For the Toronto Raptors and their fans, the heartbreak from Sundays loss to the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 is still fresh - so fresh that even contemplating next season, or even this offseason, might be too painful to do right now. Perhaps thinking about anything else at all would be a welcome distraction. The 2014 Toronto Raptors seemingly came out of nowhere. In a season when the club was expected to be "riggin for Wiggins" or one of the other highly touted prospects available in next months NBA Draft, not only did the Raptors compete, they won the division and, in the process, became the most likable team that Toronto sports has seen for some time. Now, whats next? What would you do to build upon this years breakthrough season going into 2014-2015? The Raptors success was a confluence of many different things and credit is due to many different people. General manager Masai Ujiris December trade of Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings opened a number of doors for Dwane Caseys squad and was the chief catalyst for the success to follow. Nobody will dispute Gays credentials as a gifted scorer and a well-liked teammate, but on many nights, he was a black hole on offence for the Raptors. Sure, Gay led the team in scoring, but he also led the team in shots taken with many of them low-percentage and poorly thought out. The Raptors offence lived and died with Gay and the teams 6-12 record at the time of the trade indicates that there was a lot more dying being done. Gays removal did two major things for the Raptors – it opened up the floor for the emergence of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and effectively rounded out the teams second-unit. Not much more ink can be spilled on the seasons that both DeRozan and Lowry had for the Raptors. In becoming the teams out-and-out number one option, DeRozan rounded into a smarter player who, when given the ball, did one crucial thing much better than Gay did – he picked his spots. Rarely did you see a Gay-like game from DeRozan with 25+ points, but on sub-30 per cent shooting. DeRozan earned himself on an All-Star appearance in becoming the Raptors go-to player and it was well deserved. Lowry was inarguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference in 2014. The Raptors backcourt general, Lowrys vision and quick decision-making on most nights opened up the floor and allowed the Raps to develop into a solid offensive team in the leagues top half. Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson, two of the players acquired from the Kings, were sparkplugs off the bench, contributing both valuable minutes and timely scoring. Of course, there was more than just that. Jonas Valanciunas built on his rookie season, growing more accustomed to the North American game, to continue to develop into a more than effective post presence. Amir Johnson, the heart and soul of the team, was a dependable energy player, both responsible defensively and able to chip in on offence. None of this would have been possible without the guiding hand of Casey. The man who finished fifth in voting for the NBA Coach of the Year award got his charges to commit to his system and work as a cohesive unit. More often than not, one of the most consistent talking points you would get from any interview given by a Raptors player over the course of the season was that there was a real sense of camaraderie amongst the squad and that was fostered under Caseys tutelage. But what now for Ujiris second act? Soon, though, when the heartache from that last-second loss begins to subside in earnest, Ujiri will some difficult decisions to make in guiding his 2014 Atlantic Division champions forward. Firstly, lets look at who on this team is almost certain to return. Under guaranteed contract for 2015 are DeRozan, Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, Chuck Hayes, Steve Novak and Landry Fields. Thats 60 per cent of your starting five and three bench pieces, but ones that are not remotely irreplaceable. The team has five players with non-guaranteed contracts for next season, three of those of consequence. With all due respect to Julyan Stone and Dwight Buycks, whether or not the team chooses to retain the pairs modest salaries is insignificant, considering the two are in street clothes more nights than theyre dressed. Amir Johnson, John Salmons and Tyler Hansbrough are the trio of players that Ujiri has options on. Johnson and Salmons both have a $7 million option and Ujiri will be loath to let the former go. Johnson is arguably the teams most popular player and his workmanlike effort will not be easy to replace. Barring the unforeseen, Johnson is a Raptor next season. The situation is murkier for Salmons. A piece who came over from Sacramento as part of the Gay deal, Salmons found himself in and out of Caseys favoured rotation over the course of the season. A more than competent sixth or seventh man, there certainly is value in retaining Salmons in his leadership and sharpshooting. That said, $7 million isnt exactly a drop in the bucket for a bench player who will turn 35 over the course of next season and the team might try to explore a trade for veteran before deciding not to qualify him. Salmons probably wont be back. As for Hansbrough, his $3.3 million is commensurate for what "Psyco T" brings to the table and, while hes not a lock to come back, hes likely to return. The team holds qualifying offers on three players: Vasquez, Patterson and Nando De Colo. Both Vasquez and Patterson want to return and its easy to see why Ujiri would want them back. Vasquez excelled as the teams back-up point guard with Casey feeling no unease inserting him to spell Lowry. His dependable off-the-bench scoring, competent defence and the ability to start in a pinch guarantee that a player like Vasquez, due to make $3.2 million next season, wont have any troubling finding an NBA job. The same goes for Patterson, who comes in at just over $4.3 million. Expect there to be interest league-wide for both players, but look for the Raptors to be game to match. De Colo, who came over at the deadline from the San Antonio Spurs, was serviceable in his limited role as a number-three point guard and would be welcomed back in that role. This, of course, leaves the teams biggest question mark on the court and its only unrestricted free agent: Lowry. The player wants to come back. Management wants him to stay. His teammates want him to return. Kyle Lowry doesnt have to clean out his locker room stall at the Air Canada Centre if he doesnt want to. The sticking point, as is apt to be the case in situations like these, is money. Lowry, a player who was attached to trade rumours for much of this past season, was the 23rd-highest-paid point guard in the league. You can guarantee that wont be the case with his new deal, but two key factors come into play for the Raptors: just how much the 28-year-old is looking for and how big the market is for his services. Obviously, the two are linked. From a financial standpoint, Lowrys career-year couldnt have come at a worse time. There just simply arent vacancies right now around the league for a point guard to be paid what the Raptors talisman will likely command. Sure, Lowrys easily the best unrestricted PG out there (with the likes of Rodney Stuckey and Mario Chalmers also on the board) and a team like the Los Angeles Lakers is a potential destination, but in all likelihood, theyre keeping their chequebooks open for next summers probable free agent bonanza (including UCLA product Kevin Love, who they covet highly.) What that boils down to, then, is the fact that for a myriad of reasons, Toronto is Lowrys best fit. Its all a matter of finding common ground. Hes not going to get max money, but hes going to be in line for a significant raise that will eat up some of the teams available cap space. All signs are pointing to a deal getting done, but dont think that Lowry wont be listening to other offers. So where does this leave the Raptors for next season? Theyre clearly a work in progress, which is a blessing and a curse. Theres potential here to build on, but theres also a clear indication that this team needs to raise its talent level one way or another, whether its through free agency or trade. Its difficult to speculate on the trade market just yet, but there are several potentially attractive names for the Raptors available on the free agent market. The likes of Trevor Ariza, Luol Deng or even a returning Vince Carter could all make sense for the Raptors and represent an upgrade in the overall talent department. Yes, theres always been the concern about how attractive Toronto is to NBA players, but much of that is unfounded speculation based on ignorance. Players will always follow money and a chance to win and 2014-15 could be an opportunity for the Raptors to strike while the iron is hot. Dont get me wrong, nobody is suggesting that this team is in the same class as the Miami Heat or even the Indiana Pacers, but look around at the rest of the East and especially the Atlantic. The Nets are obviously anticipating the return of a healthy Brook Lopez, but Brooklyn is both expensive and old. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will both be buoyed by a high selection in next months draft, likely a player who could make an immediate impact, but each team is in the midst of a long rebuild.The New York Knicks will play the waiting game with Carmelo Anthony and whether or not hell want to opt out of his current deal. Yes, the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have opt-outs, too, but out of the premier players in the NBA who have that option, Anthony is the only one who realistically might take it with the Chicago Bulls potentially waiting in the wings. As Phil Jacksons team focuses on Anthony, the rest of the team around him just isnt good enough. There is room to move in the East and the Raptors will do whats necessary to help facilitate that. Next October is a long ways away, but the path to it will start soon. Masai Ujiris Toronto Raptors face a pivotal offseason after the teams greatest success in recent memory. How would you move forward with the Raptors? Its Your Call! Walt Merrill Jersey Retro . -- Kevin Stadler might be playing in the Masters for the first time, but hes already showing his old man a thing or two. Ray Neal Jersey Retro . -- Lara Gut of Switzerland regained the overall World Cup lead with Sundays super-G win in Lake Louise, Alta. https://www.cheapjerseyslines.com/.com) - Jahlil Okafor erupted for 25 points and 20 rebounds as No. Curtis DeLoatch Jersey Retro . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. Bill Kirchiro Jersey Retro . And thats about it. After the Salukis 73-65 loss at Murray State on Tuesday night, Hinson called his players "uncoachable," "a bunch of mamas boys" and compared the disciplining of his young team to housebreaking a puppy.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- When Michael Jordan speaks, people still listen. The Charlotte Bobcats owner praised his team during a pregame locker room speech Friday night, but warned his players its only going to get tougher from here on out. Jordan spoke directly about the Bobcats potentially making the playoffs -- something that seemed inconceivable five months ago for a team that was 7-59 and 21-61 the previous two seasons. "He talked to them about the progress that he had seen and praised them for their attitude and togetherness as a team," coach Steve Clifford said. "And he let them know, which I thought was perfect, the toughest part is ahead. We made our first step and it now gets tougher. It was a great message." A message that apparently inspired the Bobcats, currently seventh in the Eastern Conference. Al Jefferson scored 28 points, Kemba Walker had 20 points and 14 assists, and the Bobcats (29-33) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-92 for their sixth straight win at home, surpassing their win total from the previous two seasons combined. It was an important win for the Bobcats, who improved to 3-0 this season against the Cavaliers and now own the tiebreaker against both Detroit and Cleveland, the ninth- and 10th-place teams in the East. "If that dont motivate you, I dont know what will," Jefferson said of Jordan addressing the team. Clifford said he asked Jordan to speak to the players before the game and he gladly accepted the invitation. He said players were "locked in" to every word Jordan spoke. "Lets face it, if youre coaching anywhere, he would be the first guy that you would say, Would you mind coming to talk to our team?" Clifford said. "Im saying hes our owner and, shoot, you are always looking for a little edge. I thought it was perfect." Said Jefferson: "He told us he was proud of us, but we have a long way to go. We cant be happy with what we have done so far. We have to continue to grow and get better." It was a huge loss for Cleveland. Dion Waiters and Luol Deng each scored 19 points for the Cavaliers, who began the night 3 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the East. They now trail Charlotte by 5 1/2 games. "It hurts," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Especially knowing where were sitting and where theyre sittingg right now, its a tough loss.dddddddddddd" Jefferson shot 12 of 18 from the field and reached 20 points for the 22nd time in his last 24 games. Chris Douglas-Roberts added 14 points, including four 3-pointers, and a season-high nine rebounds. Charlottes six-game home winning streak is its longest since a seven-game run in March 2010. "There are 20 games left and its time to start talking about the playoffs -- about not just qualifying but getting our team game-ready for the playoffs and guys getting their individual games ready," Clifford said. The Bobcats defeated the Cavaliers by six points in each of the two previous meetings this season without Jefferson, who sat out both games with a sprained ankle. Jefferson had 38 points against Miami and 34 in a win over Indiana this week, and was a big factor from the outset against the Cavaliers. He used a series of pump fakes and up-and-under moves to fool the Cavaliers, and continued to knock down his mid-range jump shot. The 6-foot-10 centre scored 18 points in the first half on 8-of-10 shooting to help Charlotte build a 55-50 lead at the break despite the Cavaliers shooting 55 per cent from the field. Cleveland took an 81-80 lead on a pair of free throws by Waiters with 7 minutes left in the game. But Walker matched that with two free throws of his own and knocked down a jumper to spark a 15-5 run that put Charlotte safely ahead. The Cavaliers shot just 32 per cent in the second half, and Charlotte held Kyrie Irving to 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Irving came in averaging 24.5 points in his previous four games in Charlotte. Waiters said its not too late for the Cavaliers to make a playoff push. But theyll need to play much better than they did Friday night. "We have a chance and a shot, so why not? Why not us?" Waiters said. "Weve got to have a sense of urgency. The clock is ticking. The games are running out. Making the playoffs is right there and weve got a great opportunity." NOTES: Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson missed his third straight game with a right calf strain. ... Anderson Varejao (back) and C.J. Miles (ankle) were back at practice this week but didnt make the trip to Charlotte, which meant Spencer Hawes and Tristan Thompson were left to defend Jefferson. ... Josh McRoberts added 11 points and seven assists for the Bobcats. ' ' '

DALLAS -- Taj Gibson didnt worry when Chicago fell behind Dallas early, and he wasnt concerned when the Mavericks made a late run for the lead. The Bulls had answers both times. Gibson scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Mike Dunleavy hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and Chicago overtook the Mavericks in the fourth quarter of a 100-91 victory Friday night. "Were used to this," Gibson said after the Bulls (32-26) won for the eighth time in nine games, moved a season-high six over .500 and answered a 22-point home loss to Dallas in December. "We get knocked down and we keep coming back." The Mavericks led by 16 in the first half and had erased a six-point Chicago edge with a 7-0 run punctuated by Monta Ellis second steal and breakaway dunk of the night when Dunleavy put the Bulls back in front and started a 10-0 run with a 3-pointer for an 87-85 lead. Jimmy Butler had 19 points, seven rebounds and a big block during the decisive spurt, and Kirk Hinrich scored 17. Dunleavy finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, shooting 4 of 7 from long range. Ellis scored 20 to the lead the Mavericks, who were trying to match their season high with a fifth straight win. Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter had 15 apiece, but Carter scored just one point in the second half and was held to 0-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter, when the Mavericks went 6 for 25 from the field. "Some nights teams miss shots and you have to hang in with grit, guts, defence and rebounding," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Weird thing about it was we were in front most of the first half and we let them climb back into it with grit, guts and rebounding." Gibson, who had 16 points in the first half, followed Dunleavys go-ahead 3 with a dunk on an assist from Joakim Noah, who then blocked a shot by Sam Dalembert on the other end right after committing his fifth foul. Butler scored inside after Ellis fell down, and after two more Dallas possessions ended in misses, Hinrich hit a pull-up jumper for a 93-85 lead. Butler blocked a layup try by Jose Calderon and made a free throw at the other end to complete the run as the Bulls outscored the Mavericks 27-15 in the fourth. "We got nothing but good looks," said Ellis, who was 2 of 6 in the fourth and 7 of 19 for the game. "We missed a lot of layups, a lot of shots in the middle, at the free throw line. Missed a lot of wide-open ones. Just werent going down for us." After the Bulls went up 84-78 on back-to-back 3-pointers from D.J. Augustin and Hinrich, the Mavericks went back in front with a 7-0 run started when Nowitzki hit a one-legged fadeaway over Noah after Noah had stolen the ball from him two straight times. Noah didnt have a point or rebound in the first half but finished with 10 points and nine boards. The teams assist leader had four more of those as the NBAs lowest-scoring team reached 100 points for the third straight game -- all wins. "We are an offensive juggernaut," coach Tom Thibodeau said with a smile. "I thought we battled back and showed more discipline as the game went along." The Bulls took their first lead on a reverse layup by Carlos Boozer with 2:48 left in the third quarter, but didnt score the rest of the period. Shawn Marion quickly answered with a layup, and DeJuan Blair ended a 2 1/2-minute scoreless stretch with a bucket to put Dallas up 76-73 going into the fourth. The Mavericks made five of their first seven from long range and ran out to a 32-17 late in the first quarter, punctuated by a sprinting layup from Wayne Ellington when he was led perfectly on a long pass from Devin Harris. The Bulls got within six in the second quarter before Dallas pushed the lead back to 51-38 on a dunk by Ellis after the 1,000th steal of his career. Chicago rallied again to get within two on a 13-2 run that included 3-pointers from Dunleavy, Hinrich and Butler. NOTES: The Mavericks recalled F Jae Crowder, G Shane Larkin and C Bernard James after a one-game stint with their NBA Development League team. Crowder had a triple-double for the Texas Legends in suburban Frisco with 23 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. James had 38 points and 10 rebounds. G Ricky Ledo was sent back down to the Legends. ... In addition to the steals milestone, Ellis hit the 500th 3-pointer of his career in the first quarter. Dick Snyder Jersey . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. Vladimir Radmanovic Jersey . The group of Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Sergei Fedorov, & Slava Kozlov were a dominant force for The Wings at one point in the 90s. https://www.supersonicsjerseys.com/790s-...upersonics.html. Barnard, 28, was 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA in three appearances, including two starts, with San Angel o this season. He struck out 19 batters and walked just one in 17 innings pitched. He has previous American Association experience with the Lincoln Saltdogs, El Paso Diablos and Amarillo Sox. Cheap Supersonics Jerseys . 3 seed Phillip Kohlschreiber from Germany. Defending champion Marin Cilic also reached the semifinals -- his fourth in Zagreb -- defeating fellow Croat Ivan Dodig. German qualifier Bjorn Phau beat Dudi Sela of Israel to reach his first semifinals in nearly five years. Detlef Schrempf Jersey . The 17-year-old had four goals and four assists in 38 games for Liberec in the Czech pro league this past season. Zacha had three goals and two assists in seven games at the world mens under-18 championship in April when the Czech Republic took the silver medal. HALLE, Germany -- Rafael Nadal was knocked out in the second round of the grass-court Gerry Weber Open on Thursday, losing 6-4, 6-1 to German wild card Dustin Brown. "I didnt play," Nadal said. "That can happen when you play an opponent like this. But I dont want to talk about the opponent." Brown, the world No. 85, broke Nadals serve at the fifth attempt to win the first set, and he pulled off two audacious lobs in succession to break the Spaniard again early in the second. Nothing Nadal tried seemed to work in his first match since winning his ninth French Open title. He had a first-round bye at Halle, where he was the top seed. "The only way I could have tried to do more was resisting with my serve, something I hadnt practiced a lot these days," said Nadal, who was unnerved by Browns unpredictability. "For the first four games he didnt put any returns on the court and then suddenly he was playing winners from the return, so its difficult to analyze these kinds of matches. The only thing I can do is keep working the way that I did the last three days, because I came here, I tried hard, I tried my best." Brown became the lowest ranked player to beat a world No. 1 since 2008, when No. 98 Mardy Fish beat Roger Federer at Indian Wells. "I never played against a world No. 1 before, never played him before, soo this is just crazy for me," the player with the distinctive dreadlocks said.dddddddddddd Brown said it was too soon to consider he will face compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber in the quarterfinals. "I havent thought about that at all yet. Im going to enjoy this," Brown said. Federer began his preparations for Wimbledon by coming from behind to beat Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-2. Sousa saved all five break points he faced before taking the first set in a tiebreaker, but the second-seeded Federer raised his level in the next two sets to win the second-round match and move into the quarterfinals. "It was important to stay calm, and actually it gives me more confidence winning this way than maybe just 6-4, 6-4 and you dont quite know what is going on," said Federer, who acknowledged he was worried after losing the first set. It was the seven-time Wimbledon winners first match since losing in the fourth round at the French Open to Ernests Gulbis. He also had a first-round bye in Halle, where he is a six-time champion. He will next play Taiwans Lu Yen-hsun, who defeated Croatias Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). Steve Johnson is through to the quarterfinals after Teymuraz Gabashvili pulled out of their second-round match with a right knee injury. The American lined up fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori on Friday. ' ' '

ATLANTA -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez didnt want his team to have any hiccups following Chipper Jones big celebration at Turner Field. Julio Teheran pitched six strong innings, Andrelton Simmons homered and Atlanta beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0 on Friday night. "It was a good overall night on a very memorable night with Chipper getting his number retired," Gonzalez said. "We ran the bases well, executed some things offensively and hopefully it carries on the rest of the weekend." The Braves, who have won three of four and lead second-place Washington by 5 1/2 games in the NL East, retired former All-Star third baseman Jones jersey number before the game. Teheran (6-4) allowed four hits, one walk and struck out 10 -- the same number Jones wore in 19 years with the Braves. Teheran wanted to pitch well in front of a near capacity crowd. He also was eager to do his best in a matchup against his close friend Randall Delgado, the Arizona starting pitcher who came up through the Braves minor league system with Teheran before getting traded away in January. "From the minor leagues, weve been together, so I was pretty excited, but I wasnt trying to think about it," Teheran said. "I wanted to treat the game like any other and try to compete and do my best." The NL West-leading Diamondbacks have lost three of four. They were shut out for the first time since losing 5-0 at San Francisco on Sept. 26, a span of 85 games. Arizona starting pitchers are 0-8 in 20 starts since Wade Miley won at St. Louis on June 5. Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel earned his 23rd save in 26 chances in the ninth. After Aaron Hill grounded out, Kimbrel walked Paul Goldschmidt and then Miguel Montero grounded into a double play. The Braves went up 1-0 in the first when Jason Heyward doubled and scored from second on Justin Uptons RBI single. Delgado avoided further damage with two runners in scoring position by striking out Dan Uggla. Teheran stranded runners in scoring position in the first by strikingout Goldschmidt and Montero, and in the third by striking out Gerardo Parra and getting Hill to hit a grounder. Teheran, whose night ended when Tyler Pastornicky pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the sixth, has a 0.98 ERA in winning two of his last three starts. Luis Avilan, the second Atlanta pitcher, threw five straight balls before Jason Kubel hit into a forceout and Cody Ross grounded into a double play. Avilan retired the four batters he faced before Jordan Walden got the last two outs of the eighth. Delgado (0-2) gave up eight hits, two runs and three walks. He struck out three and threw 64 of 106 pitches for strikes. Delgado, whom Atlanta dealt with Martin Prado to Arizona in the trade that brought Justin Upton and Chris Johnson to the Braves, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth when Teheran grounded into a double play. "This used to be my team, the crowd and everything," Delgado said. "I just tried to do like a normal game. You have to think about making good pitches. I just tried to follow (catcher) Montero and keep the ball down. And the guys did a good job with double plays and all that." Atlanta made it 2-0 in the fifth when Simmons sixth homer landed in the left-field seats. Parra, Goldschmidt, Montero, Kubel and Ross were a combined 0 for 16 with two walks and 10 strikeouts. Zeke Spruill, the fourth Arizona pitcher, gave up a leadoff triple in the eighth to Uggla, who scored on pinch-hitter Reed Johnsons pinch-hit RBI bunt single to give the Braves a 3-0 lead. Uggla, after sitting on stage next to Jones and speaking to the crowd during the pregame ceremony, was embarrassed to strike out with runners in scoring position in the first. His base running in the eighth helped him end the night on a positive note to help the Braves win for Jones. "Hes one of the great ones," Uggla said. "Were very thankful we had the opportunity to play with him. Hes one of the guys that were going to be able to tell our grandkids that we got to play with or against. Hes a special dude, and I was extremely humbled." NOTES: Arizona reinstated 3B Eric Chavez from the 15-day disabled list and designated INF Eric Hinske for assignment. Chavez had been on the DL since straining his right oblique on May 30 against Texas. ... Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said that RHP J.J. Putz is likely to be activated before Saturdays game. ... The Diamondbacks optioned Spruill to the minors after the game. ... The Braves improved to 42-9 when they hit a homer. ... Atlanta INF Ramiro Pena had season-ending surgery to repair a tear in the back of his right shoulder. Pena, a three-year veteran in his first season with the Braves, will be out until the start of spring training next year. ... Arizona hitting coach Don Baylor, who held the same role with Atlanta when Jones won his NL MVP award in 1999, celebrated his 64th birthday on Friday. ... The Braves announced a sellout of 48,282, though several hundred seats were empty. Air Max 97 Miami Hurricanes . The second-ranked Jayhawks will play the Miners of Texas-El Paso at Imperial Arena in the Bahamas. The game can be seen live on TSN2 starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. Air Max 97 Have a Nike Day . "Opinion: Womens World Cup is the best Soccer of the year," Hanks tweeted to his 8.73 million followers on Friday. "Hey FIFA, they deserve real grass. Put in sod. http://www.airmax97outlet.it/scontate-ai...osse-orbit.html. He also had some help Monday night.Hibbert scored a season-high 29 points to help Indiana beat the Utah Jazz 97-86 Monday night, ending the Pacers six-game losing streak. Nike Air Max 97 Gs Valentines Day . At times during a solid but not spectacular season, they looked all three. Still the defending AFC champions persevered, riding their top-ranked defence and key contributions from younger players to a 12-4 record and their eighth playoff appearance since 2000, remarkable consistency in a league where change is the only constant. Air Max 97 LX Throwback Future . - The first sign that Kansas Speedway was going to be a heartbreaker for Hendrick Motorsports should have come during qualifying when Jimmie Johnson inexplicably spun and earned one of his worst starting spots since 2005.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - World No. 1 great and 18-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams had to shake off a slow start before dispatching Vera Zvonareva in Thursdays second-round action at the Australian Open. Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova also reached the round of 32, while a battle of former world No. 1s saw Victoria Azarenka upset Caroline Wozniacki. The five-time Aussie Open and reigning U.S. Open chap Williams trailed late in the first set before ultimately taking a 7-5, 6-0 win over the unseeded Zvonareva of Russia. It marked a rematch of the 2010 Wimbledon final between the two, a match also captured by the American. Williams said Zvonareva, a two-time Grand Slam finalist who played only five tournaments in 2014, started out aggressive and I was a little too passive. So she told herself: You know Serena, youve done so well here, you have nothing to lose. Zvonareva won only eight points in the lopsided second set. Up next for Williams will be Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. The fourth-seeded Kvitova, fresh off her title in Sydney last week, took care of German Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4, while sixth-seeded former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska dispatched Swede Johanna Larsson 6-0, 6-1 on another hot day at Melbourne Park. Up next for the two-time Wimbledon champ Kvitova will be rising American Madison Keys, while Radwanska will take on American Varvara Lepchenko. Keys pulled off a minor upset of 29th-seeded Aussie Casey Dellacqua, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. In the marquee match of the day, the unseeded two-time Aussie Open champ Azarenka vanquished the eighth-seeded U.S. Open runner-up Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2. Wozniacki said shes feels cursed at the Aussie Open. She also said while losing sucks she felt her good friend Azarenka was back to her best already after missing plenty of action last year due to injuries. Her level, its high, Wozniacki said. I think shes at the level that she left when she stopped playing. Azarenka and Wozniacki have now split eight career meetings. Wozniacki got the better of Azarenka in the third round at the 2008 U.S. Open in their lone previous Grand Slam matchup. Azarenka titled in Melbourne back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 before being slowed by a foot injury last year. I knew that Im unseeded so I can play anybody. I just accept whoever is on the opposite side (and)) Im happy with the way I stayed consistent throughout the whole match, she said.dddddddddddd I think theres always things you can improve, but its a great progress from one match to another. Azarenkas third-round opponent will be Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. Serenas 18th-seeded sister, Venus, who was the 2003 Aussie runner-up to her sibling, defeated fellow American Lauren Davis 6-2, 6-3. Venus has yet to lose this year, going 7-0, including a title in Auckland, where she upset Wozniacki in the final. Venus will face Italian Camila Giorgi this weekend. Eleventh-seeded Slovak and last years Aussie runner-up Dominika Cibulkova moved on by downing Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 6-0, while American Coco Vandeweghe upended 20th-seeded former U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-4. Stosur has never reached a quarterfinal at her home major, where shes competed every year since 2005, with the exception of 2008. Cibulkova was last years Aussie runner-up to the since-retired Li Na. Meanwhile, 19th-seeded Alize Cornet defeated Denisa Allertova 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2; 24th-seeded Garbine Muguruza dropped Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 1-6, 6-0; a 25th-seeded Zahlavova Strycova moved past Kai-Chen Chang 6-1, 7-5; the No. 26 seed Svitolina worked past Nicole Gibbs 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (8-6); and a 30th-seeded Lepchenko defeated Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 7-6 (7-1). Lepchenko will face Radwanska on Saturday. Additional second-round results saw Giorgi ease past Tereza Smitkova 6-1, 6-4, Swiss Timea Bacsinszky beat Anna Tatishvili 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2, and American Madison Brengle cruise past compatriot Irina Falconi 6-1, 6-3. Brengle reached her first-ever WTA final in Hobart last week and will meet another fellow American, Vandeweghe, in the round of 32. In some third-round action on Friday, second-seeded Maria Sharapova will face 31st-seeded Kazakhstani Zarina Diyas; third-seeded French Open runner-up Simona Halep will meet American Bethanie Mattek-Sands; seventh-seeded Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard will be opposed by Frances Caroline Garcia; and 10th-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova will battle 22nd-seeded rising Czech Karolina Pliskova, last weeks Sydney runner-up to Kvitova. The former No. 1 and reigning French Open champion Sharapova was the Aussie champ in 2008 and runner-up in 2007 and 2012. ' ' '

Changes to the NHL Draft Lottery were voted in on Thursday by the leagues Board of Governors. According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, the league still needs to confer with the National Hockey League Players Association before they become official. The league has proposed smoothing or compressing the odds among the 14 non-playoff teams for the 2015 draft and then increasing the number of selections determined by the lottery in 2016. The NHLs general managers met in New York during the Stanley Cup Final and at that time, Sabres general manager Tim Murray told LeBrun that potential new changes would not take effect in time for next years highly anticipated 2015 Draft that will feature Connor McDavid. Mike Michalske Jersey .Heres Ralph the Dog with the crew here at TSN jumping into the James Duthie TradeCentre selfie: Happy to drop by! RT @TSN_Sports: @tsnjamesduthie: Take this Ellen. Tyler Ervin Jersey . - Quarterback Brady Quinn says he has been released by the Miami Dolphins. http://www.custompackersjersey.com/custo...large-802r.html. City has reached new heights under manager Manuel Pellegrini as they transition from big spending/immediate impact to perennial contender. Yaya Toures seeming discontent Tuesday may complicate that, as does the little issue of Financial Fair Play. Roy McKay Jersey . -- The Oakland Athletics and free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon have agreed to terms on a US$2 million, one-year contract, bolstering their depleted starting rotation. Clarke Hinkle Jersey .Former NBA forward Morris Peterson has been added to TSNs Toronto Raptors broadcast team.BUFFALO, N.Y. - Mike Yeo doesnt read newspapers right now and hes not perusing Twitter. If he did, the coach of the Minnesota Wild might already think hes out of a job.Instead, with his team on a six-game losing skid, Yeo is determined to ignore the chatter and focus on the task at hand.Im not going to sit around and mope and feel sorry for myself, Yeo said. Ive got a job to do, and now is when I have to do it better than ever.On Wednesday, the Wild traded a third-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for goaltender Devan Dubnyk, but thats no guarantee itll solve enough of Minnesotas problems to turn this season around.The issues go beyond Yeo and beyond goaltending. Zach Parise said the Wild have been fragile, and meeting after meeting wont solve whats ailing a team that went into the season with legitimate playoff aspirations.Theres been a lot of talking around here for the last, gosh, four weeks maybe, Parise said. At some point we have to start to deliver. The coaches can only do so much. As players we have to have thicker skin and hold each other accountable. Were missing that right now. Its too easy internally to not compete and its too easy for us to quit.Players have repeatedly said they havent quit on Yeo or each other. Their play over the past several weeks, including 12 losses in the last 14 games, has prompted that question.Yeo knows his job is in jeopardy, as the coach is usually the first victim of a skid like this. But his players dont want the blame placed on his shoulders.Yoezies a really good coach, said defenceman Ryan Suter, who will miss the next two games after being suspended. Hes a guy that we want to play for. Thats the disappointing thing. I dont know whats going on, we play so well and then we let in a goal or two goals and the wheels just come off.The Wilds last loss was a 7-2 thumping at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The players spent much of Wednesday afternoon at First Niagara Center going over video of mistakes from that game and others and then practised working on the basics.Its an awareness of unfortunately, this is what Minnesota Wild hockey is right now, and we have to get it back to what it was, Yeo said. Its just work. Its not about trying to embarrass anybody or trying to lift anybody up, its just recognition of where were at and what our game looks like and realizing that we need to get it back to what it needs to be.The Wild have allowed 29 goals in the past six games as theyve fallen to 12th in the Western Conference and eight points out of the secoond wild-card spot.ddddddddddddThe season appears to be slipping away.In an effort to keep that from happening, general manager Chuck Fletcher acquired Dubnyk, who represents an immediate upgrade over Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom. Dubnyk went 9-5-2 with a 2.72 goals-against average and .916 save percentage as the Coyotes backup goaltender.Dubnyk could get the reins from Yeo as soon as Thursdays game at the Buffalo Sabres. The Wild are tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the worst team save percentage in the NHL at .889.Goaltending is no doubt a concern, but Parise said the responsibility falls on everyone.Thats a position thats always magnified and the way that position works if you have an off night it unfortunately can cost you the game easily, Parise said. Theres way more that happens before the puck getting to our net that cant happen. The way were turning the puck over, the way were not tying up guys. I mean, were there but were getting outworked and outmuscled.The Wilds overall work ethic is one thing that has come into question.If we think were competing hard enough to win games right now, were kidding ourselves, winger Jason Pominville said. Wed be cheating ourselves to say that. I think our compete (level has) got to go up, thats where it starts. Obviously the goaltending is always an easy thing to point out when things arent going well, but its whats done before that in every zone.Parise said the Wild are stuck in a mindset that has contributed to their struggles.Our D-zone coverage hasnt been good enough, our neutral zone transition hasnt been good, our forecheck hasnt been good, he said. We know how to do it. Thats not a question. Weve done it, we know how to do it, we know it works. Its just right now for us its a mindset. Its not there.The lack of answers is why Yeos job has appeared to be in jeopardy. The Wild made the playoffs each of the past two seasons, and with high expectations have faltered and almost fallen out of the race with 39 games to go.Yeo said a couple of coaching colleagues around the league reached out but he doesnt expect sympathy.Its an eat or be eaten type of game, Yeo said. Thats why we cant sit around and feel sorry for ourselves, either. We know that nobodys feeling sorry for us. Why should we? Thats not going to help us in any way. We have to find a way to get out of this, and the only way is with a clear focus on the way that we need to play the game and a desperation and a work ethic that cant be matched.___Follow @SWhyno on Twitter. ' ' '

CHICAGO -- It was just one pitch, but Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers can only hope it turns out to be a turning point in their season. Verlander turned in one of his most effective outings this year and once again beat the White Sox, leading the Detroit Tigers past Chicago 7-1 Friday night. The right-hander showed some of his former Cy Young form, particularly to wiggle out of a jam in the first inning. After Verlanders wild pickoff throw set up a sacrifice fly by Adam Dunn, Verlander reached back to strike out Tyler Flowers on a 95 mph fastball and leave the bases loaded. "Yeah, you cant put your team in a 3-0 deficit right away," Verlander said. "I made a bad throw to allow those guys to score an easy run. Once the bases are loaded, youre thinking, All right, just leave the damage where its at and make a pitch here." Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was also glad to see Verlander get out of the tough spot. "Ive always said the first inning is the toughest inning for a starter," Ausmus said. "To get out of the inning was very important." The contending Tigers won for the fifth time in six games. Chicago has lost nine of 10. Verlander (12-11) beat the White Sox for the 14th time in 18 decisions since June 10, 2009 -- the most wins by any pitcher against a single team in that span. The former AL MVP allowed one run and nine hits in seven innings. It was the first time this year that he allowed fewer than two runs in a game. "Im just trying to execute better pitches, not walk so many guys and get ahead in the count," said Verlander, whose numbers began to trend upward since the All-Star break. "I know (the talent) is still there to be the guy I want to be. I just got to find it." Verlander matched his season high with eight strikeouts and walked two. Seven of the strikeouts came in his last three innings. "The first half of his game was good," Ausmus said. "The second half was very good." J.D. Martinez had a double and two singles for Detroit. The Tigers got 13 hits, including five doubles. Scott Carroll (5-9) took the loss but didnt get much support in the field. He allowed seven runs, only three of which were earned. First baseman Jose Abreu had three hits for Chicago, but his two errors helped the Tigers score five times in the fourth for a 7-1 lead. After Victor Martinez hit a grounder that handcuffed Abreu for an error, Nick Castellanos groundout and Alex Avilas double drove in two runs. Eugenio Suarez followed with a single before Ezequiel Carreras high bouncer glanced off the tip of Abreus glove for a run-scoring miscue. Ian Kinslers fielders choice groundout and Torii Hunters double capped the rally. Abreu left the game after the seventh because of what appeared to be a minor hamstring injury. "Hes fine," manager Robin Ventura said. "I think hes just tired." TRAINERS ROOM Tigers: RHP Joakim Soria resumed his throwing program before the game, when he threw off flat ground for the third time this week. The hope is that his strained left oblique will not require a second stint on the disabled list, but there is no timetable for the relievers return. White Sox: OF Moises Sierra went hitless in four at-bats on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. He is on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left oblique. UP NEXT The Tigers will send RHP Max Scherzer (15-4, 3.13) to the mound against LHP Chris Sale (10-3, 2.03) in the opener of a split doubleheader on Saturday. Tigers LHP Kyle Ryan and White Sox RHP Chris Bassitt are scheduled to make their major league debuts in the nightcap. REED GETS CALL Prior to the game, the Tigers purchased the contract of RHP Evan Reed from Triple-A Toledo and designated RHP Jose Ortego for assignment. Reed had a 0-1 record and 4.88 earned run average in 27 games for the Tigers this season. He replaced LHP Kyle Lobstein, who was sent to the Triple-A affiliate the previous night. LITTLE BIG MEN The White Sox plan to honour the Jackie Robinson West Little League team on Chicagos South Side before the second game of the doubleheader. The team became the first all-black squad to win the United States championship before losing to South Korea in the Little League title game. Derek Harper Jersey ." One game is checked off, 15 remain and the next one to get crossed out could come Tuesday night when the defending champion Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Wholesale Mavericks Jerseys . But that changed when he committed a five-minute major penalty and helped pave the way for a comeback by the Philadelphia Flyers. Vincent Lecavalier scored at 2:45 of overtime and the Flyers rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 5-4 victory on Sunday. https://www.cheapmavericks.com/223l-denn...-mavericks.html. The 18-year-old centre was the Senators first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot 196-pound native of Salmon Arm, B. Courtney Lee Jersey . - Chelseas 1-0 win at the Etihad, spoiling Manchester Citys perfect home record continues to be the talking point of the week. Jay Vincent Jersey .com) - The Milwaukee Bucks will try to get another win on this homestand Thursday night when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the Bradley Center.Chad Owens of the Toronto Argonauts will be in Calgary this weekend where his team faces the Stampeders on Saturday. Whether or not the injured wide receiver will play remains to be seen. Argos coach Scott Milanovich confirmed on Thursday that Owens will travel to Calgary, either today with his teammates or on Sunday where the team will stay prior to a date with the B.C. Lions on September 19. A decision has yet to be made on the 2012 Most Outstanding Players participation in Saturdays game. As of Thursday, Owens has yet to be medicallyy cleared.dddddddddddd Owens missed four games earlier this season with a foot injury incurred in the Argos July 12 loss to those same Stampeders. He returned in an August 24 loss on the road to the Edmonton Eskimos, but picked up a leg injury that forced him to miss the teams Labour Day Classic with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Argos (3-7) are tied with the Montreal Alouettes atop the East Division standings. You can catch all of the action when the Argonauts visit the Stampeders live on TSN 1, 3, 4 and 5 on Saturday at 7pm et/4pm pt. ' ' '

GENEVA -- Tour de France champion Chris Froome wants an investigation into cyclings doping history to finally close an era dominated by Lance Armstrong. Almost 18 months after Armstrongs seven Tour wins were wiped from the record, an independent panel created by the new International Cycling Union leadership has begun work to discover the extent of the sports past problems. "I hope that anyone who does have anything to contribute would get involved." Froome told The Associated Press in an interview on Tuesday. The three-man Cycling Independent Reform Commission aims to investigate how doping happened from 1998-2013 and possible UCI complicity in helping Armstrong and his teams avoid scrutiny. "I am hoping that at the end of the day people will be able to say of it, Right, that was that era, we can now put that to bed and stop asking questions about it," Froome said. Armstrong and former UCI presidents Hein Verbruggen and Pat McQuaid will be invited for confidential, closed-door interviews with the panel which is based at Lausanne, Switzerland. None of the trio has committed publicly to meeting with the panel, which is chaired by Swiss politician and prosecutor Dick Marty. Froome said the panel could engage "not just necessarily those three, but anyone really who is part of that era and can contribute to resolving it." "Its going to be more negative publicity for the sport. Thats never good," Froome acknowledged. The Team Sky leader, who made a winning return to racing last month at the Tour of Oman, said he had not heard much talk about the commission among current riders, who must help restore the sports credibility. "Theres a lot of really, really talented young riders coming through the system now that I believe in personally." Froome said. "These are going to be the guys carrying the torch going forward." Froome will be 29 when he is scheduled to start defending his Tour title on July 5 in northern England -- probably with 2012 winner Bradley Wiggins alongside him. "Im confident whoever is in there, we are going to have the strongest team possible," said Froome, whose frayed relationship with Wiggins was mended in the off-season. "He can do a lot of damage to the peloton. Hes one of the best climbers in the world and we know his time trialing ability." Froome expects to follow the path both he and Wiggins followed to Tour success, competing in -- and winning -- stage-race preparations at the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland and Criterium de Dauphine in France. "I think it would be crazy to really change things up too much," Froome said. "We found it has been a good system that has worked quite well for us." Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, on the sidelines of a Team Sky sponsors event, Froome said extra work being a Tour champion was "a bit of a juggling act" with his training program. Still, the Oman victory suggests he got the balance right. "It just backs up that I have had a really good winter preparation," Froome said. "Im where I need to be for the season coming up." Yeezy Boost 350 France . -- On any given day here at his companys Silicon Valley headquarters, Vivek Ranadive is ready to compete against any employee who wants to challenge him to any contest. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 True Form Pas Cher . Numbers Game looks into the Wild getting Matt Moulson from Buffalo. The Wild Get: LW Matt Moulson and LW Cody McCormick. http://www.pascheryeezy350v2.fr/. Matt Carkner got back into the Ottawa lineup, and made his presence felt right away by settling his clubs score in a one-sided fight with Rangers forward Brian Boyle. Yeezy Boost 350 Pas Cher . The Nevada Athletic Commission voted unanimously in Las Vegas to quit granting therapeutic use exemptions for fighters undergoing the so-called TRT. Yeezy Boost 350 Fausse .Sinclair, from Burnaby, B.C., led the Canadian team with three goals at the four-nation competition. She also earned tournament most valuable player honours.The Canadian captain scored on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute and added the winning goal a minute later.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Carl Hagelins contribution to the New York Rangers playoff-opening win was etched all over his busted-up mouth. Some efforts dont directly show up on the score sheet. Hagelin took a high stick from Philadelphias Jason Akeson with 7:35 left, and had his mouth cut open. That gave the Rangers a four-minute power play, and they made the most of it. Brad Richards and Derek Stepan scored 47 seconds apart, and the Rangers beat the Flyers 4-1 on Thursday night to stretch their home-winning streak over rival Philadelphia to nine games. "He got me pretty good, but I will take that," Hagelin said with a smile through his injured mouth. "Anytime that happens, youre ready to take one for the team, especially on a day like this when its tied." Hagelin said the double penalty was called when the referee saw he was bleeding a lot. No stitches were required to close the wound. The effect on Akeson remains to be seen. The 23-year-old forward was called up for the Flyers final game of the regular season for the second straight year. He has played in only three career NHL games. "I went to hit him, and my back leg swung out and my stick came up," Akeson said. "It was unfortunate. Its not like I went out there trying to take a four-minute penalty. It was a sick feeling watching them score." Richards gave the Rangers their first lead when a rebound of Martin St. Louis shot came to him, and he fired it in from the right circle, punctuating the moment with an emphatic fist pump at 8:22. Richards and St. Louis hooked up again to help set up Stepans insurance goal. New York worked the puck around the Philadelphia end, and Richards faked a drive. He instead sent a hard pass to Stepan for a shot into the open left side. "If you dont score or dont get momentum there, it can go the other way pretty quickly, and they can build off that," Richards said. "One was huge, but to be able to go back out there and get the other one, obviously that won us the game." Defenceman Andrew MacDonald had given the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Rangers answered with Mats Zuccarellos goal. Hagelin pushed New Yorks edge to 4-1 with 4:08 left off another assist from Richards. Henrik Lundqvist made 14 saves for the win. Ray Emery, subbing for injured No. 1 goalie Steve Mason, stopped 32 shots in the loss. The Flyers had one shoot in the third period.dddddddddddd. "I thought we were in good position tied going into the third, and obviously we would like to have a better third period, but its a long series," Emery said. "We came in here for two games, we have to get one. "We would like to get one. We thought it might be that one, but I guess it will be the next one." Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Sunday in New York. The Rangers havent lost to Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden since March 6, 2011, outscoring the Flyers 35-10 in that span. The Flyers took the lead on their first shot, after allowing four, following a big hit by Scott Hartnell on defenceman Ryan McDonagh to free the puck in the offensive zone. MacDonald, a trade deadline acquisition from the New York Islanders, wound up for a slap shot on the playoffs logo and sent the puck sailing past Lundqvist after it hit St. Louis in flight at 7:28. As the shot flew past him, McDonagh — who struggled with the puck several times in the opening period in his first game in April 1 — hit Claude Giroux in the side with his stick, sending the Flyers captain to the ice. Giroux was down on all fours before gingerly skating to the bench. He returned to action. "I was not myself, and just couldnt get a good grip on the puck, couldnt feel my skates," said McDonagh, who missed five games because of an injured shoulder. "The guys stayed positive with me and I found a way to contribute." The Rangers got even with 9:07 left on a strong, determined effort by Zuccarello. Benoit Pouliot skated in search of space and lost the puck off his stick in the left circle. Zuccarello swooped in, got the puck and fired a hard shot that Emery blocked away. While in stride, Zuccarello got the puck back and deftly slipped in a backhand for his second career NHL playoff goal. Rick Nash had five of New Yorks 14 shots in the first, mostly from long range, and nearly matched Philadelphias total of six in the frame. Both teams generated chances in the second period, but no goals. The Rangers again led in shots, but by a slight 9-8 margin. NOTES: Mason showed more improvement Thursday and was in attendance for the game. Flyers coach Craig Berube said he doesnt know if Mason will play in Game 2 on Sunday. ... The Flyers had their fewest shots in a playoff game since recording 14 against Montreal on April 28, 2008. ' ' '

Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Ref! Been a long time Sens fan and stuck with them through the ups and downs. Ive always liked the fact that theyve made no excuses for their wins and their losses but their game with the Habs has me a tad irate with the what appears to be inconsistent calls. For example, there were a couple goalie interference calls against the Sens, like it or not, they were called, yet there were at least two non-calls for Robin Lehner being bumped including the game-tying goal at the end of regulation. Im not even going to go on about the non-call on the dive that caused that power play. My question is this: In the replay of the game-winning OT goal, the play moved into Ottawas end, a shot was taken that was stopped by Lehner and the puck was in/on/around his pads. The overhead camera angle showed the puck on the ice, not covered for a few seconds and then it was jammed in. Unless the referee is 35 feet tall and looking straight down at that angle, there is no way he could have even seen the puck free as the goalie had his back to him and there was a scrum of players there. Yet there was no stoppage even with the puck out of his sight for over five seconds (according to the game clock) and he later told Spezza that he didnt blow the whistle because of the noise level in the building. I would like to know if theres any disciplinary action for a referee who blows a call like that and then makes a "its too noisy to hear the whistle" comment as an excuse? Roger Smallman,St. Catharines, ON --- Hello, I just wanted some clarification - I thought when the goalie has the puck covered, the ref has to blow the whistle. Its my understanding that if the goalie has the puck covered, then an opposing player cannot jam at the goalie to knock the puck loose! Is that true or not? Josh Knowles Roger and Josh, Thank you for your questions following a very emotionally charged come-from-behind overtime victory by the Montreal Canadiens over the visiting Ottawa Senators. I want to share a general philosophy and understanding as to when the referee should blow the whistle. There is a misconception by some fans that a puck must be frozen for three seconds before the referee should deem it unplayable and then blow his whistle. This stems from language in Rule 85.2 when a puck falls onto the back of the goal netting and the referee is specifically directed to allow three seconds for it to be played unless the goalkeeper uses his stick or glove to freeze the puck on the back of the net, in which case the whistle is immediate. This three second application is also generally applied to determine a "frozen" puck between opposing players along the boards; although we often see the refs encourage play to continue with a non-whistle and audible command to "play it". The philosophy employed to kill play in and around the goal crease is somewhat consistent with Rule 69 (Interference on the Goalkeeper.) This rule was formerly called "Protection of the Goalkeeper" for good reason by recognizing, in part, the vulnerability of a goalkeeper given his unique position and the obvious impairment to defend his goal that would result through player contact. As such, the referee must first determine that the goalkeeper has control and coverage of the puck prior to his intent to blow the play dead in order to avoid a quick whistle. Of equal importance, is for a ref to be aware that an attacking player(s) does not dislodge or expose a covered puck by contacting the goalkeeper with a stick or any part of the body! Rule 85.3 (puck out of sight) states that should a scramble take place or a player accidentally fall on the puck and the puck be out of sight of the Referee, he shall immediately blow his whistle to stop the play. Truth is, there are many times during a scramble that the referee loses sight of the puck but does not blow his whistle immediately while he moves in an attempt to visually locate the puck. Every referee has had the embarrassment of blowing his whistle too quickly, only to have the puck slip through the goalies equipment and into the net causing a legitimate goal to be disallowed. Previous embarrassments such as this are always in the back of the refs mind. To avoid the quick whistle, but also to be aware of the potential for players to dislodge a covered puck, the referee must attack the net quickly from the best angle and react quickly to potential contact of the goalkeeper. Lets apply the above philosophies to the reality of the eventual winning goal scored by Francis Bouillon. Max Pacioretty, who was being checked by Jared Cowen, threw the puck at the Ottawa net from the bottom middle point of the end zone face-off circle to the left of goalie Robin Lehner. The shot was gobbled up in the right pad of Lehner, protected and appeared to be covered by Lehners blocker. The referee began to drive toward the net from his initial position some 30 feet from the right post. The closest Montreal player to the net, David Desharnais, was at the bottom of the end zone face-off T some 20 feet away and positioned on the outside of Sens player Bobby Ryan. Cody Ceci approached the centre of the goal crease from 15 feet out. This distance of other players from the net creates time and space for the goalkeeper to control and cover the puck. With all these parts of the puzzle moving quickly toward Lehner, who remained in a stationary position tight to the post with his blocker and stick down in front of the right goal pad throughout, my radar as a ref would go on high alert! The very last thing I would want to have happen is for the goalkeeper to be contacted and the puck dislodged. From the sight line the referee had at the time (and the multiple camera angles shown), I find it hard to imagine the puck was visible to him or anyone else at this point. Desharnais stepped to the inside of Ryan and jammed at Lehner with his stick and body as his momentum took the Hab forward behind the net. Ceci then made contact with the right side of his goalkeeper causing Lehners blocker to elevate off the ice and rotate. The contact by both players altered the position of Lehner sufficiently to expose the puck in front of Lehners pad. At this point, the puck would be clearly visible to the referee from his position closer to the net and as detected on the overhead camera shot. Pacioretty then came in hard from the side and jammed the puck outside the crease for an easy layup for Bouillon. When players crash the crease and jam at the goalkeeper, bad things usually happen. Typically, the refs will exercise the philosophy I described above and blow the whistle in advance of any deliberate contact exerted by an attacking player. This play was allowed to continue too long without visible evidence of the puck being uncovered prior to the contact exerted by Desharnais and then Ceci. In my judgment Josh, the whistle should have blown prior to that contact. Roger, if Stephen Walkom, Sr. V.P. of Officiating assessed this play as I did, he will review and discuss the play with the referee and make suggestions as to how a similar situation should be ruled upon in the future. There is no disciplinary action in place for officials beyond the ongoing rating and ranking system that every official is subjected to for playoff assignments and ongoing employment. One call or one game does not greatly impact the overall season performance rating of any official. Great calls are made and some are unfortunately missed. Thats the human element of the job. Baron Davis Jersey . Dallas also Monday recalled defenceman Aaron Rome from his conditioning assignment with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and assigned goaltender Jack Campbell to the AHL squad. Tyreke Evans Jersey . HABS HEADED TO CONFERENCE FINAL The Montreal Canadiens scored early in Game Seven, built a lead and protected it well on their way to a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Boston Bruins. While this game or series isnt necessarily a referendum on the value of fourth lines, the Canadiens certainly benefitted from production lower down their forward depth chart. https://www.cheappelicans.com/155u-antho...y-pelicans.html. a€“ All signs point to the Maple Leafs having their top offseason acquisition in the lineup on opening night. ETwaun Moore Jersey . According the CSNBayArea.com, the 31-year-old suffered an ACL injury in his right knee on Friday when he collided with Anaheims Emerson Etem during a pre-season game. Al-Farouq Aminu Jersey . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Bruins will try to extend their longest winning streak of the season when they host the sliding Edmonton Oilers in tonights battle at TD Garden. The Bruins have won three straight for the first time this season and the last two victories have come at the start of a four-game homestand. Boston also is 4-1-0 in its first five games without captain and top defenseman Zdeno Chara, who tore a ligament in his right knee late last month. Theres an excellent chance Boston will push the streak to four games tonight, as it enters Thursdays matchup riding a 12-game winning streak against the Oilers, who last beat the Bruins on Oct. 17, 2000. Edmontons last victory in Boston was way back on Nov. 7, 1996 and the Oilers are 0-7-1 with a tie in their last nine games in Beantown. Boston picked up an overtime victory in its latest outing, edging the Florida Panthers by a 2-1 score. Brad Marchand scored the winner with 1:33 to play in OT to help the Bruins get to the .500 mark on home ice (4-4-0). Marchand took a pass from Dougie Hamilton and skated down the middle, making a move to get around Dylan Olsen before switching back to the forehand and wristing it into the left corner for his fifth goal of the season. I think tonight was a real big step forward for us, said Marchand. We played with a lot more confidence than we have in the past number of games, and it seems like were able to make plays now and hold on. Patrice Bergeron scored the other goal for Boston while Tuukka Rask only needed to stop 18 shots for the win. Rask expects to start again tonight and is 3-0 with a 1.67 goals against average in three career tilts versus Edmonton. After tonight, the Bruins wont play again until MMonday when they complete their current stay at TD Garden against New Jersey.dddddddddddd Boston hopes to have centerman David Krejci back in the lineup tonight after missing him for the last two tilts with an undisclosed injury. He is questionable for Thursday. The Oilers have lost three straight in regulation and opened a five-game road trip with Tuesdays 4-1 setback in Philadelphia. The loss dropped Edmonton to 0-3-1 as the visiting team this season. Flyers goaltender Steve Mason stopped 35-of-36 shots to earn his first win of the season in his sixth start, while Jakub Voracek scored twice to help down the Oilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins supplied the lone offense for the Oilers, while Viktor Fasth surrendered all four markers on just 25 shots. The fact of the matter is we cant have just five or six guys step up, Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins said. If youre not maximizing your potential you are doing your team a terrible disservice and thats the difference of the game. Ben Scrivens is expected to start in net tonight for Edmonton. He is winless (0-3-0) with a 4.68 GAA in three career outings versus the Bruins. The Oilers will continue their swing tomorrow evening in Buffalo. Oilers (9PTS) at Bruins (16PTS) - 7PM BOS was 2-0-0 vs EDM last season BOS has won 12 straight vs EDM, EDM last winning in Oct 2000 BOS has gone 8-0-1(tie) last 9 at home vs EDM EDM last won in BOS Nov 7/96, shutout by Curtis Joseph BOS (8-6-0): won 3 straight, 5GA, 0/5 on PP 5/5 on PK last 4 home games (2-2-0) career game 500 for Lucic Marchand (4G, 2A) 3 game PT streak EDM (4-7-1): lost 3 straight, outscored 11-4 0/15 on PP last 4 games 9/9 on PK last 5 games Eberle (1G, 2A) 3 game PT streak ' ' '

Canada kept their undefeated streak going by beating Great Britain 9-6 in womens curling to push their record to 3-0 at the Sochi Olympics on Wednesday. Canada, led by Jennifer Jones, faced their first real test coming off dominant wins over 9-2 over China and 9-3 over Sweden on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Eve Muirhead, the 23-year old skip who led Scotland to a 2013 World Championship, followed through with expectations to lead Great Britain to a strong challenge against Canada. The two skips battled fiercely right into the final end. The skips battled hard where Jones tossed 85% and Muirhead went for 83%. There was very little separation between the opponents early in the match and that was the continued trend throughout. Up 8-6 going into the final end, Canada looked to be into as Great Britain was looking at scoring a double until Jones got a clutch take out, leaving just one stone near the button. Muirhead had the hammer with :30 remaining, but the result of her triple take out attempt went awry, resulting in a steal of one for Canada. The biggest Canadian highlight was the moment right before the conclusion of the fifth end where Muirheads final stone sat just short of the rings to play guard for a potential steal of two.But Jones stuck back, shooting a major take out which earned three points to bring it to 6-3 lead for Canada. Britain pulled it closed after six ends, bringing it to 6-5, but Jones was able to to keep distance securing a single in the seventh end to stay up by two. Muirhread came out of a tough eighth end, finishing with two of the four stones in the house but only could muster one point. Canada continues in the round robin on Thursday as they take on Switzerland. Off White Yeezy 350 V2 Pas Cher .C. -- The shot that would have beaten No. Yeezy 350 v2 Noir Et Rouge .com) - It appears both the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls will reach the playoffs, but the two squads are coming off losing efforts. http://www.pascheryeezy350v2.fr/fausse-y...50-v2-clay.html. -- Conor Casey scored two goals, his first of the season, as the Philadelphia Union beat Chivas USA 3-0 on Saturday night. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 True Form Pas Cher . They all do actually — Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 22, 2014There is no confirmation that the date is actually happening, but that didnt stop Embiid from getting dressed up. Fresh cut..... Getting ready for dinner http://t.co/NNIfKyZQzx — Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 23, 2014 Almost 930.. Yeezy 350 v2 Lundmark Pas Cher . -- Wichita State is all alone in the record book.SAO PAULO - Five-time world player of the year Marta has sustained minor injuries in a car crash in Brazil.The star of Brazils womens football team was taken to a hospital for tests but had only a few bruises and was released after Saturdays crash in northeastern Brazil, where she was on vacation.Authorities said Marta lost control of the Audi she was driving and crashed hard on the side of the road.ddddddddddddThe GloboEsporte website said three other people who were in the car also werent seriously injured.The 28-year-old midfielder reportedly was returning from a friends house when the afternoon accident happened in the city of Santana do Ipanema.Marta this week will play with Brazil in an international tournament in the capital of Brasilia. ' ' '

OTTAWA - After 20 games, the inconsistent Ottawa Senators are still struggling to find their identity. When they score first, the Senators have a 5-0-1 record, but when they give up the first goal, they are a disappointing 3-8-3. "Well have some bright flashes, well look good for a couple games and win a couple of games and then I dont know," said Zack Smith. "Its getting a little frustrating. Theres still a lot of games left, but at the same time you want to establish an identity and find some consistency in our games." Two years ago, the Senators were known for their ability to come back in games, often in the final minute. Last year they showed resiliency advancing to the second round of the playoffs despite playing most of the season without Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson, Jared Cowen and Craig Anderson. For whatever reason, this years group hasnt shown the same ability to overcome adversity, especially after giving up the first goal. "Maybe were waiting around at the start of games to see what other teams are doing," said Marc Methot. "I dont think were really initiating the play the way that we probably should be, especially here at home with our fans behind us. We seem to be getting down on ourselves and thats contagious and that happens when you start losing games. Its one of those things that we just have to work our way out of." Senators coach Paul MacLean believes the team would see some overall improvement if they could just find a way to spend less time in their own end. "We play in our end all the time and thats still to me the biggest issue we have is our lack of execution and we play too much in our end," MacLean said. MacLean also talked of the importance of a shift after a goal and admitted the Senators havent been good at all. Too often the team has been guilty of turnovers and poor defensive coverage. "That eats away at your confidence and your mental strength," said MacLean. Following a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, Senators coach Paul MacLean admitted all aspects of the teams preparation would be examined, but Spezza believes its more an issue of mental preparation. "We have to make sure were mentally prepared to have that urgency that we seem to be lacking," said the Sens captain. "We have big emotional games, big emotional wins and then we follow them up with games where we look like we lack a little bit of jump." Spezza admitted there are games that are easy to get up for and then there are those that require a greater awareness. And while its easy to say that for the most part this is the same group of players from the past two seasons those who are new dont have a lot of experience to draw from. "I think we might be showing that were a little bit of an inexperienced team maybe with some of the expectations," said Spezza. "Experience comes with knowing that certain games you need different types of urgency and different types of starts and different approaches to the game." Spezza, along with alternate captains Chris Phillips and Chris Neil will be looked upon to ensure everyone is ready to play. "Were going to lean on them heavy, if we havent already, were going to make some demands of them," said MacLean. "As individuals do a better job of getting themselves prepared and getting the team prepared to play." On Tuesday, the Senators take on the Philadelphia Flyers, who just one week ago shut out the Senators 5-0 in Ottawa. Spezza says this is exactly the kind of game the team needs to be properly prepared for, especially considering what happened last week. "It should have us on notice that we can get licked if we dont show up," he said. "If you thought it was going to be an easier game or a different game because of what their record is that 5-0 game shows us that we better be ready to go into that rink (Tuesday)." After last years success, theres no doubt expectations for this team were high and Smith cant help but wonder if thats actually been part of the problem. "Maybe we thought we were going to be that much better of a team and we wouldnt have to play the team game or work quite as hard," said Smith. "If thats the case well weve been proven wrong. You still have to work hard and work as a team … for some people maybe we overachieved (last year), but I think this year were definitely underachieving to this point." Notes: Phillips was not at practice due to the flu, but will travel with the team to Philadelphia and is expected to play Tuesday. No decision was made on Tuesdays starting goaltender. Neil will play his 800th career game Tuesday night. He has spent his entire career with the Senators. Cheap Shoes For Sale . Damyean Dotson, 19, Dominic Artis, 19 and Brandon Austin, 18, were suspended after the school received a police report concerning allegations made by a student who said she was assaulted by the players in early March. Cheap Shoes Fake . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. https://www.cheapshoesdiscount.com/. -- Brad Gushue of St. Cheap Shoes Free Shipping . -- Kael Mouillierat scored three times and set up one more as the St. Cheap Shoes Website . scored 18 of his career- high 28 points in the first half, as fifth-ranked Ohio State dominated No.Regina, SK - The first week of the 2014 CFL regular season draws to a close tonight when the defending Grey Cup Champion Saskatchewan Roughriders take the field against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Mosaic Stadium. Watch the action live on TSN and TSN GO at 7pm et/4pm pt. This is a replay of the 101st Grey Cup from November, when the Roughriders delivered a convincing 45-23 thrashing of Hamilton in front of nearly 45,000 fans. The Riders, led by head coach Corey Chamblin, would like nothing more than to get off to the same type of start that they had a year ago when they rattled off five straight victories and captured eight of the first nine outings overall. The team did stumble slightly down the stretch with back-to-back defeats to close out the regular season and suffered a four-game slide during the month of September, but the club proved to be resilient, finishing 11-7 overall, but taking home the Grey Cup when all was said and done. The third-leading passer in terms of yards last season with 4,154, Darian Durant is back under center for Saskatchewan as it begins the quest for back- to-back titles, something that has happened only once in the last 15 years. Durant, who has been with the Riders for his entire nine-year CFL career, tossed a personal best 31 touchdowns and finished with an efficiency rating of 95.7. In 2013, Durant had a trio of top-notch receivers who he relied heavily on, but one of those, Weston Dressler has since signed with the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL, leaving Chris Getzlaf and Taj Smith to carry more of the load this time around. All three posted at least 1,000 yards through the air, with Dressler leading the way with nine touchdowns. However, Getzlaf and Smith both landed in the end zone seven times and the former averaged a hefty 16.6 yards per catch. Another major change for the Riders is the departure of running back Kory Sheets, the most valuable player of the Grey Cup, as he signed with the NFLs Oakland Raiders. Sheets was second in the league with 1,598 yards and tied for the lead with 12 rushing scores, which means theres a huge void to be filled in the backfield for the club. A couple of newcomers, Keith Toston and Anthony Allen will be tasked with producing on the ground moving forward. Saskatchewan has to be pleased with the fact that they owned the toughest scoring defense in the CFL a year ago, allowing only 22.1 ppg, but that wont be easy to duplicaate after losing Alex Hall.dddddddddddd. The defensive lineman placed second in the league with 16 sacks, but like many successful CFL performers, he too has latched on with an NFL squad (the Carolina Panthers) for the time being. On other side, the Tiger-Cats were the opposite of Saskatchewan through the first month of last season, winning just a single game in five tries. But the group did finish strong with four wins in five opportunities before, putting up a 10-8 mark, before defeating Montreal and Toronto in the playoffs. Kent Austin, the head coach, general manager and vice president of football operations for Hamilton, does have a major issue to clear up this time around with respect to his quarterback. Last year he watched Henry Burris tear up defenses for a league-best 4,927 yards, but this time around he will have to find a leader in either Zach Collaros, Dan LeFevour or Jeremiah Masoli. Collaros has the most experience of the three after spending a couple of years with Toronto, but he is still a major work in progress. LeFevour finished with almost as many rushing yards (317) as passing (394) with the Cats last year while Masoli attempted a grand total of just two passes for the program in 2013. At least for this week, it doesnt help that receiver Andy Fantuz is on the injured list, because he was one of the top pass catchers in the game with 65 grabs for 896 yards. That leaves Bakari Grant as the primary focus down the field after he posted 69 receptions for 947 yards, but a mere two touchdowns a year ago. Running back C.J. Gable is capable of adding another dimension to the offense, having gained 782 yards and scored seven times on 130 carries in his first CFL campaign, but the squad will have to be careful not to run him into the ground too early. From a defensive perspective, there is plenty of work to be done for the Tiger-Cats after they finished with a minus-13 in the turnover department. The squad logged just 14 interceptions, second-fewest behind only a hapless Winnipeg group, which they turned into a league-low 142 return yards. Hamilton was also last in the CFL in sacks with just 35. Stretching back to 1961 and focusing only on games that took place during the regular season, Saskatchewan holds a slight advantage in the series with the Cats at 42-38-4. The Riders have taken four of the last five and a startling 17 of the last 20 matchups with Hamilton. ' ' '

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Right-hander Julio Teheran and the Atlanta Braves agreed to terms on a six-year, $32.4 million contract on Friday with a club option for the 2020 season. The deal with the 23-year-old Teheran was another move by the team to lock up a key young player on a long-term deal. First baseman Freddie Freeman, 24, agreed to $135 million, eight-year deal on Feb. 5, the same day the team announced a two-year, $13.3 million deal with right fielder Jason Heyward, 24. Braves announced the agreement with Teheran on the day pitchers and catchers had their first workout in spring training. Braves general manager Frank Wren said Teheran is "one of the best young pitchers in the National League and one of our core of players we expect to be together for a number of years." If the Braves exercise their $12 million option for the 2020 season, Teheran will earn more than $44 million over the next seven years. Teheran, who had been regarded as a top prospect, realized those expectations in 2013, when he became an important member of the rotation as a rookie. He was 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA and finished fourth in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year. "I couldnt wait to see him pitch last year," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "He had a tougher time pitching in Triple-A." Teheran led all rookies with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.78, ranking seventh among all National League starting pitchers. Teheran received a $1 million signing bonus and will earn $800,000 in 2014. His annual salaries will go up to $1 million in 2015, $3.3 million in 2016, $6.3 million in 2017, $8 million in 2018 and $11 million in 2019. Teheran joins Kris Medlen and Mike Minor as leaders of a young rotation that lost Tim Hudson and Paul Maholm to free agency. Brandon Beachy is expected to earn the fourth spot in the rotation as he continues his comeback from 2012 elbow ligament-replacement surgery. Beachy, a right-hander, had a follow-up procedure to clean up the right elbow last season. Gonzalez said that he is looking for someone to take over as a leader of the staff. "Its early but I feel good about this team," Gonzalez said. "We lost Huddy (Hudson) but we still had the ERA tile last year. I like what we have and everybody is ready." Left-hander Alex Wood and veteran Freddy Garcia are expected to lead the competition for the final spot in the rotation until free-agent signee Gavin Floyd completes his recovery from elbow surgery. The Braves expect Floyd to be ready to pitch as early as May. "Alex Wood helped us win the division last year," Gonzalez said. "I am comfortable with what we have coming back this year. You can never have too much pitching." NOTES: Braves special assistant to the general manager Jim Fregosi, 71, passed away in Miami on Friday. Gonzalez expressed his appreciation for Fregosi who managed four teams during his 53-year professional baseball career. "This is a day of mixed emotions," Gonzalez said. "We lost one of our family members.". Floyd has impressed Gonzalez so far. "He looks like hes ready," Gonzalez said. "The way he throws in batting practice, its like hes never been away." Floyd was 0-4 in five starts for the White Sox last season. Travis Kelce Jersey .ca. Mr. Fraser, It looks like Martin Brodeur is coming back to play for the Blues. I was wondering if you have any great stories or fond memories of your time on the ice with Brodeur - in the NHL, or maybe even the Olympics. Will Shields Jersey . - The Pittsburgh Pirates plan on keeping promising left fielder Starling Marte playing alongside National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for years to come. http://www.customchiefsjersey.com/custom...ge-2046n.html.J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Khalen Saunders Jersey .Y. -- Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff had an opportunity to experience an entire range of emotions in his first trip back to Buffalo to face his former team. Willie Roaf Jersey . Both moves were announced Tuesday. The Titans had waived Matthews on Saturday when they promoted wide receiver Michael Preston from the practice squad.Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Brice Johnson had 18 points and nine rebounds in the 24th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels 82-74 victory over the 12th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at the United Center. Marcus Paige added 16 points for the Tar Heels (8-3), who have won two in a row since a loss at top-ranked Kentucky on Dec. 13. Justin Jackson tallied 11 points. Im extremely relieved, said North Carolina coach Roy Williams. Im not as happy as you can possibly be. I dont hear the happy song in my ears right now. We stunk it up down the stretch and I think we have to get better there. Marc Loving ended with 19 points for the Buckeyes (9-2), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Sam Thompson contributed 17 points. North Carolina jumped out to a 17-8 lead and never looked back. Ahead 28-21, the Tar Heels went on a 15-6 run that Paige capped with a four-point play for a 43-27 advantage.dddddddddddd Ohio State scored the final four points of the first half to get within 12. Trailing 64-46 midway through the second half, the Buckeyes put together a 16-6 run. Thompson tallied six points during the surge to help make it a 70-62 contest. However, Ohio State never got closer than seven the rest of the way. They made all the plays they needed to make when they needed to make them, said Ohio State coach Thad Matta. Game Notes North Carolina leads the all-time series by an 11-2 margin ... Ohio State shot 35.2 percent from the field and went 10-of-29 from beyond the arc ... The Tar Heels went 21-of-33 from the foul line. ' ' '