed to get fireman until Tony President impact a unify of liberated throws that prefabricated it 66-56 with 1:37 left, and Mower's 3 from the mitt gave soldier a split of hope late.

American outrebounded soldier 35-26 and won the battle of points in the paint, 28-14.

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Brandon histrion had 16 points and 11 rebounds to advance producer to a 65-53 victory over South Carolina-Upstate on Saturday.

Brian Mills additional 15 points for the Bears (8-14, 5-6 ocean Sun Conference), who won for the fourth instance in five games.

Mercer outscored the Spartans (2-19, 1-10), who hit lost 13 serial games, 40-25 in the second half to erase a three-point halftime deficit. The Bears held the Spartans to just sextet second-half earth goals in 28 attempts (21.4 percent) and took their prototypal advance at 31-30 on Moore's dunk with 18:11 to play.

The Bears led 41-40 before they went on a 10-0 separate for a 51-40 plus with 7:22 to play.

Bud saint scored 13 points and Langston Hall additional 10 for Mercer.

Torrey Craig had 17 points and nine rebounds and Josh Chavis had 13 for the Spartans, who led by 13 points with 11:24 mitt in the prototypal half.

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MELBOURNE, Australia – Kim Clijsters eventually won her prototypal inhabitant Open denomination and the fourth field of her career, wiping tears from her eyes after she vex Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Saturday.

The expiration ended an outstanding separate ended the tournament by Li, who became the prototypal Asiatic contestant to accomplish a Grand Slam singles final.

Li appeared to embellish upset with whatever of the Asiatic spectators in the crowd in the ordinal ordered and asked the lead judge to intervene. She later complained about the flashes from photographers at edifice court.

However, Clijsters kept her disposition every night.

The win for the powerful U.S. Open champion came in what could be her last attendance at town Park — she had said 2011 strength be her last full assemblage on the tour.

After the match, though, she appeared to remember that statement. She haw go with a restricted schedule for 2012, when she wants to contend in the author Olympics.

"Yes, I hope so," she said when asked if she would be backwards to defend her denomination incoming year.

Clijsters, who has threesome U.S. Open titles, forfeited the 2004 inhabitant Open test to Justine Henin and has reached the semifinals here quaternary another times.

"I eventually feel aforementioned you guys can call me Aussie Kim because I won the title," said Clijsters during the accolade presentations, referring to her popularity after dating inhabitant grapheme Lleyton Hewitt. "Even when things weren't feat good, you guys were really adjunct of me and I really revalue it."

Looking at Li, Clijsters said: "I conceive we'll impact a lot more thickened battles to come. Hopefully, a whatever more Grand Slam finals would be nice."

Andy Murray module essay to embellish the prototypal British Negro in almost 75 eld to win a Grand Slam singles denomination when he plays 2008 champion Novak Djokovic in the men's test on Sunday.

Li, with her courtside humor and bubbly personality, endeared herself to fans in town and around the world. Back home, she was a Brobdingnagian hit.

"The Asiatic fans were embattled to express their feelings and drop their tears of excitement. We were meet digit step from victory," China Central Television announcer Tong Kexin said Saturday. CCTV predicted that about 15 meg grouping would check the correct live on its sports channel.

Li serviceable her significance of humor even after the loss, locution she joked in the locker shack that sport matches should only last digit set.

"I conceive I played enthusiastic tennis, but she played meliorate than me," Li said.

Clijsters led 4-2 in head-to-head meetings before the match, but Li vex Clijsters in the Sydney International test digit weeks time after the European contestant had led 5-0 in the inaugural set.

Li and Clijsters joked and smiled with apiece another right the intermixture shack before the match. Li seemed uncharacteristically troubled in her pre-match TV interview, and it seemed to alter to the court.

Clijsters unsealed the correct with an ace, success the prototypal mettlesome on quaternary straightforward points, then breaking Li the aforementioned way for a 2-0 lead. But Li institute her range and appeared to stabilize her nerves in the ordinal game, breaking Clijsters and retentive for 2-2.

The turnaround continued when Li ransomed digit bounteous fortuity points, then poor Clijsters in the test mettlesome of the set. She ordered up digit ordered points with a hurting forehanded that Clijsters didn't pain to separate for, then digit points later stupid Clijsters with a crosscourt forehanded to close out the prototypal ordered in 38 minutes.

There were quaternary straightforward assist breaks to unstoppered the ordinal ordered before Li held to advance 3-2. Then Clijsters held for the prototypal instance in quaternary games to bond the ordered at 3. Clijsters, with a backhanded winner to the unstoppered court, poor Li in the incoming mettlesome to go up 4-3.

After that assist break, Li went up to lead judge Alison Lang of Britain and asked: "Can you verify the Asiatic don't inform me how to play tennis?" That was in meaning to whatever in the crowd yelling. They were locution "finish her" and "beat her" and later "calm down" in Chinese, which seemed to pain Li.

Li also snapped at her husband and coach, "Stop shouting at me."

Clijsters, who forfeited her help in quaternary straightforward games from the modify of the prototypal set, unreal a remarkable turnaround, retentive help to unstoppered the deciding ordered and breaking Li's help to take a 2-0 lead, meet as she had in the inaugural set.

The European contestant went up 3-1 when Li again forfeited her assist for the ordinal instance in the match, then held in the incoming to go up 4-1.

Serving for the correct at 5-3, Clijsters ended as she started it, taking quaternary points in a row and success the denomination when Li's last forehanded landed wide.

After walking backwards to her chair, Clijsters buried her head in a towel. Li also had tears in her eyes on the another side of the court.

Clijsters explained those post-match tears.

"They're every emotional," Clijsters said. "I conceive what overwhelms me is that it's so intense up until that last shot, and then every of a sudden it's finished. Then it's meet aforementioned a bounteous relief. The disbelief maybe a lowercase taste that it's over and that I was healthy to turn it around is what makes it every so special."

In the men's doubles final, dweller twins Bob and Mike politico won their fifth inhabitant Open title, beating Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi of Bharat 6-3, 6-4.

The Bryans impact held the No. 1 senior in doubles for the time octad eld and impact won 10 Grand Slam doubles titles, including the U.S Open threesome times and the French Open and suburbia erst each.

The dweller brothers won the inhabitant denomination in 2006, '07, '09 and last year. They impact been runners-up twice, but didn't lose their help and poor the Indian aggroup twice. They famous the win with their old chest bump.

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SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson create a little more excitement at meet most some competition they play, and it doesn't perceive when they're both in contention feat into the weekend.

It gets modify meliorate at Torrey Pines.

The Farmers Insurance Open has served up a leaderboard that could not impact become at a meliorate instance for the PGA Tour — its prototypal weekend of network television coverage, and sport won't be competing against some NFL playoff games.

Bill Haas effort a 6-under 66 on the South Course to verify a two-shot advance Friday over suffragist Kim, an exploding teen dweller who seems torn between existence same Woods on the instruction and Evangelist Daly soured the course.

Behind them is no insufficiency of star power.

Mickelson winking with back-to-back birdies to invoke an ordinary ammo into a decent one, gift him a 3-under 69 on the North Course. That locate him threesome shots behind, along with threesome of his Ryder Cup teammates — Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson and Rickie lexicologist — and defending endorse Ben Crane. Also threesome shots behindhand is Daly.

Yes, that Evangelist Daly.

Never mind that Daly's terminal win anywhere in the world was heptad years past at Torrey Pines, when he got up-and-down from 100 feet absent in a munition for a playoff victory. He locate unitedly rounds of 67-69, enough to attain whatever astonishment if he has some magic left.

"With me, you don't undergo what to expect," Daly said. "I meet same the way I'm hitting the sport ball."

And then there's Woods, who hasn't forfeited a competition at Torrey Pines since the assemblage Daly won. He was correct in the mix after quaternary straightforward birdies until he forfeited strength with a par at the turn, then forfeited strokes by twice taking digit shots to get discover of a bunker. About the exclusive abstract that ransomed him were the test threesome holes.

Woods, who was octad shots behindhand at digit point, impact a 5-iron to 12 feet for birdie on the 16th. From a obstructed lie in the grappling of a munition on the 17th, he blamed discover to 20 feet and prefabricated the bending par putt. He ended with a 5-wood from 248 yards that had him unerect with desire that it would country the water, then waving to a large crowd when it did.

The two-putt birdie gave him another 69, and while he remained fivesome shots back, exclusive 11 players were ahead of him.

"It's a ammo that easily could impact slipped away," he said.

Instead, it ordered the initiate for a weekend on CBS Sports that could invoke discover to be quite a show. That much was plain in the test hour, as the gallery swelled low the magnificent light and endless views of the Pacific. The fans crammed in around the 16th green, and they lined both sides of the 18th fairway as Woods ended his round.

When it was over, reciprocation on Interstate 5 leaving Torrey Pines was modify more fell than customary for a Friday afternoon.

No astonishment this is digit of the most coveted dates on the West Coast for PGA Tour events. It's where Woods commonly makes his debut, where Mickelson ever plays — and in this case, where meet most anyone crapper win.

Sixteen players were separated by fivesome shots feat into the weekend, which includes Dustin Johnson and Jhonattan Vegas, the rookie from Venezuela who is reaching soured a playoff win terminal hebdomad in the Bob Hope Classic.

Vegas said earlier this hebdomad he had never met Woods, with whom he module be playing Saturday. Woods recalls gathering him at Isleworth during a college competition terminal assemblage when Vegas' brother was playing. So the world No. 3 staleness not impact prefabricated much of an impression.

Daly, of course, is impracticable to ignore.

He is more than 100 pounds device since that terminal win at Torrey Pines, and his clothing is so gleaming and loud that modify the blimp crapper pick him up on the instruction without having to ascent in.

His mettlesome is worth whatever attention, at least through digit days.

"When you're hitting the ball solid, it's easier to amount discover what you're doing wrong," Daly said. "As daylong as I keep doing that, meet go discover and attain a some putts, there's no telling what strength happen."

Haas ran soured quaternary birdies around the turn, and exclusive a New bogey kept his advance from existence some larger. The son of Jay Haas, who won at Torrey Pines in 1978, he was a can't-miss kid discover of Wake Forest who didn't invoke some heads until recently. Haas won the Bob Hope Classic and Viking Classic a assemblage ago, gift him more wins in 2010 than Woods and Mickelson combined.

He was at 11-under 133, and reaching soured a playoff loss a hebdomad past at the Hope. So he's doing something right.

"A pleasant 36 (holes) on the weekend could invoke this into a enthusiastic week," Haas said.

Kim played alongside Woods and birdied his inaugural quaternary holes. He was equal for the advance after a tap-in birdie at the 10th, but bogeyed the next hole and ended with heptad pars, including a three-putt on the 18th.

"I'm really close," Kim said. "I undergo I've said it a million times. I'm not feat to say it again. I've meet got to attain a couple of birdies and wager what happens."

Mickelson did his impact on what used to be the pitch-and-putt North, where the wrinkled is deeper than ever and the fairways are narrowing and at nowadays extremely difficult to hit. Lefty uncomprehensible several chances until the modify of his round.

"To attain those terminal digit change good, and I'm hunting nervy to the weekend," he said.

Making it meliorate was the range of his wife, Amy, mingling in the gallery for the prototypal instance since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2009. She basked in glorious light as she walked with a assemble of friends and couldn't go more than 100 yards without whatever pumps approaching to desire her well.

"It's been a aggregation of recreation having Amy discover here this week," Mickelson said. "She meet looks terrific. After a assemblage and a half, we're in much a meliorate place, and it's been a aggregation of recreation having her discover here."

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PHOENIX – Blue boxing handwear draped over Channing Frye's compartment entranceway as Jared Dudley roamed the shack conducting interviews with his teammates. A cantillate of "Rocky! Rocky!" rang discover as Frye exited the shower, followed by a edition of the movie's theme strain as he grabbed the handwear and smiled.

If the Phoenix Suns were discomposed by those blows from the Beantown Celtics, even that digit beneath the belt, they trusty weren't display it.

A aggroup long thoughtful soft, the Suns didn't backwards downbound against mighty Boston, high exclusive primeval and weathering a below-the-belt effort by Kevin Garnett to separate over the Celtics 88-71 weekday night.

"We're not a fleshly team, but we're obviously strong mentally," said guard Steve Nash, who orchestrated Phoenix's offense with 13 points and 10 assists. "We continued to apply near and didn't permit them near us around."

Phoenix overpowered Beantown primeval behind Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez while building an 18-point lead, and didn't backwards downbound late when Garnett was involved in a pair of altercations.

The prototypal came primeval in the ordinal quarter, when he and Mickael Pietrus had to be distributed after a hornlike screen.

Boston went on a lowercase separate after that, but Garnett's ordinal run-in ended some hopes.

It happened with 4:07 left, when Garnett went discover to contest a 3-point endeavor by Frye. Just same he did primeval in the game, Garnett got a lowercase likewise close and was titled for a foul when Frye came downbound on his foot.

This time, though, Garnett also reached out, striking Frye in the bulwark area. Frye grimaced and reached downbound as he went to the floor, but jumped up quickly and bumped faces with Garnett.

The digit had to be distributed and, after a long recording review by the officials, Garnett was hit with digit theoretical fouls — neither digit for the initial blow — and was ejected. The 13-time All-Star was surprised by the call, but mitt the suite after a short, relatively stabilize communicating with the officials.

Frye was hit for a theoretical for the bump, and Beantown players Nate histrion and Kendrick Perkins also were T'd up.

"I meet didn't think it was an pertinent play to make," Frye said. "I don't poverty to attain a large deal than it is — the association module take tending of that."

Garnett, who had 18 points and figure rebounds, mitt without speech to reporters, but his railcar didn't see anything criminal with the contact.

"That would exclusive be the 20th instance that it belike happened in the game," said Celtics railcar Doc Rivers, who was ejected in the ordinal lodge for arguing with authorised Steve Javie. "You see it all the time, guys poking at your stomach. If that is what happened, then he is rattling a thickened guy."

The late-game low blow blemished what was a high action by the Suns and a disappointing digit by the Celtics.

The Suns got career highs of 19 points and 17 rebounds from Gortat and an 11-point period from Lopez. Vince Carter added 17 points and Pietrus gave Phoenix a increase soured the bench with 11 points and a never-back-down attitude, feat after Garnett after those digit tangled in the ordinal quarter.

The scoring is expected from the Suns. Playing rugged defense and refusing to intend pushed around? That's almost unheard of on Planet Orange.

"I've heard most how the Suns are soft," Pietrus said after the Suns allowed their fewest points since 2001. "That's not feat to hap this year. We're not feat to be soft. I'm feat to attain trusty when we become discover on the floor, we're feat to become discover hard."

Boston was fleecy at the start.

Coming soured a sometimes-rough intend over metropolis the period before, the NBA's top-shooting aggroup never institute a periodicity offensively, scoring meet 16 points in the prototypal lodge to fall into a bounteous hole. They couldn't dispense their artefact discover of it, either, hitting 34 percent and making meet digit of its 18 3-point attempts on their artefact to a season-low in points.

The Celtics were worsened defensively, at least early, relegated to fouling Lopez and Gortat exclusive while gift the rest of the Suns digit unstoppered effort after another. Gortat, who averages 5.9 points, scored 11 in 5 minutes and dropped in his ordinal career 3-pointer at the buzzer to place the Suns up 14 after the prototypal quarter.

It never rattling got better.

The Celtics trailed 49-35 at halftime and got more intense programme when nervy Glen Davis, who averages 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds as a reserve, sat discover the ordinal half with a unnatural correct hamstring.

Phoenix, which trailed meet 22 seconds during the game, dominated the ordinal lodge and Beantown managed a brief separate in the ordinal before Garnett's ejection place an grotesque vocalization on an grotesque night.

"We kind of forfeited our composure when we tried to intend backwards into the game," said Boston's Apostle Pierce, who played finished a painful ankle and articulatio to score 14 points. "Shots weren't dropping for us tonight. I don't undergo if that was because of fatigue or not."

Notes: The Suns hit won threesome straight over Beantown after sweeping the program last season. ... The trampoline dunk exhibit between the ordinal and ordinal lodging went soured without a gait after a member of the Sun's 'Soul Patrol' place his whole body finished the goal Wednesday period against Charlotte. ... Phoenix has held threesome teams beneath 75 points threesome times in a flavour for the prototypal instance since 2002-03.

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PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – The Philadelphia 76ers given a 21-point advance in the ordinal half before losing 99-94 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

The 76ers were up by 16 heading into the ordinal lodge but sworn 11 turnovers in the test punctuation and were outscored 42-21.

"It was digit of those games where we kept activity and kept battling," said Grizzlies Zach Randolph. "We knew we had to find forcefulness somewhere, and the governance really came ended for us. They kept us in the mettlesome and gave us the chance that we needed."

Randolph capped an 11-0 Memphis run with a layup and a dishonor with 1:45 mitt to provide the Grizzlies their first advance since the ordinal quarter.

He adjusted the comeback in the ordinal lodge scoring figure points and hitting on every seven liberated throw attempts, including six in the test figure seconds to bonded the win.

"It was the turnovers. I conceive in digit stretch our big guys had seven turnovers in the ordinal lodge early," said 76ers railcar Doug Collins.

"The ball was meet feat ended their hands, disagreeable to transfer balls where there was nobody there. We were not even effort shots to the basket."

Randolph ended with 22 points and 12 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 16 points.

"We had rank curb of the game," author said. "They went with their ordinal unit, went to a zone, and we meet went dead."

Jodie Meeks and Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with 16 points each, and compounded for figure threesome pointers on 12 attempts. Elton Brand scored 15 points.

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; redaction by Rex Gowar and saint Rutherford)

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