Chatecke » Guerrero signed the contract on the field before

ATLANTA -- The Hawks are discovering that strong defence makes winning possible, even against quality opponents, after Al Horfords season-ending injury. Air Max 270 Mens Discount . Kyle Korver scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Atlanta fought off Houstons late comeback to beat the Rockets 83-80 on Friday night. Paul Millsap also had 20 points for Atlanta, which earned its second straight impressive home win following a victory over Indiana on Wednesday night. The two victories were important following a three-game losing streak and Horfords torn right pectoral muscle in late December. "Its a real good win for us because it really shows we played some good teams and we actually played some good defence," Millsap said. "It started with the defence and if we continue to keep that up, well be fine." James Harden led the Rockets with 25 points. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Houston coach Kevin McHale said his players "were just stuck in the mud offensively." Aaron Brooks had 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, and Jeremy Lin added 11 for Houston. "I think they took the game in the second half with how hard they played on defence," Lin said. The Hawks overcame Houstons 11-0 run to start the game. The Rockets then battled back from an eight-point deficit with another 11-0 run to regain the lead at 76-73. Korvers 3-pointer tied the game. Following a basket by Harden, DeMarre Carrolls 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 79-78 lead. The Hawks didnt trail again. "I think the group is really starting to trust each other defensively," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "The competitiveness that theyre putting out there, it starts on the defensive end of the court. ... Its just good to see that trust being built up." The strong defensive effort came against one of the highest-scoring teams in the NBA. Entering the game, the Rockets ranked third in the league with their average of 105.8 points. Harden, who had seven assists and five turnovers, was unable to extend his streak of three straight games with at least 37 points. "Guys just couldnt get into a rhythm," he said. "Guys were just sluggish tonight, including myself." It was a disappointing start to Houstons four-game road trip. "We talked about it before the game," Harden said. "We just came out flat." With Atlanta leading 79-78, Korver made two free throws to push Atlantas lead to three points. Following a timeout, Harden drove toward the basket and passed to Lin, whose foot was on the 3-point line as he sank a jumper with 6.5 seconds left, cutting the Hawks lead to 81-80. The Rockets quickly fouled Korver, who made both free throws. Houston couldnt get off an attempt at a last-second 3. The Hawks matched their season low for first-half points but trailed only 41-39 at the break. Official reviews confirmed Atlantas first basket and last shot from the field in the half came after the clock expired. Millsaps layup, which initially was approved for a 2-all tie, was disallowed when the review showed it came after the 24-second clock expired. Jeff Teagues layup at the end of the half, which would have tied the game, came after time expired. Korver made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions midway through the third period for the first tie at 57-all. Millsaps driving basket gave Atlanta its first lead at 61-59, and the Hawks stretched the lead to 73-65 with 8:32 remaining. Mistakes by the Hawks, including a 24-second violation, a missed layup by Pero Antic and a turnover by Millsap, helped the Rockets close the gap. Brooks 3-pointer cut Atlantas lead to 73-72. Harden made two of three free throws with 3:50 remaining to give Houston its first lead of the period at 74-73. Rockets forward Chandler Parsons missed his second straight game with a sore right knee. Ronnie Brewer was the fill-in starter. Korver extended his NBA record of consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer to 106 when he made his first of four 3s with 9:03 left in the first half. NOTES: NBA great Julius Erving had a front-row seat. ... Howard, an Atlanta native, purchased 35 tickets for the game. ... The Hawks 10 first-quarter points set a season low for any quarter and was the low allowed by the Rockets in any quarter. ... Houston C Omer Asik (right thigh, knee) missed his 18th straight game. ... F Greg Smith (sprained right knee) returned and had four points after missing the Rockets previous game. Nike Air Max 270 React Discount . The pair ended pointless droughts when they each scored two goals in a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets that halted a two-game losing skid for the Stars (15-11-5). Air Max 270 Mens Clearance . The 25-year-old Lu, a regular on the Japan LPGA Tour after giving up her LPGA Tour membership in 2010, shot an 8-under 64 in windy, wet conditions at Kintetsu Kashikojima. http://www.max270cheap.com/air-max-270-mens-sale.html . Winning more at home probably should be on the list. The Flames look to avoid a fifth defeat in six home games by winning a sixth straight meeting with the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Vladimir Guerrero signed a one-day contract to retire with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Guerrero also threw out the first pitch on opening day at Angel Stadium, and new Angels hitting coach Don Baylor had to be helped off the field after injuring his right leg while catching it. Guerrero signed the contract on the field before the game, getting a loud ovation from the Anaheim crowd when he put pen to paper. The slugging outfielder then threw the first pitch to Baylor, the only other league MVP in Angels history. But Baylor couldnt get up after making the catch, unable to put weight on his leg. Two Angels staff members had to help him off the field. The former Rockies and Cubs manager was taken to a hospital for further tests while the Angels faced the Seattle Mariners. Nike Air Max 270 React Bauhaus Cheap. The 39-year-old Guerrero hasnt played in the majors since 2011. He spent six of his 16 major league seasons with the Angels from 2004-09, winning the 2004 AL MVP award and earning four of his nine All-Star selections. Guerrero began his career with eight seasons for the Montreal Expos and finished with single years in Texas and Baltimore. He played briefly in the minors for Toronto in 2012, and was out of baseball last year. Guerrero leads all Dominican major leaguers with 2,590 hits, also finishing with 449 homers and 1,496 RBIs. He had 12 seasons with at least 25 homers. He never batted lower than .290 in his final 15 seasons despite a well-known penchant for swinging at balls outside the strike zone. Guerrero hit above .300 for 12 straight years. ' ' '