tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23024374605801105062024-03-14T01:43:53.319-07:00Trentonian SportsTrentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.comBlogger302125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-6354693320199186622013-01-22T21:10:00.004-08:002013-01-22T21:10:54.979-08:00Devils blank Flyers<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">TOM CANAVAN</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">AP Sports Writer</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils have started the lockout-shortened season in playoff form. The Philadelphia Flyers seem to have missed the opening bell.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Brodeur made 24 saves for his 120th NHL shutout, Ilya Kovalchuk scored on a short-handed penalty shot, and the Devils won their home opener in front of an enthusiastic sellout crowd with a 3-0 victory over the winless Flyers on Tuesday night.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">It was the first meeting between the long-time divisional rivals since New Jersey eliminated Philadelphia in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Devils again had the Flyers' number and beat them for a fifth straight time.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Travis Zajac and David Clarkson scored first-period goals to provide all the offense Brodeur would need en route to his 10th shutout of the Flyers.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"It was a long time coming," Brodeur said. "I thought we had a great run in the playoffs, and our fans were great. With the lockout, we didn't know how these fans would respond. They showed tremendous support.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"I thought we played pretty good and gave them some excitement. Hockey is back in New Jersey, I guess."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The Flyers dropped to 0-3, matching their worst start since they also lost their first three games in the lockout-shortened 1995 season.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Philadelphia rebounded that year to win the Atlantic Division, and the Devils won their first Stanley Cup championship that season with Brodeur in goal.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"It's not time to panic, but we have to tighten the screws," Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov said. "After the bad start we can't keep losing games anymore because you will never get out from the bottom of the standings because you don't have enough games.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"That's why we have to be with the attitude that's it's the playoffs."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The 40-year-old Brodeur was in postseason form, especially in the first period when he stopped all nine Flyers shots.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"It shows how good an athlete he is," Clarkson said of Brodeur. "Marty is one of the best athletes I've played with. It's impressive to see him at that age doing what he's doing and having fun doing it. He makes us a better team every night."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The Devils had only three shots in the first period, but Zajac and Clarkson scored. That duo also had goals in the Devils' 2-1 season-opening win over the Islanders on Saturday.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"They only had three shots so I don't think we played bad hockey," Flyers forward Max Talbot said. "The only thing we can do is keep working hard. It would be easy to panic. It's about work ethic. Yes, it's three games and we don't have a point but we need to keep working and battling."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Kovalchuk, who played in Russia during the lockout and was a little late in getting back for training camp, brought the crowd of 17,650 to its feet on the Devils' fourth shot of the game early in the second period. He was hooked by defenseman Kimmo Timonen on a semi-breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot at 2:44.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The 29-year-old Kovalchuk wasted no time once the puck was put down at center ice. He skated quickly at Bryzgalov and beat him with a backhander to the upper part of the net for his first goal of the season.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"It's a 50-50 chance and I was fortunate to score," Kovalchuk said. "He's a big goalie and I knew he would go down if I faked him. I beat him this time, but it's a long season."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The only question after that was whether Brodeur would add to his career-leading shutout total. Wayne Simmonds had the best scoring chance with a shot from the right circle that had Brodeur out of position. However, the 19-year veteran slid across the crease and made a pad save.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">It must have frustrated Simmonds because he bumped Brodeur after another glove save later in the period, sparking a little melee. Clarkson and Simmonds traded punches in a third-period scuffle.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">"I didn't hit him too hard," Simmonds said. "I just gave him a little push that I kind of thought he over exaggerated, and it worked. He is one of the best goalies who ever played. He can do whatever he wants in this league."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The Flyers held New Jersey without a shot for a 12:25 span in the first period but still trailed 2-0.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Zajac gave the Devils the lead after only 67 seconds. The center who signed a $46 million contract last week, stopped a point shot by Bryce Salvador right at Bryzgalov's doorstep and tucked the puck around the goalie into an open net.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Clarkson extended the lead to 2-0 with 24.9 seconds left in the opening period with a fluky power-play goal. He centered the puck from the side of the net, and it hit off the stake of Flyers forward Ruslan Fedotenko and caromed into the net.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Brodeur had three excellent saves in the opening 20 minutes. He made a skate save on a point shot by defenseman Andrej Meszaros, stopped Fedotenko on a rebound, and made a one-on-one stop against Scott Hartnell with the Flyers coming at him in waves.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Notes: Brodeur also has 10 shutouts against the Islanders. ... Kovalchuk's goal was the Devils' first short-handed, penalty-shot score since Zach Parise had one on Oct. 21, 2011 vs. San Jose. ... Kovalchuk has scored on three of four penalty shots in his career. ... New Jersey is 17-8-5 in home openers. ... Tye McGinn, recalled from Adirondack of the AHL on Monday, made his NHL debut for the Flyers. He replaced Zac Rinaldo who sustained a cut to his right thigh against Buffalo on Sunday. ... Philadelphia RW Danny Briere missed his third straight game. He broke his left wrist playing overseas during the lockout. ... Former Islanders D Bruno Gervais, who signed as a free agent during the offseason, made his Flyers debut.</span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px;">debut.</span></span><br />
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Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-47802237256384000352013-01-17T22:25:00.002-08:002013-01-17T22:25:05.640-08:00Tommy Pereira's career night helps Rider win foruth straightJERSEY CITY — Tommy Pereira sure made the most of his
opportunity.
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Filling in for the injured Nurideen Lindsey, Pereira scored
a career-high 17 points in his first career start, helping Rider to a 66-54
victory over St. Peter’s Thursday night in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
contest at the Yanitelli Center.</div>
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Pereira hit five 3s, including a pair from long range in the
second half that helped spark a 9-0 run in which the Broncs grabbed the lead
for good.</div>
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“When coach called my name, I was ready to go,” said
Pereira, who found out he was going to start two days ago after Lindsey
suffered a concussion Tuesday in practice.</div>
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“Excitement, nervous, you know, first career start,” said
the junior guard from England. “I just wanted to go out there and play carefree
— just play with confidence.”</div>
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From the time the Peacocks led 37-35, Rider outscored them
22-8, taking a 12-point lead on Jon Thompson’s layup with 3:30 remaining. </div>
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The Broncs (10-9, 5-2) won four in a row for the first time
since the end of the 2010-11 season — a streak that reached six straight and
included a victory over Canisius in the quarterfinals of the MAAC tournament.</div>
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The 5-2 start in conference play is the best since beginning
the 2007-08 season 11-2.</div>
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“When you win, the confidence starts to flourish,” said
coach Kevin Baggett. “You’re seeing it from a bunch of guys. They enjoy playing
with each other and it’s a good group to be around.”</div>
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St. Peter’s (6-11, 1-6) dropped its fifth straight.</div>
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Baggett said Lindsey is still day-to-day and will be
evaluated again before the team faces Iona Sunday afternoon at Alumni
Gymnasium.</div>
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Pereira filled in admirably, logging a career-high 27
minutes, while shooting 6 of 10 from the field.</div>
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He even had a laugh afterward.</div>
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“I was,” Pereira admitted when asked if he was a little
winded from all the minutes.</div>
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“I missed my first two and I didn’t want to get down on
myself like I have in the past few games,” he added. “Once I got my third then
my fourth, it all just came to me. I was playing with bags of confidence.”</div>
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His teammates also have faith him, knowing he can get hot
from the perimeter.</div>
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“(Tommy) shows glimpses of it in practice,” said guard
Anthony Myles, who finished with 12 points of his own. “We all trust him. We
know he has the potential to be great. When he gets out, there is no drop off.”</div>
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Thompson added 10 points, including a thunderous dunk to put
an exclamation on the victory. Danny Stewart chipped in eight points and nine
rebounds.</div>
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Yvon Raymond had 15 points and Chris Burke added 11 for St.
Peter’s.</div>
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The Broncs shot 51.1 percent and outrebounded the Peacocks
35-20. </div>
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“We were focusing on defensive stops and rebounds,” Myles
said. “We wanted to limit second-chance opportunities for them.”</div>
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In the first half, Thompson picked up two quick fouls, limiting
him to seven minutes and Stewart, coming off a week in which he averaged 22.5
points per game, had two baskets.</div>
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Despite that, and 2 of 8 from the free-throw line, Rider
led, 30-27, at halftime, taking its first lead when Pereira knocked down a 3
with 2:12 left. </div>
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Junior Fortunat’s putback with 30.5 seconds remaining
provided the final points of the half as the Broncs scored nine of the final
13.</div>
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St. Peter’s scored the first seven points, but Thompson
battled through the foul trouble and hit back-to-back 3s, sparking an 8-0 run
that cut the deficit to 17-16.</div>
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“When you come to St. Peter’s — the record may not reflect
it — it’s one of the toughest teams in our conference,” Myles said. “This is a
good win for us. We’re building up to where we want to be with a big game
Sunday against Iona.”</div>
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NOTES: Zedric Sadler gave Rider a scare when he went down
clutching his right knee midway through the second half. He got up under his
own power and returned to the game. … Stewart moved in to 20th place on the
school’s all-time rebound list, matching the 578 of Charles Smith from 1993-96.</div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-90467961100729680102013-01-12T21:07:00.003-08:002013-01-12T21:07:54.382-08:00Kaepernick, 49ers bulldoze Packers<br />
JANIE McCAULEY<br />AP Sports Writer<br />
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Colin Kaepernick ran for a quarterback record 183 yards and two touchdowns and threw two scoring passes to Michael Crabtree in leading the San Francisco 49ers back to the NFC championship game with a 45-31 victory against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.<br />
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Playoff first-timer Kaepernick outshined reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who never got in sync for the Packers (12-6) in finishing 26 of 39 for 257 yards with two touchdowns.<br />
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Kaepernick ran for scores of 20 and 56 yards on the way to topping the rushing mark of 119 yards set by Michael Vick in 2005 against St. Louis. Crabtree caught TD passes of 12 and 20 yards in the second quarter and wound up with nine receptions and 119 yards for the Niners (12-4-1) in the NFC divisional matchup.<br />
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San Francisco had 579 total yards, 323 on the ground.<br />
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Kaepernick, the second-year pro out of Nevada who supplanted Alex Smith at quarterback in a much-debated move by coach Jim Harbaugh, shook off an interception that Sam Shields ran back 52 yards for a touchdown on San Francisco's first possession to twice rally the 49ers from a TD behind.<br />
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Kaepernick's 56-yard TD run on a read-option keeper in the third quarter — the longest by a quarterback in franchise history — gave the 49ers a 31-24 lead. He stopped in the end zone and flexed his right arm, smiling all the way back to the sideline.<br />
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The scores mark the fourth time in NFL history a player had two touchdowns rushing and two touchdowns passing in a postseason game.<br />
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Kaepernick also led another drive that David Akers finished with a 36-yard field goal to put the 49ers ahead 24-21 as the first half ended.<br />
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Frank Gore also ran for a 2-yard touchdown 3 seconds into the fourth quarter to extend San Francisco's lead to 38-24.<br />
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Rodgers rallied the Packers after tossing his own interception. The former Cal star threw a 20-yard scoring strike to James Jones, and DaJuan Harris ran for an 18-yard touchdown.<br />
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The amped-up crowd at Candlestick Park endured a flurry of emotions at the start.<br />
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With San Francisco looking to return to the NFC title game for the second straight season, Kaepernick's costly error quieted the 49ers faithful. Shields stepped in front of Kaepernick's pass, shook the quarterback to the ground and scampered down the sideline to give the Packers a quick 7-0 lead.<br />
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Kaepernick unclipped his jaw strap and dropped his head to the sideline while Shields waved his hands at the crowd. Rodgers pumped his fist on the Packers sideline.<br />
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Kaepernick converted two third downs to bring the 49ers back on their next drive. He bought time and scurried out of the pocket to find running back Gore for a 45-yard gain, then darted 20 yards up the middle on third-and-8 for the tying score.<br />
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When Rodgers and the Packers offense finally took the field, they didn't do much the first time out. San Francisco stopped Rodgers, who had a contingent of friends and family make the 4-hour trek from his hometown of Chico, on a three-and-out that whipped the crowd back into a frenzy on a crisp night along the bay.<br />
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Rodgers found his groove and floated a 44-yard pass that Jones leaped to snatch over two defenders along the sideline. Then Harris broke through the middle to put the Packers up 14-7 on the next play.<br />
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Green Bay made its share of mistakes, too.<br />
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Jeremy Ross muffed a punt and Chris Spillman recovered at the Packers' 9. Three plays later, Kaepernick found Crabtree running free over the middle for a tying 12-yard touchdown pass.<br />
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San Francisco's stout defense often took a linebacker off the field to drop an extra defensive back in coverage against Rodgers, just as the 49ers did in a 30-22 win in the season opener at Lambeau Field. The strategy flustered Rodgers enough that he overthrew Jordy Nelson on a deep pass that Tarrell Brown intercepted. Rodgers had gone 184 passes without an interception.<br />
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Kaepernick broke another 15-yard run on third down, but officials whistled him for a 15-yard taunting penalty for tossing the ball in the direction of Green Bay defenders. He brushed that off to hit Crabtree on a 20-yard touchdown pass to give the 49ers a 21-14 lead midway through the second quarter.<br />
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On its next series, Green Bay took advantage of a 15-yard personal foul penalty Dashon Goldson was given for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Harris. Rodgers then threaded a tying 20-yard TD to Jones between three defenders in the end zone with 2:33 remaining. Kaepernick responded and led the 49ers downfield to give the struggling Akers, who had to beat out Billy Cundiff to keep his job, a chance.<br />
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Rodgers led the Packers on a nine-play 76-yard drive midway through the third quarter. Mason Crosby kicked a 31-yard field to tie the game at 24 in the third quarter<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-38460581936495234442013-01-12T19:44:00.000-08:002013-01-12T19:44:22.140-08:00Sixers stop Rockets<br />
DAN GELSTON<br />AP Sports Writer<br />
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored 30 points, Thaddeus Young had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 107-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.<br />
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Jason Richardson scored 16 points for the Sixers, who finally return home for a lengthy stint as they try to play their way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Sixers opened a stretch of 12 homes in the next 13 and hope they can start to offset a miserable 2-6 road trip that stretched over the new year.<br />
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The Sixers are 6-16 after a nice 10-6 start to the season. But it's turned into crunch time quickly for the Sixers as they as try and get back to .500 in the next month before the hopeful return of injured center Andrew Bynum.<br />
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James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points and Chandler Parsons had 23. Jeremy Lin missed 11 of 13 shots for seven points.<br />
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Led by 24 points from Holiday, the Sixers built a 14-point lead in the third quarter, and found an offensive touch they've missed for most of the season. The Sixers entered 27th in the NBA in scoring (92.2 points) and regularly failed to even reach 90 points over the last six weeks.<br />
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Spencer Hawes hit a jumper early in the fourth to make it 91-82 — the first time in six games the Sixers had scored more than 89 points. The Sixers didn't break 89 in either of their two games before a 103-99 win over the Lakers on Jan. 1.<br />
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The cushion almost wasn't enough once Harden tried to take over. Sixers coach Doug Collins called Harden a legitimate MVP candidate and the Houston guard showed why in the fourth. He scored six straight points, including the play of the game, going between his legs in transition and drawing a foul on a bucket over three defenders. Harden's three-point play pulled Houston to 96-93.<br />
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For once, the stumbling Sixers didn't break in the waning minutes. Evan Turner, who scored 12 points, fed a long pass to Young for a big dunk on the break and a seven-point lead.<br />
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The Rockets missed eight straight shots from the field to lose control of their comeback. Harden fumbled the ball with a minute a left and Young was there to pick it up and fire to Holiday, who took one look over his shoulder and put in the easy layup for a 104-94 lead.<br />
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Holiday sank two free throws to hit the 30-point mark, falling three points shy of matching his career high set in November against Phoenix.<br />
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Houston's cold stretch was uncharacteristic of a team that was second in the NBA in scoring (105.60 points) behind Oklahoma City. The Rockets only shot 30 percent from 3-point range (8 of 32) and had no answer to stop Holiday.<br />
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Collins has noted this team's missing energy to open second halves over the last month. Against Houston, they started slow, trailing by 11 before ending the quarter on a 20-6 run. Turner scored 12 points in the second quarter to help the Sixers take a 58-50 lead into halftime.<br />
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The Sixers held on to avoid a season-high losing streak and win for only the fourth time in 17 games.<br />
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NOTES: The Sixers are 15-0 with a lead at the start of the fourth quarter. ... The Sixers play Tuesday at Milwaukee for their only road game until Feb. 13. ... Holiday's great game could have been two points better. He had a jumper at the buzzer to end the third waved off after a review. ... Parsons and Harden combined to miss 13 of 16 3-point attempts.<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-25468781081027008652013-01-12T19:37:00.000-08:002013-01-12T19:37:30.375-08:00Stingrays stop Titans again<br />
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By MIKE ASHMORE<br />
For The Trentonian<br />
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TRENTON -- Titans head coach Vince Williams conceded that Saturday night's 3-1
loss to the South Carolina Stingrays was little more than a blueprint of
Friday's defeat to the very same team.<br />
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But, after seven straight losses, it appears more likely that last year's
abysmal second half could be a blueprint of things to come in the capital
city. <br />
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"We're losing two more guys tonight, so take a look around," said
Williams, who is believed to be losing both Bryan Haczyk and Kelly Zajac to the
AHL's Albany Devils.<br />
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"We're getting plucked pretty good.
We've got to find guys to come in here quickly...we had some sustained
pressure, it was kind of a throwback of last night though. A couple mistakes, a bad pinch, missed
assignments."<br />
<br />
The night certainly started on a positive note for the home team when Marcel
Alvarez, who played his last game for the Titans before leaving to re-join the
Army, was honored on the ice in a well-executed pre-game ceremony. But that's about where the good feelings
stopped.<br />
<br />
Although the pace of the game certainly picked up from Friday's disastrous
effort, fueled in part by bad ice, both teams still couldn't get on the
scoreboard in the first period.
Trenton's defensemen as a whole have struggled throughout the season,
but that point has only been magnified by a complete retooling of the blueline
made necessary by the end of the lockout.
That has led to, as Williams
confirmed, plenty of rookie mistakes.<br />
<br />
So, with most of the Titans' regular D core in the AHL -- perhaps for good --
it's somewhat miraculous that capital city primary puckstopper Scott Wedgewood
was able to keep South Carolina off the scoreboard for as long as he did. But even he showed some cracks once the
second period got underway.<br />
<br />
Just three minutes and 12 seconds into the second stanza, Stingrays forward
Chris Langkow drove to the net with speed up the left side and managed to stuff
a shot into the pads of the Devils prospect.
But the 20-year-old goaltender appeared to lose his angle a bit, over
committing to the short side, all while Langkow made contact with him after his
scoring chance. Phil Mangan was trailing
the play the whole way, and simply tapped the stray disc into a wide open net to
put South Carolina up, 1-0. <br />
<br />
About five and a half minutes later, and the Stingrays would double their
advantage. Connor Goggin was the last
defenseman back on a partial 2-on-1 and managed to block the initial shot
attempt of Tyler Johnson in the slot.
But Johnson simply followed his shot and managed to sneak the puck past
Wedgewood. <br />
<br />
Langkow managed to beat Wedgewood on another odd-man rush midway through the
third period to account for the final marker.
In the other net, Jeff Jakaitis was spectacular at times. The 29-year-old journeyman didn't see many
quality chances from the Titans, but stopped most with relative ease. Only a Bryan Haczyk goal with 2:36 left to
play spoiled a shutout.<br />
<br />
The post-lockout era has proven to be a challenge for Trenton; their loss put
them in 13th place in the 14-team ECHL Eastern Conference, with only a loss by
Kalamazoo keeping them from being in the cellar.<o:p></o:p></div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-81746754858988912992013-01-08T18:53:00.000-08:002013-01-08T18:53:09.316-08:00Sixers snared by Nets<br />
DAN GELSTON<br />
AP Sports Writer<br />
<br />
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Reggie Evans grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds, Deron Williams scored 22 points and the Brooklyn Nets improved to 6-1 under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo with a 109-89 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.<br />
<br />
Evans dominated on the glass, outrebounding the undersized Sixers 23-22 through three quarters. Evans had 22 rebounds against Seattle in 2006.<br />
<br />
Andray Blatche scored 20 points for the Nets, hours after he was questioned by Philadelphia police as part of a sexual assault investigation at an upscale hotel. Blatche, who was not charged, wrote about the incident on Twitter: "Im ok and I didn't do anything jus was n the area when it happened," Blatche tweeted. He later took down the tweet.<br />
<br />
Up by one at halftime, the Nets routed the Sixers in the third. Joe Johnson, who scored 15 points, and Gerald Wallace each hit 3-pointers during a game-changing 16-2 run to open the third. The Nets hit 14 of 19 shots in the quarter to stretch the lead to 23 points.<br />
<br />
Evans, a former Sixer, fell six shy of the NBA season high of 29 rebounds set by Orlando's Nikola Vucevic.<br />
<br />
The Sixers traded Vucevic after his rookie season to the Magic as part of the four-team deal that sent Andrew Bynum from the Los Angeles Lakers to Philadelphia. The Sixers were counting on Bynum to become the dominant center in the East and lead them deep into the postseason, but he has yet to play this season because of bone bruises on his knees. There's no date for a possible return. Without Bynum, the Sixers are getting outrebounded this season and entered the game ninth in the East.<br />
<br />
Evans had 16 rebounds (12 defensive) by halftime, three less than Philadelphia's total. He had 20 rebounds with 6:54 left in the third, one more than the Sixers. He finished with 17 defensive rebounds and six offensive. He only scored two points.<br />
<br />
Blatche didn't look at all affected by the police investigation. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Blatche was among the witnesses interviewed by police Tuesday. Ramsey told reporters preliminary findings of the investigation show Blatche was not involved.<br />
<br />
Officer Jillian Russell says the possible assault reportedly happened around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in a room at the Four Seasons Hotel.<br />
<br />
"He's going to play," Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo said of Blatche before the game. "He's been playing well and I expect him to play well today."<br />
<br />
Blatche did not talk to reporters before the game. Photographers snapped photos of him as he left the Four Seasons and as he arrived at the Wells Fargo Center.<br />
<br />
Police told WCAU-TV that a 21-year-old woman was taken from the hotel to a local hospital.<br />
<br />
Jrue Holiday scored 19 points and Spencer Hawes had 14 for the Sixers, who stumbled home from a 2-6 road trip and on a three-game losing streak.<br />
<br />
Philadelphia shot 50 percent in the first half only trailed 48-47 at the break, but the Sixers never got into a groove in the second half and were booed off the court to end the third quarter. Most of the 16,167 fans fled for the exits in the fourth. The few that remained at the end saw the Sixers lose their third straight game by at least 20 points.<br />
<br />
<b>Notes: </b>Actor Mark Wahlberg was at the game. ... Philadelphia Flyers Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Matt Read received a huge ovation when they were introduced to the crowd. ... The Sixers signed G Maalik Wayns to a 10-day contract. ... Nets F Kris Humphries played after missing the last two games with a sprained left ankle.<br />
<br />
<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-46454594305691517672013-01-07T21:06:00.000-08:002013-01-07T21:06:42.125-08:00Alabama rolls to a repeat<br />
RALPH D. RUSSO<br />
AP College Football Writer<br />
<br />
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Alabama romped to its second consecutive BCS championship, and third in four seasons, beating No. 1 Notre Dame 42-14 in a BCS championship game that was no classic after all.<br />
<br />
AJ McCarron threw four touchdown passes and Eddie Lacy ran for 140 yards and scored twice for the second-ranked Crimson Tide, which scored on its first three drives and cruised to the second-most lopsided BCS championship game victory Monday night.<br />
<br />
Alabama (13-1) became the third team to win three national titles in four seasons since polls started being used to crown champions in 1936, and the first since Nebraska from 1994-97.<br />
<br />
Tide coach Nick Saban now has won four national championships. Only Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant, with six, has more.<br />
<br />
The Fighting Irish (12-1) didn't score until they were down 35-0 late in the third quarter.<br />
<br />
In a matchup of tradition-rich programs tied for the most AP national championships with eight, Notre Dame was looking for its first national championship in 24 years. The Crimson Tide got its ninth.<br />
<br />
The Crimson Tide marched with ease on the opening drive, going 82 yards on five plays to take a 7-0 lead on Lacy's 20-yard touchdown run up the middle with 12:03 left in the first quarter.<br />
<br />
Notre Dame (12-0) had allowed only two rushing touchdowns in its surprising run to the championship game. The Fighting Irish were the first team to reach the BCS championship game after starting the season unranked. They were trying to become the first team to go from unranked to national champion since BYU in 1984.<br />
<br />
Alabama quickly made the Fighting Irish look as if they were in over their heads.<br />
<br />
Notre Dame did nothing to respond to Alabama's opening march, and on its punt back, the Crimson Tide might have caught a break. Returner Christion Jones muffed the kick, but Notre Dame was flagged for interfering with the catch, though it was one of Jones' teammates that made contact with him.<br />
<br />
Lacy and the Crimson Tide went right back to work, hammering away at Notre Dame's vaunted defense. The Irish struggled to bring down the 220-pound tailback, who even ran through Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te'o on a screen pass.<br />
<br />
In the second quarter, it was freshman T.J. Yeldon slipping through Te'o's arms in the backfield on a third-down run and getting a first down.<br />
<br />
Lacy set up Alabama's second touchdown with another 20-yard run, this time to the Irish 2. Instead of running into a Notre Dame goal-line defense that has become known for goal-line stands, McCarron faked a handoff and found tight end Michael Williams all alone for the score and a 14-0 lead.<br />
<br />
Alabama made it 3 for 3 on the next drive when Yeldon scored from a yard out on the first play of the second quarter.<br />
<br />
The Alabama fans seemed outnumbered at Sun Life Stadium by Fighting Irish followers, pumped to see their team try to win its first national title in 24 years. But the folks in Crimson and houndstooth were making all the noise as the Tide rolled.<br />
<br />
Lacy landed one more blow with 31 seconds left in the half. McCarron dumped off to Lacy, who spun off two tacklers, and went 11 yards to make it 28-0.<br />
<br />
The Southeastern Conference, winners of the last six BCS championships, was storming toward seven in a row. Those familiar "S-E-C!" chants started early in this one.<br />
<br />
The Fighting Irish started the third quarter with a promising drive that ended with another Alabama highlight.<br />
<br />
HaHa Clinton-Dix made a sensational diving interception, grabbing a tipped pass and tapping his toe inches from the sideline. Alabama turned the game's first turnover into another long scoring drive. McCarron capped this one with a 34-yard TD pass to freshman Amari Cooper, the longest TD pass the Irish have given up this season.<br />
<br />
With the score 35-0 and some Fighting Irish fans in the stadium record crowd of 80,120, Notre Dame finally got on the board with 4:08 left in the third.<br />
<br />
Everett Golson took an option keeper 2 yards for a touchdown to break a streak of 108 minutes, 7 seconds in which Alabama had not allowed a point in a BCS championship game, dating to the last 6 minutes of the fourth quarter of the 2009 title game against Texas at the Rose Bowl. Alabama had scored 69 straight points in that span.<br />
<br />
Alabama had 529 yards. The Irish defense came in allowing 286 per game.<br />
<br />
Golson, the redshirt freshman quarterback who coach Brian Kelly had nurtured through the season, was 21 for 36 for 270 yards.<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-83530878260565675542013-01-04T05:19:00.003-08:002013-01-04T05:19:39.723-08:00Oregon wins Fiesta Bowl as coach Kelly eyes NFL<span id="_oneup" style="font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div>
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) —
De'Anthony Thomas caught the opening kickoff, raced past Oregon's
sideline and leaned his head into the end zone like a sprinter crossing
the finish line.<br />
<br />
The track meet had started and the fifth-ranked Ducks barely looked back after that.<br />
<br />
Triggered
by Thomas' 94-yard return, Oregon bolted by No. 7 Kansas State 35-17
Thursday night at the Fiesta Bowl in what may have been coach Chip
Kelly's final game with the Ducks.<br />
<br />
"I felt like my role in this
game was to be a momentum-builder and a game-changer," Thomas said.
"Once I saw that edge, I wanted to get to the end zone as fast as I
could so I could celebrate with my teammates."<br />
<br />
They did it a lot.<br />
<br />
Teams
that had that national title aspirations end on the same day, Oregon
and Kansas State ended up in the desert for a marquee matchup billed as a
battle of styles: The fast-flying Ducks vs. the execution-is-everything
Wildcats.<br />
<br />
With Kelly reportedly talking to several NFL teams,
Oregon (12-1) was too much for Kansas State and its Heisman Trophy
finalist, Collin Klein, turning the game into a try-to-keep up race from
the start.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Thomas followed his before-everyone-sat-down kickoff return with a 23-yard touchdown catch, finishing with 195 total yards.<br />
<br />
Kenjon
Barner ran for 143 yards on 31 carries and scored on a 24-yard
touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota in the second quarter. Mariota later
scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter, capped by an obscure
1-point safety that went in the Ducks' favor.<br />
Even Oregon's defense got into the act, intercepting Klein twice and holding him to 30 yards on 13 carries.<br />
<br />
"We
got beat by a better team tonight, combined by the fact that we let
down from time to time," coach Bill Snyder said after Kansas State's
fifth straight bowl loss.<br />
<br />
Whether Kelly leaves Eugene or not, he had a good run, leading the Ducks to four straight trips to BCS bowls, the last two wins.<br />
<br />
Ducks fans sure let him know how they felt, chanting "We want Chip!" just before he was handed the massive Fiesta Bowl trophy.<br />
<br />
"Our
focus was on this game tonight," Kelly said. "If for some reason,
someone wanted to talk to me, it's because of those players over there.
We have an unbelievable team, an unbelievable program and any success is
because of those guys."<br />
<br />
Last year's Fiesta Bowl was an offensive fiesta, with Oklahoma State outlasting Stanford 41-38 in overtime.<br />
<br />
The
2013 version was an upgrade: Nos. 4 and 5 in the BCS, two of the
nation's best offenses, dynamic players and superbly successful coaches
on both sides.<br />
<br />
Oregon has become the standard for go-go-go
football under Kelly, its fleet of Ducks making those shiny helmets —
green like Christmas tree bulbs for the Fiesta Bowl — and flashy
uniforms blur across the grassy landscape.<br />
<br />
Their backfield of
Thomas, Barner and Mariota made up a three-headed monster of momentum,
each one capable of turning a single play into a scoring drive of 60
seconds or less.<br />
<br />
Mariota has been the show-running leader, a
question mark before the season who ably ran Oregon's high-octane
offense as the first freshman quarterback to start for the Ducks since
Danny O'Neil in 1991.<br />
<br />
Oregon won the Rose Bowl for the first time
in 95 years last season and was in position for a spot in the BCS title
game this year before losing a heartbreaker to Stanford on Nov. 17.<br />
<br />
Thomas
offered the first flash of speed, picking up a couple of blocks and
racing toward a not-so-photo finish at the line. The Ducks, are they are
apt to do, went for 2 on the point-after and converted on a trick play
to go up 8-0 in the game's first 12 seconds.<br />
<br />
It was the second
straight day a BCS bowl began with a quick strike; Louisville returned
an interception for a touchdown against Florida on the first play of the
Sugar Bowl Wednesday night.<br />
<br />
Thomas hit the Wildcats (11-2) again
late in the first quarter, breaking a couple of tackles and dragging
three defenders into the end zone for a catch-and-run TD that put the
Ducks up 15-0.<br />
<br />
It's nothing new for Oregon's sophomore sensation:
He had 314 total yards and two long touchdown runs in the 2012 Rose
Bowl. The Ducks are used to it, too, after averaging more than 50 points
per game.<br />
<br />
And they kept flying.<br />
<br />
Oregon followed a missed
40-yard field goal by Kansas State's Anthony Cantele by unleashing one
of its blink-and-you'll-miss-it scoring drives late in the second
quarter. Moving 77 yards in 46 seconds, the Ducks went up 22-10 at
halftime after Mariota hit Barner on 24-yard TD pass.<br />
<br />
Alejandro
Maldonado hit a 33-yard field goal on Oregon's opening drive of the
third quarter and Mariota capped a long drive with an easy 2-yard TD run
to the left. Kansas State's Javonta Boyd blocked the point-after
attempt, but even that went wrong for the Wildcats: Chris Harper was
tackled in the end zone for a bizarre 1-point safety that put Oregon up
32-10.<br />
<br />
It was the first 1-point safety in major college football since 2004 when Texas did it against Texas A&M, STATS said.<br />
<br />
"There were so many things that could have changed the outcome of this game," Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown said.<br />
Kansas
State had gone through its second revival under Snyder, the studious
coach who never lost touch with the game or players young enough to be
his grandchildren during a three-year retirement.<br />
<br />
The 73-year-old
followed up the Manhattan Miracle by returning to lead the Wildcats back
to national prominence with his attention-to-detail ways.<br />
Klein
has led K-State's meticulous march this season, a fifth-year senior who
plays in the mold of the college version of Tim Tebow: Gritty, humble,
finds a way to win, whatever it takes.<br />
<br />
Like the Ducks, the
Wildcats had their national-title hopes stamped out on Nov. 17, blown
out by Baylor with a rare letdown on both sides of the ball.<br />
<br />
Kansas
State needed a little time to get its wheels spinning on offense,
laboring early before Klein scored on a 6-yard run early in the second
quarter.<br />
<br />
Klein kept the Wildcats moving in the quarter, though not
toward touchdowns: Cantele hit a 25-yard field goal and missed from 40
after a false-start penalty.<br />
<br />
Klein hit John Hubert on a 10-yard
touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, but all that did was cut
Oregon's lead down to 32-17.<br />
He threw for 151 yards on 17 of 32 passing.<br />
<br />
"It
wasn't really complicated," Kelly said of slowing Klein. "He's a great
player, one of the greats of college football. I had my heart in my
throat a couple of times watching him around, but out guys just made
plays when they had to make plays."<br />
<br />
By doing so, they may have put a nice exclamation point on Kelly's college career.<br />
<br /></div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-45270181919492054132013-01-03T06:01:00.001-08:002013-01-03T06:01:32.432-08:00Sixers take another frustrating loss<span id="_oneup" style="font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div>
PHOENIX (AP) — Luis
Scola and the Phoenix Suns have watched a lot of late leads vanish. On
Wednesday, they found a way to hold on.<br />
Scola scored 19 of his 21
points in the second half and the Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 95-89
to snap a six-game losing streak.<br />
<br />
"It's only one win but we needed one win," Scola said.<br />
<br />
Phoenix,
which leads the NBA with nine games decided by three points or fewer,
led by nine entering the fourth and pushed the lead to 11, before the
76ers cut the lead to two.<br />
<br />
Jrue Holliday found Dorell Wright
breaking down the left baseline from halfcourt for an alley-oop layup
that pulled the 76ers within 87-85 with 2:16 to go.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Goran Dragic
made a pair of free throws, P.J. Tucker hit a 16-footer and the 76ers
turned the ball over twice over the next minute as the Suns opened a
91-85 lead.<br />
<br />
"We do that regularly," Scola said. "The difference
this time is we let a team get to two but we closed out the game. If we
had been able to close (more) our record would be much better."<br />
<br />
Dragic added 20, Shannon Brown scored 12, and Marcin Gortat had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Suns.<br />
<br />
"Games
are going to be close," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "We're not going
to be up seven and then up 20. That's just not going to happen."<br />
<br />
Holliday
had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career
triple-double for the 76ers, who are 2-7 in the second half of
back-to-back games. Wright and Thaddeus Young had 14 points apiece for
Philadelphia.<br />
<br />
"I thought that once the third quarter started and
they got a little bit of a lead, I thought they had control of the
game," said 76ers coach Doug Collins. "We looked up and we had a chance
but we never came up with a big rebound."<br />
<br />
The Suns played the
second half without backup point guard Sebastian Telfair, who was shut
down after halftime with soreness in his left knee.<br />
Phoenix led by
seven after the first but quickly fell into its normal second-quarter
lull. Nick Young had a pair of 3-pointers and Wright added five points
as the 76ers outscored the Suns 17-6 to start the period and open a
41-37 lead.<br />
<br />
But it was Philadelphia that came out cold in the
second half. Scola had consecutive baskets and Jared Dudley added a
21-foot jumper to key an 8-2 run that put the Suns ahead 56-51 with 9:38
left in the third quarter.<br />
<br />
Lavoy Allen cut the lead to 60-59 on a 19-footer with 6:34 left in the period but the 76ers could pull no closer.<br />
<br />
"I
think tonight we turned the ball over when we didn't need to," Holliday
said. "I can say I did. And the loose balls we needed to get, we didn't
do that."<br />
<br />
NOTES: Scola has scored 20 or more in three straight
games. ... Phoenix has won five of its past seven at home. . The Sixers
are six games into a season-high, eight-game holiday road trip. ...
Phoenix beat Philadelphia for the first time since February 24, 2010.
... Dragic had a career-high three blocks, as many as the 76ers as a
team. . More than 1,200 Kansas State fans, in town for Thursday's Fiesta
Bowl against Oregon, were in the arena and were chanting for former
Wildcat Michael Beasley to enter the game. They also booed Suns forward
Markieff Morris, who played at Kansas.</div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-69508882998462433472013-01-03T05:59:00.001-08:002013-01-03T05:59:19.971-08:00Behind Bridgewater, Louisville shocks Florida<span id="_oneup" style="font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div>
NEW ORLEANS (AP) —
Terell Floyd and the Louisville Cardinals gave the embattled Big East
Conference at least one more triumphant night in a major bowl — and at
the expense of a top team from the mighty SEC.<br />
<br />
Floyd returned an
interception 38 yards for a touchdown on the first play, dual-threat
quarterback Teddy Bridgewater directed a handful of scoring drives and
No. 22 Louisville stunned the fourth-ranked Gators 33-23 in the Sugar
Bowl on Wednesday night.<br />
<br />
"I can't speak for the whole Big East,
but I can speak for Louisville and I think this means a lot for us,"
Floyd said. "We showed the world we can play with the best."<br />
<br />
The
Big East is in a transitional phase and losing some of its top football
programs in the process. Boise State has recently backed out of its Big
East commitment and Louisville has plans to join the ACC.<br />
<br />
Even
this year, the Big East wasn't getting much respect. Louisville, the
league champion, was a two-touchdown underdog in the Sugar Bowl.<br />
<br />
But
by the end, the chant, "Charlie, Charlie!" echoed from sections of the
Superdome occupied by red-clad Cardinals fans. It was their way of
serenading third-year Louisville coach Charlie Strong, the former
defensive coordinator for the Gators, who has elevated Cardinals
football to new heights and recently turned down a chance to leave for
the top job at Tennessee.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
"I look at this performance tonight, and
I sometimes wonder, 'Why didn't we do this the whole season,'" Strong
said. "We said this at the beginning: We just take care of our job and
do what we're supposed to do, don't worry about who we're playing."<br />
<br />
Shaking
off an early hit that flattened him and knocked off his helmet,
Bridgewater was 20 of 32 passing for 266 yards and two touchdowns.<br />
<br />
Among
his throws was a pinpoint, 15-yard timing toss that DeVante Parker
grabbed as he touched one foot down in the corner of the end zone.<br />
<br />
"I
looked at what did and didn't work for quarterbacks during the regular
season," said Bridgewater, picked as the game's top player. "They faced
guys forcing throws ... and coach tells me, 'No capes on your back or
'S' on your chest, take what the defense give you.' That's what I took.
Film study was vital."<br />
<br />
His other scoring strike went to Damian
Copeland from 19 yards one play after a surprise onside kick by the
Gators backfired. Jeremy Wright had a short touchdown run that gave
Louisville (11-2) a 14-0 lead the Gators couldn't overcome.<br />
<br />
Florida
(11-2) never trailed by more than 10 points this season. The defeat
dropped SEC teams to 3-3 this bowl season, with Alabama, Texas A&M<br />
and Mississippi still to play.<br />
<br />
"We got outcoached and outplayed,"
Florida coach Will Muschamp said. "That's what I told the football team.
That's the bottom line."<br />
Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel, who had
thrown only three interceptions all season, turned the ball over three
times on two interceptions — both tipped passes — and a fumble. He
finished 16 of 29 for 175 yards.<br />
<br />
Down 33-10 midway through the
fourth period, Florida tried to rally. Andre Debose scored on a 100-yard
kickoff return and Driskel threw a TD pass to tight end Kent Taylor
with 2:13 left. But when Louisville defenders piled on Driskel to thwart
the 2-point try, the game was essentially over.<br />
<br />
Florida didn't score until Caleb Sturgis's 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter.<br />
<br />
The
Gators finally got in the end zone with a trick play in the closing
seconds of the half. They changed personnel as if to kick a field goal
on fourth-and-goal from the 1, but lined up in a bizarre combination of
swinging-gate and shotgun formations and handed off to Matt Jones.<br />
<br />
The
Gators tried to keep the momentum with a surprise onside kick to open
the third quarter, but not only did Louisville recover, Florida's Chris
Johnson was called for a personal foul and ejected for jabbing at
Louisville's Zed Evans. That gave Louisville the ball on the Florida 19,
from where Bridgewater needed one play to find Copeland for his score.<br />
<br />
"We
game-planned it and felt good about it," Muschamp said of the onside
kick attempt. "We wanted to steal a possession at the start of the
second half."<br />
<br />
On the following kickoff, Evans cut down kick
returner Loucheiz Purifoy with a vicious low, high-speed hit that shook
Purifoy up. Soon after, Driskel was sacked hard from behind and stripped
by safety Calvin Pryor, ending another Florida drive with a turnover.<br />
<br />
"We had the right attitude, had the right mindset that we would go out and beat this team," Pryor said.<br />
<br />
After
Louisville native Muhammad Ali was on the field for the coin toss, the
Cardinals quickly stung the Gators. Floyd, one of nearly three dozen Louisville players from Florida, made the play.<br />
<br />
Driskel was looking for seldom-targeted Debose, who'd had only two catches all season.<br />
<br />
"I
threw it behind him, (he) tried to make a play on it, tipped it right
to the guy," Driskel said. "Unfortunate to start the game like that."<br />
<br />
When
Louisville's offense got the ball later in the quarter, the Florida
defense, ranked among the best in the nation this season, sought to
intimidate the Cardinals with one heavy hit after another.<br />
<br />
One
blow by Jon Bostic knocked Bridgewater's helmet off moments after he'd
floated an incomplete pass down the right sideline. Bostic was called
for a personal foul, however, which seemed to get the Cardinals opening
drive rolling. Later, Wright lost his helmet during a 3-yard gain and
took another heavy hit before he went down.<br />
<br />
Louisville kept coming.<br />
<br />
B.J.
Butler turned a short catch into a 23-yard gain down to the Florida 1.
Then Wright punched it in to give the Cardinals an early two-TD lead
over a team that finished third in the BCS standings, one spot too low
to play for a national title in Miami.</div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-78766517655244608522013-01-01T21:53:00.001-08:002013-01-01T22:48:24.752-08:00Sixers knock off Lakers in L.A.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
LOS ANGELES (AP) Jrue Holiday had 26 points and 10 assists, Evan Turner added 22 points and 13 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers rang in the new year with a 103-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.</div>
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The Lakers (15-16) have matched their worst start after 31 games since the 2002-03 season, when they began defense of their third straight NBA title with a 12-19 record.</div>
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Kobe Bryant, who shifted from shooting guard to small forward five games ago in coach Mike D'Antoni's redesigned rotation, led the Lakers with 36 points. Steve Nash added 12 points and 10 assists.</div>
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The Lakers, who tied a franchise record with 10 3-pointers in the first half of their 111-98 win at Philadelphia on Dec. 16, were 1 for 11 from 3-point range before intermission in the rematch and finished 3 for 22 from behind the arc.</div>
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Pau Gasol had 11 points and nine rebounds, but shot only 2 for 12 while playing on a sore right foot. Dwight Howard missed his first five shots and finished 1 for 7 with seven points and 14 boards. The six-time All-Star's only field goal came with 6:15 left in the third quarter, a put-back dunk that reduced Philadelphia's lead to 67-63.</div>
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Down by nine with just under 3 minutes to play, the Lakers closed to 99-97 on Bryant's 3-pointer with 1:28 left. But Spencer Hawes responded with a 21-footer 16 seconds later and Holiday helped close it out on a driving dunk with 22.4 seconds on the clock.</div>
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Philadelphia extended a 54-50 halftime lead to eight points after three quarters. Los Angeles trailed 89-79 after Holiday's jumper with 6:54 left in the game. The Lakers cut it to 94-90 on Metta World Peace's jumper a few minutes later.</div>
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The Sixers responded by scoring the next five points, including Jason Richardson's layup with 2:57 left that made it 99-90.</div>
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Los Angeles missed 10 of its first 12 shots while Philadelphia opened the game with a 16-5 run. Bryant scored 17 points in the half on 8 for 13 shooting - but his teammates were a combined 35 percent from the field before the break.</div>
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Bryant, who turns 35 years old in August, is averaging 33.9 points over his last 15 games and a league-best 30.3 for the season as he goes for his third NBA scoring title and first since 06-07.</div>
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NOTES: Nash needs 28 assists to join John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history with at least 10,000. ... The 76ers are 14-0 when leading after three quarters, compared to 1-16 when trailing going into the fourth. ... After wrapping up this eight-game road trip against Phoenix, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, the 76ers will play 13 of their next 15 at home. ... Lakers reserve F Antawn Jamison was benched for the sixth straight game. The 15-year veteran, a two-time All-Star and former sixth man of the year (2003-04), hasn't played since Dec. 16, when he went scoreless in 13 minutes against the 76ers. ... Sixers center Andrew Bynum, who spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Lakers before they dealt him to Philadelphia on August 10 in a four-team trade that brought Howard and Chris Duhon from Orlando to L.A., has yet to play this season because of bone bruises in both knees and didn't travel with the team.</div>
</span>Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-21767501905204556262013-01-01T21:44:00.002-08:002013-01-01T21:44:55.829-08:00FSU steps on Cinderella's glass slipper in Orange BowlMIAMI (AP) — Florida State stuffed Northern Illinois all-purpose threat Jordan Lynch for most of the night Tuesday and won the Orange Bowl 31-10.<br />Senior fullback Lonnie Pryor, voted the game's outstanding player, ran for a career-high 134 yards and two scores in only five carries for Florida State. Senior EJ Manuel threw for 291 yards.<br />The victory was a consolation prize for the No. 13 Seminoles (12-2), who began the season with national championship hopes. They've won five consecutive bowl games, but the victory was their first in a BCS bowl since 2000, when they beat Virginia Tech for the national championship.<br />For the No. 16 Huskies (12-2), playing in a BCS bowl for the first time, the defeat snapped a 12-game winning streak. They fell to 5-28 against top 25 teams.Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-21342585115574927032012-12-29T21:40:00.002-08:002012-12-29T21:40:43.858-08:00Batum, Lillard help Blazers down Sixers<br />
BY JOEL FOWLKS<br />Associated Press<br />
<br />
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nicolas Batum had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, Damian Lillard added 20 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 89-85 on Saturday night for their eighth straight victory at home.<br />
<br />
J.J. Hickson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points.<br />
<br />
Jrue Holiday had 29 points, nine assists and nine rebounds to lead the Sixers, who have lost eight of 10. Thaddeus Young added 17 points.<br />
<br />
Portland led 84-76 late in the game, but Young made two big baskets, including a three-point play to cut the lead to three. Spencer Hawes and Dorell Wright missed 3-pointers for the Sixers, however, and Batum hit three of four free throws to seal it.<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-18231647437879380552012-12-29T19:46:00.000-08:002012-12-29T19:46:13.022-08:00Lopez leads Nets past Cavs<br />
BRIAN MAHONEY<br />AP Basketball Writer<br />
<br />
NEW YORK (AP) — Brook Lopez scored a season-high 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets improved to 2-0 under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-100 on Saturday night.<br />
<br />
Lopez followed his 26-point, 11-rebound performance in a victory Friday over Charlotte by shooting 13 of 20 from the field, making a number of timely baskets in the fourth quarter that the Nets ultimately needed to hold on.<br />
<br />
Deron Williams and Joe Johnson each scored 15 points for the Nets, who fired coach Avery Johnson on Thursday and followed with two victories over losing teams. But now, they head off for major tests at San Antonio and Oklahoma City.<br />
<br />
CJ Miles scored 33 points and made eight 3-pointers for the Cavs, but Kyrie Irving capped a miserable shooting night when his tying 3-point attempt went in and out. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting.<br />
<br />
Tristan Thompson added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who played without center Anderson Varejao because of a knee injury. He had a career-high 35 points and 18 rebounds in the previous meeting in Brooklyn and perhaps could have slowed Lopez, who fouled out rookie Tyler Zeller.<br />
<br />
Carlesimo is trying to prove that if the Nets can't lure top priority Phil Jackson out of retirement, they should keep him.<br />
<br />
Carlesimo had a chance to spend time with owner Mikhail Prokhorov and other team officials Saturday during a lunch meeting. Then he picked up another victory, with Prokhorov watching from his box above midcourt and part-owner Jay-Z from his courtside seat right next to the Nets' bench.<br />
<br />
The Nets got off to another strong start, as they did in Friday's 97-81 rout of Charlotte, but couldn't sustain it this time.<br />
<br />
After their 15-point lead was cut to one early in the fourth quarter, the Nets seemed to have regained control when they went ahead 92-81 with 7:07 remaining. But Miles nailed two 3-pointers around a pair of free throws, cutting it to five, and the Cavs eventually got it down to 100-97 on Thompson's follow shot with 47 seconds to go.<br />
<br />
Irving missed on a drive, then followed Williams' free throw with a 3-pointer that cut it to 101-100 with 5.9 seconds to play.<br />
<br />
Johnson made two free throws and Irving got a good look from straightaway, staring at the basket in disbelief when the shot didn't stay down.<br />
<br />
Carlesimo provided little details of the lunch meeting with Prokhorov, beyond that they ate at a Greek restaurant in Manhattan. Carlesimo said they talked about food and a little about the team over about two hours in his first extended conversation with Prokhorov. Asked what he learned about his boss, Carlesimo said: "I think if we would keep winning games, that would be good. He definitely prefers winning."<br />
<br />
Carlesimo kept his sense of humor about the situation, responding to a question about Jeff Van Gundy's candidacy by saying: "I told Mikhail today in no uncertain terms I didn't want him talking to anybody." But he was serious when asked if the ability to make any list of coaching candidates meaningless by winning games, as Mike Woodson did last season with the Knicks, was available to him.<br />
<br />
"I think it's available. I think we need a win and there's also coaches that are available and that's not something I have any control over," Carlesimo said, adding that the Nets played well Friday and would "just go at it like one day at a time and let's see what's going to happen."<br />
<br />
Lopez had the first five points of a 13-0 run that turned a 15-13 game into a 28-13 Brooklyn lead. He shot 7 of 8 for his 15 points in just 9 minutes, then Miles scored 13 second-quarter points in pulling the Cavs to 61-53 at halftime.<br />
<br />
Cleveland cut it to 79-74 after three.<br />
<br />
Notes: Irving was averaging 37.5 points in New York this season. He had 34 in his first game here and a career-high 41 in a loss to the Knicks on Dec. 15. ... The Nets again played without forward Kris Humphries because of an abdominal strain. ... The loss left Cleveland's Byron Scott at 399 wins, remaining one shy of becoming the eighth active coach with 400.<br />
<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-69728586112042737092012-12-29T19:36:00.000-08:002012-12-29T19:36:39.617-08:00Reading stuns Titans in Trenton<br />
By MIKE ASHMORE<br />
For The Trentonian<br />
<br />
TRENTON -- One step forward, two steps back.<br />
<br />
After getting out to a 2-0 lead through the first two periods, the Titans gave up three third-period goals and suffered a devastating 3-2 loss to the Reading Royals on Saturday night. <br />
<br />
There was a time when Trenton would have been satisfied with one win in three games against what Titans head coach Vince Williams has frequently referred to as "the best team in the league" -- especially given that each contest was decided by just one goal -- now is clearly not that time.<br />
<br />
"We're 100 percent not (satisfied)," Williams said. "We're on the way up, but they're a solid team from the net out, there's no question. That's why they're where they're at...we have to out-execute a team like that, and when we have our opportunities to put it away, we have to."<br />
<br />
Trenton quickly put its collective skates to the throats of the Royals in the first period, staking itself to a 2-0 lead within the first 2:41.<br />
<br />
Stephen Schultz put his stamp on the game early, needing just 14 seconds to put the Titans on top. Schultz, still wearing a full shield after losing four teeth after getting high-sticked in the mouth two weeks ago, tipped a great Kelly Zajac feed from the left-wing corner past goaltender Philipp Grubauer to put Trenton up 1-0.<br />
<br />
Schultz did it again just 2 minutes and 23 seconds later, again with a little help from Zajac. The Devils farmhand intercepted a brutal pass from a Royals defenseman in the offensive zone and fired a quick shot on goal that Grubauer stopped. He couldn't thwart Schultz's effort on the rebound, and Trenton had a quick 2-0 lead.<br />
<br />
The tide slowly started to turn after Trenton turned in a poor effort on a five-minute major power play in the first period, unable to truly put away their bitter rivals. That wouldn't start to show itself until the third period, when Reading's continuous pressure on goaltender Scott Wedgewood finally started to pay dividends.<br />
<br />
Just 2:39 into the final frame, Royals defenseman Denny Urban started the stunning turnaround with a right point slapshot through traffic that found the twine. Ian O'Connor tied it just four and a half minutes later, but the game seemed headed to overtime until Yannick Tifu changed everything.<br />
<br />
Tifu, who has been a thorn in the side of Trenton hockey teams for years, outworked the Titans on a 2-on-4 and threaded a perfect wrister just under the crossbar and past Wedgewood, who could do nothing to stop it. Thanks to a Bryant Molle delay of game penalty with under two minutes to go, Trenton had its chances late, but Andy Bohmbach couldn't finish on a fantastic cross-ice feed from Matt Mangene, and Grubauer robbed Jacob Cepis in front of the net with just 25 seconds left to seal the win.<br />
<br />
"We scored two goals early, which was great for us, but on the other side we thought we won the game already a little bit," Wedgewood said. <br />
<br />
"We didn't push as hard as we wanted to. We didn't get as many shots after that in the first, the second we did a little bit, and the third we just didn't sustain anything in their end. ... When you're up by two going into the third, people say it's the worst lead in hockey, but you've just got to be smart in your own end."<br />
<br />
<b>Notes:</b> After Friday night's 132 penalty minute debacle, in which Royals head coach Larry Courville said referee Chris Pitoscia "lost control" of the game and Williams described his actions as "panic mode," the ECHL sent an officiating supervisor, Jim Doyle, to Trenton at the last minute.<br />
<br />
<b>Correction: </b>In Friday's story, Trenton forward Jake Drewiske was inadvertently misidentified as having sparked the second of two ugly brawls. It was, instead, Justin Taylor, whose actions earned him an indefinite suspension and hearing with the league next week. The Trentonian apologizes for the error.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-15288219915993523402012-12-28T22:15:00.001-08:002012-12-28T22:15:13.897-08:00Sixers fall in Golden State<br />
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — David Lee had 25 points and 12 rebounds and the Golden State Warriors held off a late charge in the fourth quarter to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 96-89 on Friday night.<br />
<br />
Jarrett Jack added 16 points off the bench while Carl Landry had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Warriors, who nearly blew a 20-point lead in the second half before securing its first win over the Sixers in more than two years.<br />
<br />
Philadelphia pulled to 84-80 on Royal Ivey's 3-pointer with 6:23 left to play before Lee scored six straight as part of his 19th double-double this season to help Golden State pull away.<br />
<br />
Jrue Holiday had 21 points and 10 assists for Philadelphia. The Sixers have lost eight of 10 on the road.<br />
<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-58881894583240005282012-12-28T21:54:00.001-08:002012-12-28T21:54:28.575-08:00Johnson's late 3 fells Knicks<br />
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — James Johnson made a 3-pointer at the buzzer Friday night, lifting the Sacramento Kings to a 106-105 victory over the New York Knicks after blowing an early 27-point lead.<br />
<br />
With time running out, John Salmons found Johnson above the top of the key and Johnson's shot left his had just ahead of the final buzzer. The shot helped the Kings avoid a collapse after building a big lead late in the first half.<br />
<br />
Marcus Thornton scored 18 points and Johnson had 17 for the Kings.<br />
<br />
The Knicks played their second straight game without injured Carmelo Anthony, who leads all Eastern Conference scorers, averaging 28.5 points per game. Anthony has a hyperextended left knee and his hoping to return Jan. 1 when the Knicks play Portland at home.<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-86616657479147990572012-12-19T19:52:00.002-08:002012-12-19T19:52:31.302-08:00Turner hurt as Sixers lose fifth straight<span id="_oneup" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div>
HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden had 33 points and seven
assists to lead the Houston Rockets to a 125-103 victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.<br />
<br />
Harden topped 20 points for
the seventh straight game to send the 76ers to their fifth straight
loss. He made 17 of 18 free throws, including six in the fourth quarter,
as Houston improved to 9-2 in its last 11 home games.<br />
<br />
Toney Douglas heated up in the fourth quarter for the Rockets, hitting five 3-pointers and scoring all 17 of his points.<br />
<br />
Reserve
Nick Young scored 21 points to lead Philadelphia, which matched its
most lopsided loss of the season. The 76ers also lost by 22 points
against the Knicks on Nov. 5.<br />
<br />
Evan Turner left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. The Sixers are still withouh Jrue Holiday and Andrew Bynum is yet to play. </div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-60564207342825265372012-12-19T19:50:00.002-08:002012-12-19T19:50:13.218-08:00Carmelo returns, helps Knicks beat NetsNEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points in his return to the lineup, and the New York Knicks beat the Brooklyn Nets 100-86 on Wednesday night in the third meeting this season between the city rivals.<br /><br />
After two tight games in Brooklyn, the Knicks turned the first one at Madison Square Garden into a rout by dominating the second half. Anthony, who missed two games with a sprained left ankle, moved fine and shot well, though his scoring average against the Nets this season actually dropped to 37 points per game.<br /><br />
J.R. Smith added 19 points and Tyson Chandler had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who bounced back from their first home loss Monday against Jeremy Lin and Houston, improving to 11-1 at MSG.<br /><br />
Joe Johnson scored 17 points for the Nets, who have lost three straight and eight of 10. What once was a deadlock for the Atlantic Division lead after the first meeting is now a six-game advantage for the Knicks.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />Deron Williams and Brook Lopez each had 16 points for Brooklyn.<br /><br />
The Nets won 96-89 in overtime on Nov. 26 in the rescheduled season opener that was postponed after Superstorm Sandy, and the Knicks pulled out a 100-97 victory on Dec. 11 behind Anthony’s 45 points and Jason Kidd’s tiebreaking 3-pointer with 24 seconds left.<br /><br />
This one was only close for a half, the Knicks outscoring the Nets 48-38 in the final 24 minutes.<br /><br />
The game lacked the energy and nonstop crowd noise of the two matchups in Brooklyn. Perhaps this crowd just wasn’t balanced enough, Brooklyn black hard to spot amid the rows of orange, thanks to a hat giveaway by the Knicks. <br /><br />
Or perhaps Knicks fans were just fatigued from recent visits from the Lakers and Lin, and didn’t view a game against the Nets the same way the up-and-coming fan base in Brooklyn does when facing the more established franchise. Though they began to concede it was a rivalry after the two tense games at Barclays Center, Knicks players had previously said there wasn’t really any, and wouldn’t be until they had some meaningful postseason meetings.<br /><br />
The Knicks are still getting used to sharing their city, the Garden public address announcer accidentally saying Williams was checking in for New Jersey at one point.<br /><br />
But Anthony clearly gets up for the games against the team from his birthplace. He had his highest-scoring game of the season in the last meeting, Nets coach Avery Johnson saying before the game that “he kind of got away from us a little it in Game 2, is what I’ll call it.”<br /><br />
The Nets didn’t do much better against him in Game 3. <br />
<br />
Anthony had 17 points at halftime, leading the Knicks to a 52-48 lead. Chandler took over in the third, getting four dunks among his 10 points, hooking up with Pablo Prigioni on an alley-oop that made it 75-65 with 11.2 seconds remaining in the quarter.<br /><br />
New York scored seven straight points early in the fourth to open a 14-point cushion, and the benches on both sides emptied after a 3-pointer by Smith and four straight points by Anthony extended it to 98-80.<br /><br />
NOTES: The Knicks played without reserve forwards Steve Novak (ill) and Rasheed Wallace (sore left foot). ... Johnson said the status of Jerry Stackhouse (sore right knee) for Sunday’s game against Philadelphia would be determined by how he gets through practice Friday and Saturday. ... The Nets said this was the first meeting of Brooklyn and New York City-based pro sports franchises in Manhattan since Sept. 8, 1957, when the Dodgers visited the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds.Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-28562993691595752922012-12-18T20:34:00.003-08:002012-12-18T20:34:46.340-08:00Holiday-less Sixers drop fourth straight<span id="_oneup" style="font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div>
DALLAS (AP) — O.J.
Mayo scored 26 points, Chris Kaman added 20 and the Dallas Mavericks
snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Philadelphia 76ers
107-100 Tuesday night.<br />
<br />
Mayo and Kaman scored 17 of Dallas' last 19 points to help the Mavericks win their seventh straight at home against the 76ers.<br />
<br />
Dorell
Wright scored 25 points and Spencer Hawes had 18 for the 76ers, who
lost their fourth straight game. Philadelphia point guard Jrue Holiday,
the team's leading scorer at nearly 19 points per game, missed his third
straight game with a sprained left foot.<br />
<br />
Dallas point guard Derek
Fisher left the game with 6:50 left in the first quarter with a
strained right knee and did not return. Fisher, who wasn't expected to
play because of the flu, went down to the ground after having his shot
blocked by Evan Turner. The 17th-year guard walked slowly to the locker
room.</div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-85045319433065869042012-12-13T21:17:00.002-08:002012-12-13T21:17:50.670-08:00Giveaways hurt big time as Eagles keep on freefalling<br />
By BOB GROTZ<br />
bgrotz@delcotimes.com<br />
<br />
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles led at the half last night but literally couldn’t hang on in a 34-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field.<br />
<br />
In a game that chased away fans as well as TV viewers, the Bengals turned five Eagles giveaways, including four fumbles, into 31 of the easiest points imaginable.<br />
<br />
The Birds even blocked one of their own punts, which has such a high degree of difficulty special teams coach Bobby April might want to get ready for the dreaded phone call.<br />
<br />
It was that kind of night for Eagles head coach Andy Reid, whose team exited with 34 turnovers, most in the league. That’s 2.4 giveaways per game.<br />
<br />
It was the ninth loss in the last 10 games for the Eagles who, with a 4-10 record, are in double-digit losses for the first time in seven years.<br />
<br />
Rookie quarterback Nick Foles threw an interception. Jeremy Maclin, Bryce Brown, Clay Harbor and Cedric Thornton, a defensive tackle, all fumbled.<br />
<br />
Thornton tried to field a short Bengals kickoff. Harbor’s miscue resulted only in a field goal.<br />
<br />
Twenty-four of those Bengals points came in a span of 3-minutes, 30-seconds beginning late it the third quarter.<br />
<br />
The score could have been more lopsided but Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, a buddy of Reid, didn’t kick a field goal on fourth down at the six-yard line of the Eagles late in the game.<br />
<br />
Ironically the Eagles were in such complete control in the first half Lewis wouldn’t even allow Andy Dalton to throw a Hail Mary. Instead quarterback Dalton, who had been stripped of the ball twice in the pocket, knelt down at his 18-yard line to kill the clock.<br />
<br />
The Eagles’ third quarter was a disaster.<br />
<br />
Leon Hall picked off Foles’ underthrown deep ball and returned it 44 yards to position Dalton for an 11-yard scoring run. Dalton also ran for a first down inside the 15-yard line.<br />
<br />
Then Bryce Brown fumbled and defensive end Wallace Gilberry returned it 28 yards for a touchdown giving the Bengals (8-6) a 24-13 lead with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.<br />
<br />
With 21 ticks left Clay Harbor fumbled. It set up a 32-yard field goal by Josh Brown 48 seconds into the final frame to give the Bengals a 27-13 lead.<br />
<br />
Next Thornton’s gaffe on the kickoff enabled A.J. Green to haul in a five-yard TD pass from Dalton.<br />
Thereafter Lewis showed mercy on Reid, who 14 years ago asked him to be his defensive coordinator. Lewis ordered running plays.<br />
<br />
The Eagles handed the Bengals a 10-0 lead in the first quarter by virtue of Maclin’s fumble and a botched protection on a punt in which rookie Marvin McNutt was pushed into his own guy, punter Mat McBriar.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t surprising in that the Bengals start fast while the Eagles typically sputter out of the gate. The Birds have been outscored 85-24 in the first quarter on the season.<br />
<br />
But after zero takeaways in 21 quarters, the Eagles got two in the second frame, both of which referee Carl Cheffers confirmed on instant replay.<br />
<br />
The first turnover came when Brandon Graham got a piece of Dalton, who was about to release the ball, and Cole recovered at the 29-yard line of the Bengals with 9:42 left in the first half.<br />
<br />
It was the Birds’ first takeaway in 22 quarters, the first since their Monday night loss to New Orleans.<br />
<br />
It set up a 22-yard field goal by Alex Henery that knotted the score at 10 with 7:37 left in the first half.<br />
<br />
Then it was Cullen Jenkins grabbing the arm of Dalton in almost exactly the same moment in the windup and Darryl Tapp returning the fumble four yards to the 12-yard line to set up a 23-yard field goal by Henery giving the Eagles a 13-10 lead with 17 ticks left in the first half.<br />
<br />
Earlier in the second quarter Foles fired an 11-yard scoring pass to Riley Cooper, who leaned over the end zone with 11:40 left in the first half to pull the Eagles within 10-7.<br />
Foles’ 46-yard pass to Maclin set it up.<br />
<br />
The TD pass marked Foles’ fourth scoring pass against no interceptions in his last three games. Foles had three picks and just one TD pass in his first three NFL appearances.<br />
<br />
The Eagles lost guard Evan Mathis (ankle), Clay Harbor (hamstring) and fullback Stanley Havili (hamstring) to injury.<br />
<br />
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-90563105408300186182012-12-08T19:18:00.001-08:002012-12-08T19:18:03.896-08:00Manziel first freshman to win Heisman<span id="_oneup" style="font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div>
NEW YORK (AP) — Johnny Football just got himself a way cooler nickname: Johnny Heisman.<br />
Texas
A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the
Heisman Trophy, taking college football's top individual prize<br />
<br />
Saturday
night after a record-breaking debut.<br />
<br />
Notre Dame linebacker Manti
Te'o finished a distant second and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein
was third in the voting. In a Heisman race with two nontraditional
candidates, Manziel broke through the class barrier and kept Te'o from
becoming the first purely defensive player to win the award.<br />
<br />
Manziel drew 474 first-place votes and 2,029 points from the panel of media members and former winners.<br />
<br />
"I
have been dreaming about this since I was a kid, running around the
backyard pretending I was Doug Flutie, throwing Hail Marys to my dad,"
he said after hugging his parents and kid sister.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Manziel seemed
incredibly calm after his name was announced, hardly resembling the guy
who dashes around the football field on Saturday. He simply bowed his
head, and later gave the trophy a quick kiss.<br />
<br />
"I wish my whole team could be up here with me," he said with a wide smile.<br />
<br />
Te'o had 321 first-place votes and 1,706 points and Klein received 60 firsts and 894 points.<br />
<br />
Just
a few days after turning 20, Manziel proved times have truly changed in
college football, and that experience can be really overrated.<br />
<br />
For
years, seniors dominated the award named after John Heisman, the
pioneering Georgia Tech coach from the early 1900s. In the 1980s,
juniors started becoming common winners. Tim Tebow became the first
sophomore to win it in 2007, and two more won it in the next two
seasons.<br />
<br />
Adrian Peterson had come closest as a freshman, finishing
second to Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart in 2004. But it
took 78 years for a newbie to take home the big bronze statue. Johnny
Football really can do it all.<br />
<br />
Peterson was a true freshman for
Oklahoma. As a redshirt freshmen, Manziel attended school and practiced
with the team last year, but did not play in any games.<br />
<br />
He's the
second player from Texas A&M to win the Heisman, joining John David
Crow from 1957, and did so without the slightest hint of preseason hype.
Manziel didn't even win the starting job until two weeks before the
season.<br />
<br />
Who needs hype when you can fill-up a highlight reel the way Manziel can?<br />
<br />
With
daring runs and elusive improvisation, Manziel broke 2010 Heisman
winner Cam Netwon's Southeastern Conference record with 4,600 total
yards, led the Aggies to a 10-2 in their first season in the SEC and
orchestrated an upset at then-No. 1 Alabama in November that stamped him
as legit.<br />
<br />
He has thrown for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns and run
for 1,181 yards and 19 more scores to become the first freshman, first
SEC player and fifth player overall to throw for 3,000 yards and run for
1,000 in a season.<br />
<br />
Manziel has one more game this season, when the No. 10 Aggies play Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 4.<br />
<br />
The
resume alone fails to capture the Johnny Football phenomena. At
6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Manziel is master of the unexpected, darting
here and there, turning plays seemingly doomed to failure into
touchdowns.<br />
<br />
Take, for example, what he did in the first quarter
against the Crimson Tide. Manziel took a shotgun snap, stepped up in the
pocket as if he was about to take off on another made scramble and ran
into the back a lineman. On impact, Manziel bobbled the ball, caught it
with his back to the line of scrimmage, turned, rolled the opposite
direction and fired a touchdown pass — throwing across his body — to a
wide-open receiver.<br />
<br />
He might as well have been back in Kerrville, Texas, where he became a hill country star in high school.<br />
<br />
Manziel
thought he was going to be the next Derek Jeter — hence the No. 2 he
wears. Instead he became the biggest star football star in College
Station since Crow won the Heisman.<br />
<br />
His road to stardom was anything but a clear path.<br />
<br />
Manziel
competed with two other quarterbacks to replace Ryan Tannehill as the
starter this season, the Aggies' first in the SEC and first under coach
Kevin Sumlin.<br />
<br />
Manziel came out of spring practice as the backup,
and went to work with a private quarterback coach in the summer to
better his chances of winning the job in the preseason.<br />
<br />
It worked, but still nobody was hailing Manziel is the next big thing.<br />
<br />
Then he started playing and the numbers started piling up.<br />
<br />
He had 557 total yards against Arkansas, 576 vs. Louisiana Tech and 440 against Mississippi State.<br />
<br />
He
also had some struggles against Florida in the season opener and in a
home loss to LSU. The question was: Could Johnny Football do his thing
against a top-notch opponent?<br />
<br />
The answer came in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
on Nov. 10. Going into the matchup against the Crimson Tide, Manziel
said he and his teammates heard a lot of doubters.<br />
<br />
"You can't do this and you can't do that," he recalled Saturday at the podium<br />
<br />
Manziel
passed for 253 yards, ran for 92 and the Aggies beat the Tide 29-24.
Klein had been the front-runner for most of the season, but Manziel
surged after beating 'Bama.<br />
<br />
Still, Manziel was still something of a
mystery man. Sumlin's rules prohibit freshmen from being available to
the media. Johnny Football was off-limits, but not exactly silent.<br />
<br />
Manziel
gave glimpses of himself on social media — including some memorable
pictures of him dressed up as Scooby-Doo for Halloween with some
scantily clad young women.<br />
<br />
Before he became a celebrity, Manziel
got himself into some serious trouble. In June, he was arrested in
College Station after police said he was involved in a fight and
produced a fake ID. He was charged with disorderly conduct and two other
misdemeanors.<br />
<br />
After the season, Texas A&M took the reins off
Manziel and made him available for interviews, allowing Johnny Football
to tell his own story.<br />
<br />
Though in the end, his play said it all.</div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-42076978506795895682012-12-08T19:15:00.005-08:002012-12-08T19:15:50.657-08:00Sixers fall to Celtics in second game of home and homeBy CHRISTOPHER A. VITO<br />cvito@delcotimes.com<br />BOSTON — The Sixers filtered from their locker room with four minutes remaining in halftime. <br /><br />
Did it really take 11 minutes to convey how desperately they needed to make shots? Probably not. In fact, the Sixers would’ve been better served having spent the intermission taking in some extra shooting practice.<br /><br />
In the long run, it wouldn’t have helped.<br /><br />
By the time the Sixers finally took the lid off the rim at TD Garden, Boston already had built an insurmountable lead. The Celtics came away with a 92-79 win Saturday night, despite a late rally from the visitors.<br /><br />
The Sixers enjoyed one of their most-productive 12-minute stretches of the season, shooting 14-for-20 in the third quarter to close a once 21-point game to eight points. But it didn’t cover over a bumpy first half in which they missed all but nine of 39 shots.<br /><br />
When the Sixers (11-9) cut their deficit to eight, at 65-57, the Celtics (11-9) responded nicely by making their next five attempts.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Sweeping any team in a home-and-home series is difficult enough, let alone doing so against a division rival, with the back end of the weekend two-fer on that team’s home floor. Couple that tall task with 23-percent shooting in the opening two quarters and, well, it’s practically impossible.<br /><br />
Before the game, Sixers coach Doug Collins said he didn’t expect his guys to come out with less fire than a much-older starting five from Boston. So much for that.<br /><br />
“I told our guys Kevin Garnett has played over 51,000 minutes in his career, Paul Pierce (has) I think 48,000, Jason Terry (has) 38,000, and Rajon Rondo (has) 15,000,” Collins said. “I’m sure the crowd is going to lift them. <br /><br />
“But if we’re looking out there, there’s no reason those guys should be fresher than us – not with the amount of playoff games and minutes they’ve put in this league.”<br /><br />
Those cold, hard facts – that Collins said he researched independently – didn’t pan out for the Sixers.<br />
<br />
Their opening-half point total was a season low, outdoing the woeful 34 they posted against previously winless Detroit Nov. 14.<br /><br />
One of those nights, all right.<br /><br />
Making matters worse was an already-depleted bench that lost another healthy body. Damien Wilkins suffered a right calf strain in the first quarter and didn’t return. That meant the Sixers would have to complete their comeback bid without Wilkins, Kwame Brown, Nick Young or Royal Ivey, the latter two being scratches.<br /><br />
Perhaps one or more of those players will be ready by Monday, when the Sixers host Detroit.<br /><br />
The only saving grace of it all was that redeeming third quarter, in which Thad Young shot 6-for-8 for 12 points, Evan Turner was 3-for-4 and everything seemed all right in their world. Except, of course, for that monstrous deficit they couldn’t seem to close entirely.<br /><br />
The half-court offense out of which the Sixers tried to operate was putrid, often resulting in misses at the rim or bobbled passes in the paint. On one series, Lavoy Allen took a feed in the numbers from<br />
<br />
Jrue Holiday and proceeded to clang two looks inside three feet.<br /><br />
It was a minor miracle that the Sixers were down by only 11, at 31-20, at the midway point of the second quarter.<br /><br />
The Sixers’ lackadaisical play wasn’t reserved for just the offensive end, either. The Celtics’ Rajon<br />
<br />
Rondo ate Allen alive on a baseline move, on which he went under the rim cutting right to left, then backpedaled for an easy layup and a trip to the line. Rondo missed the free throw that followed<br />
<br />
Allen’s foul, but Rondo grabbed the offensive board and Boston picked up two second-chance points out of it.<br /><br />
Ugly doesn’t begin to describe the Sixers’ play in the opening 24 minutes.<br /><br />
The Sixers, who rank 28th in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game, went 8-for-10 from the stripe in the first half. Imagine how badly the Sixers would have been losing at halftime, if not for those freebies.Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-62679656659210293912012-12-08T05:25:00.002-08:002012-12-08T05:25:20.498-08:00LIVE state football finals chat<span style="font-family: ITCCentury Book;"><span style="font-family: ITCCentury Book;">Staff Report<br />It’s the final day of high school football at Trentonian.com, and three of our area teams are vying for state championships.<br />Florence battles Shore Regional at 10 a.m. for the Central Jersey Group I crown at 10 a.m.<br />Nottingham takes on Neptune in the Central Jersey Group III final at 1 p.m.<br />And in South Jersey Group III, it’s Delsea and Northern Burlington at 4 p.m.<br />Stick with us all day or check in and out to get the updates on all the big games.<br />Join us here for all the action.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="600" src="http://embed.scribblelive.com/Embed/v5.aspx?Id=73729&ThemeId=8578" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="550"></iframe><br />Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2302437460580110506.post-75891948639442144442012-12-06T19:59:00.002-08:002012-12-06T19:59:42.404-08:00Melo-less Knicks blow out Heat in Miami<span id="_oneup" style="font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div>
MIAMI (AP) — Raymond
Felton scored a season-high 27 points, and the New York Knicks connected
on 18 3-pointers to more than offset the absence of Carmelo Anthony
while topping Miami for the second time this season, beating the Heat
112-92 on Thursday night.<br />
<br />
Steve Novak scored 18 points, J.R. Smith
added 13 and Tyson Chandler scored 13 for the Knicks, who won their
fifth straight and moved 1½ games clear of Miami for the best record in
the Eastern Conference.<br />
<br />
Anthony sat out, one night after needing five stitches to close a cut on the middle finger of his left hand.<br />
<br />
LeBron
James nearly picked up his second straight triple-double — 31 points,
10 rebounds, nine assists — in Miami's second straight loss.</div>
Trentonian Sportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575245142969946671noreply@blogger.com0