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Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Right when it appeared the Chicago Bulls were on the verge of a late charge, Hassan Whiteside swatted away any chances of a comeback. Whiteside recorded his first career triple-double in just 24 minutes, posting 14 points, 13 rebounds and a franchise-record 12 blocks as the Miami Heat defeated the Bulls 96-84 on Sunday afternoon. Taj Gibsons tip-in got the Bulls within 91-84 with 1:59 left and it looked like Aaron Brooks had a free lane to the basket a possession later, but Whiteside came out of nowhere to make the block. Dwyane Wade, who netted 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, then nailed a turnaround jumper from the left wing at the other end to put the game away. Chris Bosh tallied 20 points and seven rebounds, Luol Deng supplied 15 points and 10 boards and Mario Chalmers added 15 points and five assists for Miami, which has won five of its last eight games. It was Dengs first game back in Chicago since being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last January. He signed with the Heat during the offseason. Pau Gasol had 13 points and 17 rebounds, while Derrick Rose provided 19 points and four assists for the Bulls, who had won their last two games coming in on the heels of a 2-6 stretch. Final Score: Cleveland 108, Oklahoma City 98 Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - LeBron James scored 34 points with a full line and the rest of the Cavaliers core shined in Clevelands 108-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. James netted at least 25 points for the seventh straight game and contributed seven rebounds, five assists and a pair of blocks as Cleveland extended its season-long win streak to six games. Kevin Love got back on track in a big way on Sunday, tallying 19 points and 13 rebounds while hitting 5-of-7 from behind the arc, and Kyrie Irving scored 21 points. Love had been 4-for-21 from 3-point range over his last six games. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both neared triple-doubles in the loss, but Westbrooks 7-for-26 shooting and just six combined points from starters Kendrick Perkins and Andre Roberson were too much for Oklahoma City to overcome. Durant posted 32 points, nine assists and six rebounds and Westbrook finished with 22 points, 11 assists and nine boards. Dion Waiters, who spent the first two-plus seasons in Cleveland before a trade on Jan. 7 sent him to the Thunder, added 14 points on 5-of-15 off the bench in his return to Quicken Loans Arena. Final Score: Atlanta 112, Minnesota 100 Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Paul Millsap filled the stat sheet with 20 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-100 for their 16th straight victory. The Hawks set a franchise record with their 15th consecutive win on Friday night and have won 29 of their last 31 games in all. Al Horford posted 19 points, six boards and four assists, while Jeff Teague added 15 points and seven helpers for Atlanta, which hasnt lost being routed by the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 26. The Hawks previously won 14 in a row from Nov. 16 - Dec. 14, 1993, the last season in which they won a division title. Final Score: New Orleans 109, Dallas 106 New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Anthony Davis came up big on both ends with the game on the line, helping the New Orleans Pelicans hold off the Dallas Mavericks 109-106 to win their third straight game. With his team trailing by one with 12.3 seconds left, Davis drew a foul on Tyson Chandler while working to get open and calmly made both free throws. Then at the other end, Davis used his massive wingspan to intercept Rajon Rondos inbounds pass and hit two more free throws to make it 109-106. Monta Ellis, who had a terrific game in his own right, then missed a deep 3-point attempt and Davis secured the final rebound. Davis filled the stat sheet with 28 points, 10 rebounds and five steals and Tyreke Evans gave 24 points and 12 assists in New Orleans first three-game win streak of the season. Final Score: Indiana 106, Orlando 99 Orlando, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Damjan Rudez gave the slumping Pacers a huge lift off the bench, scoring 16 of his career-high 18 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana rallied for a 106-99 victory over the Orlando Magic. Big efforts from Rudez, who knocked down 4-of-6 shots from 3-point range in the final period, and fellow reserve George Hill enabled the Pacers to halt a seven-game losing streak by coming back from nine-point deficit with eight minutes to play. Hill delivered 17 points in just 20 minutes in his second game back from a lingering groin injury, including back-to-back baskets after the Magic had knotted the score at 97-97 on two Nikola Vucevic free throws with 2:23 remaining. Final Score: LA Clippers 120, Phoenix 100 Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Paul nearly recorded a triple-double and the Los Angeles Clippers continued to control their division rival, the Phoenix Suns. Paul posted 23 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds in the Clippers sixth straight win over the Suns, a 120-100 decision on Sunday. Blake Griffin also contributed 23 points, while J.J. Redick chipped in with 20 points and DeAndre Jordan deposited an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double. Los Angeles has won four straight overall. Final Score: Toronto 114, Detroit 110 Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - DeMar DeRozan registered 25 points with six rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors in a 114-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Jonas Valanciunas went for 20 points and 11 rebounds in the win, while Amir Johnson added 17 points for the Raptors. D.J. Augustins career night was all for naught as he made the start for the injured Brandon Jennings. Detroit announced earlier in the day that Jennings would miss the remainder of the season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon that he suffered during Saturdays game against Milwaukee. Augustin set a career high with 35 points and also dished out eight assists for the Pistons, who have lost three straight on the road. Greg Monroe finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds in the loss. Final Score: San Antonio 101, Milwaukee 95 San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Tim Duncan posted 20 points and 11 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard totaled 19 points with 14 boards, as San Antonio downed Milwaukee by a 101-95 count on Sunday. Boris Diaw picked up 14 points and Manu Ginobili added 13 for the Spurs, who have won two in a row and eight of their last 10. Khris Middleton led the way with a game-best 21 points for the Bucks, who opened up a four-game road trip with their fourth loss in six overall. Jerryd Bayless chipped in 15 and five assists in defeat. Final Score: Washington 117, Denver 115 (OT) Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Kris Humphries best game in a Washington uniform couldnt have come at a better time. Fresh off consecutive losses, Humphries totaled 21 points and 14 rebounds and stepped up in overtime as the Wizards took down the Denver Nuggets, 117-115, on Sunday. Humphries scored four early points in the extra session, as Washington opened a 111-105 lead with the first six of OT. Denver countered with five in a row, but John Wall assisted on a Nene layup then drove in for one of his own to keep Washington in front. Darrell Arthur and Arron Afflalo missed 3s on the next trip, and Wall made it a five-point game with two free throws. Adding to the drama, Wilson Chandler hit a trey from the top of the key with 3.8 seconds left to make it two, and Paul Pierce threw a lazy inbounds pass, which Ty Lawson easily intercepted. Lawson could have forced double overtime, but his uncontested mid-range jumper missed short as time expired. Wall posted 19 points and 16 assists and Pierce scored 19 for the Wizards. Final Score: Golden State 114, Boston 111 Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Klay Thompson continued his recent offensive surge to help the Golden State Warriors to yet another home victory. Thompson scored 31 points to lead the Warriors in a 114-111 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, extending their franchise-record home winning streak to 19 consecutive games. In Fridays win over Sacramento, Thompson had one of the best shooting nights in NBA history, converting all 13 of his shots during a 37-point third quarter en route to a career-high 52 points. It was the highest-scoring quarter in league history. Stephen Curry supplied 22 points and 11 assists for the Warriors, who have won five straight overall. Jared Sullinger was the leading scorer for Boston, scoring 26 points, while Evan Turner filled the stat sheet with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the loss. Final Score: Houston 99, LA Lakers 87 Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - James Harden tallied 37 points with eight rebounds and five assists to lead the Houston Rockets in a 99-87 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Staples Center. Josh Smith and Jason Terry each came off the bench to score 11 points, while Corey Brewer had 10 in a reserve role for the Rockets. Houston center Dwight Howard did not play against his former team due to a right ankle sprain. Carlos Boozer had 18 points with 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who have dropped eight straight games. Los Angeles had not lost eight straight since March 14-27, 2005. The Lakers will most likely be without the services of guard Kobe Bryant for the long term, as he recently suffered a torn right rotator cuff. He will be re- examined Monday before the team decides whether the guard needs potentially season-ending surgery. Byron Murphy Jersey . Dalton completed his only pass and led the Bengals to a touchdown in his only drive -- one that took four minutes to finish -- and the Cincinnati Bengals ended the preseason with a 27-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. Zach Allen Cardinals Jersey . Make that, almost always subjective. Saturday at Carrow Road, the spirit of fair play trumped the rulebook, costing Norwich City three points. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/Customized/. -- Pelicans coach Monty Williams does not expect guard Eric Gordon to play in any of New Orleans final five games this season. Kyler Murray Jersey . "Ive still got it," Seattles ace said with a sly grin. Riding that fastball carrying a little more zip, Hernandez took a shutout bid into the ninth inning as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 on Wednesday night. On the verge of a brilliant shutout and first complete game since Aug. Hakeem Butler Womens Jersey .The law passed on Friday, in a 128-62 vote in the lower chamber of parliament, was prompted by FIFA bribery scandals in recent years.Switzerland-based sports leaders such as FIFA President Sepp Blatter and IOC President Thomas Bach are now classed as politically exposed persons in wider legislation covering money-laundering.There he was once again in space in the middle of the field. He took one quick look to the left, before firmly fixing his wide eyes on to his team-mate with the ball. He didnt just want the ball, he demanded it and his team-mates knew it too. A look from him and they knew they should give him the ball. The ball rolled towards him incredibly slowly in his mind, so slowly he was able to take a quick look to his right before he felt the ball grace against his right boot. Immediately he took a touch forward, keeping his head up to see the run, although he already knew it was coming, and as he dribbled deep into the opponents territory he waited until the perfect moment to supply the pass through the defenders and on to the rushing teammate. The pace of the pass was so precise, Jordi Alba only had to touch it once to settle himself before slotting home. 2-0 Spain. In the 41st minute that night in Kiev, Xavi Hernandez became the first player ever to assist in two different European Championship finals, but the pass that cemented that stat meant so much more than achieving a football first through an assist statistic. Xavi knew what the world knew at that moment. Spain, who hadnt given up a single goal in any of their previous nine knockout games at the Euros or World Cup, certainly were not going to concede twice to Italy that night. Xavis magnificent pass had secured their victory and put them amongst the greatest national teams to ever play the game. Spain would go on to win 4-0 with Xavi again providing a key assist for the third goal. Andres Iniesta, who is far more than a teammate to Xavi, rightly was handed man of the match to cap a marvellous tournament, but in terms of raising his game for the big occasion no one did it better than Xavi that night. Xavi and Spain had spent most of the tournament in third gear but when the midfield maestro stepped it up, so did the team. It has been the story of Xavis career. The previous summer in the Champions League final at Wembley, a theatre he loved because of how much be embraced the sports history, Xavi had the keys to unlock the opposition. Once again he had found space, this time between the lines, but as he attacked Manchester United had his options covered. Still Xavi waited, ever the ball treasurer, the Spaniard let Lionel Messi make a run to drag Patrice Evra central, exposing a bit of space for Pedro to run into. Xavi saw the space first and placed another perfect ball that allowed the eventual goalscorer to take one simple touch before firing home. Another assist and another completely masterful performance on the games biggest stage. In the summer of 2010, Xavi made more passes and more accurate passes than any player at the World Cup (599/669), yet his most crucial one comes from a corner against Germany in the semi final, one that landed on the head of Carles Puyol, to help power Spain into their first ever World Cup final. A few days later, Xavi lifted the World Cup after his footballing soul mate, Iniesta, scored the games only goal. After that win in South Africa, UEFA President Michel Platini did not ask for Iniestas winning shirt. He asked, and received, the shirt of Xavi. The same Xavi who in the summer of 2009, again in the Champions League final, placed a magnificent ball on to the head of Lionel Messi who nodded it past Edwin van der Sar. Messi did not win man of the match that day, Xavi did. The same Xavi, a summer earlier, that got it all started for Spain, who changed their identity from perennial underachievers to winners, when he placed a wonderful ball through to Fernando Torres to score the games only goal. Xavi has been around long enough to know what it was like when both his teams struggled, yet he, more than any other player, helped them both reach the top of the sports mountain. When the footballing genius eventually calls it a career his legacy will be reflected by the incredible impact and importance he had for his teams in big games. Xavi is simply not just a player who won everything there is to win with club and country. He is a player that dictated their identity; an identity and style that helped both Barcelona and Spain dominate. Two days prior to his Kiev display, the artist stood in front of the worlds media and had to answer a question on whether that style was boring. "If we are boring but we are winning, that is fantastic for us. We will keep playing our game, we are not bored." How could he be? The victory in Kiev was Xavis 17th winners medal in four years. In between the Euro 2008 and 2012 victories, he and Iniesta had won a World Cup, two Champions League titles, three Spanish league crowns, three Spanish Super Cups, two Spanish CCups, two European Super Cups and two World Club Cups.dddddddddddd Since he has won another league title and a Spanish Super Cup all done in a style far from boring. "We go out from the first moment looking for the ball and looking to put pressure on the opposition. If you are not going to pass the ball then why play the game. That is not football in my opinion," Xavi explaind. ‘For another coach — someone like (Javier) Clemente or (Fabio) Capello — they may have another idea of football but it is good that the Barcelona idea works. What were Holland looking for in the World Cup final? A Robben counter-attack? Penalties? We won a lot of games 1-0 but it was the opposition that were boring, not us." Xavi turned 34 last month and played in his 700th game for Barcelona. He has played more games in the five-and-a-half seasons than anyone yet there are very few signs of weariness. "I dont want to miss any games, but I see the need to dose my efforts a bit more," he said recently. "Maybe in Spain people get carried away when a player reaches 30, but this is the best I have felt in my career. More mature, physically better. It is because I have learned things." Xavis football brain will carry him into his senior years and well beyond his playing days, likely into a job as Barcelona coach one day, but while he has his legs we still have opportunities to watch him play. It is these opportunities, as football lovers, that we must grab. We are the guardians of future history and when we are asked in years to come what was Xavi like? it will be down to us to explain to the next generation what a magnificent, complete player he was. Unfortunately, in Canada we are robbed of seeing him play every week on domestic television but next week the Champions League presents us all with another opportunity to watch him. There, of course, is one other window of opportunity that could burst open for North American fans. "Rumours about moving to Qatar or New York this year? My wish is to stay here until the end of my contract. Im not moving," said Xavi recently. That would take him to the summer of 2016, by which point he will be 36. Xavi is smart enough to know that will likely be too old to be a major player in such a technical style that both his club and country play. However, a move to MLS when he is 36 would give him a great opportunity to compete for a couple more winners medals while playing into his late thirties. Xavis path to the United States could be boosted by what his friend and mentor, Pep Guardiola, decided to do when he took a sabbatical from coaching last season and came to New York. Xavi, who was kept out of the side by Guardiola when he was young and almost moved because he couldnt get in ahead of him, went on to be a very different player (occupied further forward to make those key assists) thanks to Frank Rijkaards progressive thinking but has always had a special bond with his former teammate and coach. Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristains primary job is to succeed with Manchester City, but the former Barcelona executives will play a crucial role in the success of new MLS team, New York City FC, as 80% of that club is owned by the Premier League club. Xavi has every right to stay focused on the tasks at hand in his homeland right now. After all, in the next four months, he has a Champions League and a Spanish Cup to try and regain and a La Liga and World Cup to try to defend but when he is 36 he will have a decision to make and it is difficult to imagine him choosing retirement. He would be magnificent in Major League Soccer. Of all the current players in the game today, not named Ronaldo or Messi, he would be the one I would want to watch play in North America. A recent twitter poll of this question saw just 2 of 100 answer Xavi (with Zlatan Ibrahimovic being the overwhelming popular answer) but then again the Spanish maestro is used to being in the shadows of the true superstars. Less than 18 months ago I went to Barcelona to watch them play, excited to see Messi and my favourite, Iniesta, play. Not for the first time, Xavi crashed the party putting on a passing clinic in midfield. Enjoy him while he is still playing at a high level, folks. Spain have created many wonderful footballers, but on January 25th, 1980, Xavi Hernandez i Creus, the greatest of them all, was born. He grew to be a footballing giant at 5ft 7 inches, who played a major role in the way the game was played. One can only hope the last chapter of this fabulous footballing life can one day be written in North America. Just think of the ways the league and its players could benefit. ' ' '