who made 24 saves and was especially impressive just before the collision

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers needed a breather. Danny Amendola Dolphins Jersey . They got one Friday night. Anderson Varejao scored 16 points and Kyrie Irving had 10 points and 10 assists, leading the Cavaliers to a 93-78 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. A visit from the worst team in basketball helped Clevelands cause. The Cavaliers used a 17-0 run in the second quarter and a 12-2 spurt in the third to win going away. "Id take this every game," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "We obviously havent had many of those." Varejao scored eight points to spark a 12-2 run that gave Cleveland a 64-46 lead late in the third quarter. Irving, selected an All-Star starter for the first time Thursday, had seven assists in the second half. Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 13 points. Brandon Knight, who leads the Bucks with a 15.9 average, was held to eight points and went 4 of 12 from the field. The Bucks (8-34) have lost 10 of 11. Milwaukee snapped a nine-game losing streak Wednesday against Detroit, but couldnt build on the momentum from that win, a fact that disappointed coach Larry Drew. "We didnt play with a sense of urgency and, clearly, thats my responsibility," he said. "It is disappointing -- take nothing away from this Cleveland Cavalier team -- but I was expecting our guys to have a little bit more firepower. They were clearly the aggressor from start to finish." The game capped a couple of good days for Irving, who had no turnovers in 28 minutes. The third-year guard has also been chosen for the USA Basketball player pool. Irving plans on defending his 3-point title during All-Star weekend and said he would like to become the first player to win the contest three years in a row. "We started off a little sluggish, but we definitely picked it up," he said. "We forced them into some tough shots and got on our run." Irving is looking forward to next months All-Star festivities and the basketball world championships in the summer. "Im just really happy," he said. "I wouldnt be able to be a star without the fans and also my teammates just encourage me every single game. Its a great honour to be part of USA roster and All-Star." Tristan Thompson scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds while Dion Waiters added 13 points for Cleveland. The Cavaliers lost the first two games of a five-game homestand after going 3-2 on a West Coast trip. "It was a good performance, especially after the two losses," Brown said. "Our guys stepped up. We had a lot of good individual performances that turned into a good team performance." Cleveland was leading 54-44 when Varejao hit three jumpers and a running hook shot that helped push the lead to 18 points. Irving scored on a reverse layup and Thompson added a three-point play. The Cavaliers used a 17-0 run in the first quarter to take a 23-11 lead. Irving scored five points while Luol Deng and Thompson added four apiece. The Bucks went 5:21 without scoring, a stretch that was finally broken on Middletons 3-pointer at the 2:56 mark. Milwaukee ended the quarter on a 12-1 run and trailed 24-23. Waiters scored all 10 of his first-half points in the second quarter and Cleveland led 46-37 at halftime. The Bucks havent won two in a row since March 17-19 of last season. "Its happened all year," said forward Ersan Ilyasova. "We always give up separation (on the scoreboard) and cant come back. We always find a way to give up the game." The Cavaliers are 5-4 since acquiring Deng, who scored nine points, from Chicago on Jan. 7. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 10 points for the Bucks. Ekpe Udoh, Milwaukees starting centre, left the game late in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle and didnt return. Larry Sanders took his place in the third quarter. Cavaliers forward Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 pick in the draft, played the final 5:14 after seeing no action in the previous five games. He hit two free throws with 26 seconds to play and had three rebounds. NOTES: Brown said "we havent discussed in depth" sending Bennett to the NBA Development League. Brown thinks it will benefit Bennett more to remain with the team than it would to be sent down. "Hes not just our top pick, hes the No. 1 pick in the draft, so hes going to get plenty of opportunity, but as you guys can see Im not going to give him a free pass," Brown said. ... Sanders (head cold) and G O.J. Mayo (virus) returned after not playing against Detroit. ... Milwaukee G Luke Ridnour picked up two fouls in 14 seconds in the first quarter. ... Cavaliers C Tyler Zeller had eight points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in 22 minutes. Custom Miami Dolphins Jerseys . Golden States second straight road win wasnt painless. David Lee scored a season-high 29 points -- 13 in the fourth quarter -- and Nate Robinson added 17 points, leading the Warriors to a 105-95 win Tuesday night over the road-worn Cleveland Cavaliers. Dan Marino Dolphins Jersey . And it showed Thursday night. The Canadiens, playing in their second game in as many days, however, got a good performance in the end from their backup goaltender as he filled in for an injured Olympic gold medallist . http://www.shopdolphinsauthenticnfl.com/Youth-Mike-Gesicki-Elite-Jersey/ . Goins is the early favourite to win the starting job at second base. Pillar is an outsider to secure a role off the bench, which becomes an even more difficult spot to win if the number of back up jobs is reduced by one. That happens if the Blue Jays decide to start the season with an eight man bullpen.MANHATTAN – Phil Kessel called it unacceptable. He even sprinkled in a rare swear word to describe what hadn’t been near good enough and vowed to improve. Cue the first signs of life from Kessel and Toronto’s top line at the Garden on Sunday night. The trio – which also includes James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak – combined for seven points Sunday as the Maple Leafs chased Henrik Lundqvist from the net, spoiled the Rangers home opener and won for the first time in three tries this season. “It’s a funny game,” van Riemsdyk said after a two-point performance. “Sometimes the puck bounces a little differently – especially on the power-play – you capitalize on your chances and it looks like you had a really good night. Sometimes you feel like you have a ton of chances and you can’t bury it, so it’s a funny game sometimes.” The team’s two leading scorers a year ago, Kessel and van Riemsdyk had been held off the scoresheet entirely in the opening two games. They were unusually without the puck, doing little to create offensively and spending whole lot of time defending – usually to mediocre effect. And while their performance at even-strength Sunday still left something to be desired, they hit the target on a power play that head coach, Randy Carlyle, labeled “disturbing” prior to the game. “We weren’t too frustrated,” said Bozak, who marked his third goal of the year, also winning 14 of 21 draws. “It’s so early in the season; you’ve got to stay positive at this part in the year.” “I don’t think that we expect that line to not deliver,” said Carlyle, less than two hours before game-time. “They will find a way to score. They’ve provided offence in this league for a number of years. And right now, the chances are one-and-out for them.” After that 5-2 loss to the Penguins, one in which he had a single shot attempt, Kessel said that his line “didn’t get [expletive] done, vowing to show something more against the Rangers. He finished with his first goal of the season – one fired post and in past Lundqvist on the power play – sprinkling in two assists and eight shot attempts along the way. And while they still saw a good chunk of Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi, Carlyle kept Kessel and his linemates away from the Rangers top trio – which features Martin St. Louis and Rick Nash – a shift in the way he typically employs them. “I thought they had more opportunities with the puck,” said Carlyle, noting a reduction in turnovers that had plagued the group in the first two games, both losses. Because of injury and early experimenting, the trio didn’t actually spend much time on the ice together during training camp and as a result their “timing and cohesion” was just off from the typical standard of the past two seasons. For all depth they added in the offseason the Leafs simply can’t compete if that trio or something like it isn’t producing on a regular basis. “I definitely think it was a step in the right direction,” van Riemsdyk said. In victory, the Leafs avoided opening the season with three straight losses, a low-point they hadn’t crossed since the 2009-10 season. Five Points 1. Up and Down Debut James Reimer won a game he started for the first time since January 21, but ultimately he couldn’t finish the evening against New York. Reimer was clipped by Dominic Moore’s rear end in the early stages of the third period, falling to the ice immediately in discomfort. During the impending commercial break, he engaged in a lengthy dialogue with the team’s head athletic therapist, Paul Ayotte, and was forced to come out of the game. Though he said he felt fine afterward, Reimer was clearly not thrilled with the decision, unusually solemn and serious. “Obviously, you don’t want to come out of the game,” Reimer said. “I was feeling good, felt like I was stopping pucks, but our trainer’s job is to ensure the safety of the players and enforce the protocol that’s in place. I’m sure it’s not a fun job on his part.” The 26-year-old has a history with injuries of this kind. He missed 18 games with what was initially dubbed “concussion-like symptoms” in his second season with the Leafs, troubled by the after effects of the injury all year long. Then, early last season, he was clipped by teammate, Josh Leivo, and lifted from the remainder of an affair against Carolina. Reimer, who made 24 saves and was especially impressive just before the collision, said he expected to practice with the team on Monday. 2. Top Line Man Advantage Carlyle said the top line’s power-play performance had been the most “disturbing” aspect of an off-kilter early performance – one that came alive against the Rangers – but that issue really dates back to the end of last season. Kessel, who led the team with 20 power-play points, had only two in February, March and April combined. And van Riemsdyk, who led the team with nine power-play goals, went those same final three mmonths without a goal or even a point on the man advantage. Jerome Baker Jersey. Their unit scored a pair against New York, however, coming up with the first of the year for both Kessel and Cody Franson. One subtle adjustment, Carlyle said, was getting the puck moving more often to the weak side – Kessel typically controlling things at the left half-wall. The result was Bozak finding Franson creeping in from the right point and depositing the game’s first goal. 3. Gardiner/Percy Franson’s season debut forced a line-up decision for the coaching staff and, to some surprise, it was Jake Gardiner who was lifted from the line-up. Gardiner actually led the team in ice-time one night earlier, but with Stuart Percy performing above expectation, he was deemed the choice to come out. “Jake drew the short straw tonight,” Carlyle said. As for Percy, who played 20 minutes and picked up a point for the third-straight game, Carlyle remained impressed while injecting some caution. “Even though he does make the odd mistake out there he’s trying to do the right thing and that’s a tribute to a young man that’s prepared himself over the course of the summer,” said Carlyle. But it was only three games, he continued, and the “NHL has a way of finding its level”. 4. New Coaches Early reviews on the new additions to the Leafs coaching staff have been positive. Peter Horachek and Steve Spott, both strong communicators, have shown to be easily approachable for players with questions or concerns and a pleasantly surprising fit for players in the room. Fired in the offseason – along with Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon – Dave Farrish was seen to be such a presence on the coaching staff previously and there was concern that a voice wouldn’t exist amid the changes. Chris Dennis was the lone holdover to Carlyle’s staff; he rose to the assistant ranks last season from prior duties as the team’s video coach. 5. Life in T.O. Roman Polak made the move to St. Louis from the Czech Republic in the fall of 2006 and he lived there until the middle of last summer when he was dealt to the Leafs. He expanded on the transition from the sleepy Midwest city of about 300,000 people to the hurried pace of Toronto. SIEGEL: You played in St. Louis for a long time, what’s the weirdest thing about not being in St. Louis right now? POLAK: I don’t know; it’s a tough question. I feel pretty good actually here. I was looking forward to the trade. It was pretty good. It was a challenge; just like you maybe changing jobs [or] you have a new job, it’s the same thing; you kind of have to prove yourself, that you can still do it, that you’re a good hockey player, and you’re a good fit for the team. I just want to prove it here so I think it was just a good push in my hockey career to do something else. SIEGEL: But like you say, in any career, if you move jobs you have to adjust to living in a new place. What’s the biggest difference between St. Louis and Toronto? POLAK: The biggest difference is just the city. The city is different – it’s Canada obviously. But it’s much bigger. The downtown is kind of different. It’s more European-style; you can walk everywhere. But I like it. I’m not saying I have to adjust because it’s something bad or something, I love it. I love the city. I love that you can walk everywhere. It’s pretty good for me so far. SIEGEL: Were you a big St. Louis Cardinals fan while you lived there? POLAK: Not really. I could tell it was a big thing in St. Louis. The baseball, obviously, is the number-one sport there. But I’m not really a baseball fan. I actually saw one game here [in Toronto] when I got here. I took my little daughter to the baseball game so it was pretty interesting, it was pretty nice. Polak spoke to fellow Czech native and former Leaf, Pavel Kubina, about what to expect in Toronto. The best advice, ignore the ranting of media at all times, good or bad. Stats-Pack 7 – Combined points for Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak against the Rangers. 100% – Leafs faceoff percentage on the power-play against the Rangers, winning all five draws. 17:07 – Ice-time for Cody Franson in his season debut. 1st – Career multi-point game in the NHL for Leo Komarov, who had two assists against New York. 11 – Number of games it took David Clarkson to score his first goal last season. Clarkson tallied the Leafs sixth goal and his first this year on Sunday in Game 3. Special Teams Capsule PP: 2-4 Season: 41.7% PK: 2-2 Season: 66.7% Quote of the Night “It’s very disrespectful. The guy’s going up the stands giving out high-fives like he won an Oscar or something. I don’t know what his deal was. Im sure once we string together a few wins in a row hell be right back in the front of the line trying to purchase another jersey. We dont need fans like that.” -Nazem Kadri, on the fan who tossed his jersey Saturday at the ACC. Wholesale Falcons Jerseys Wholesale Buccaneers Jerseys Wholesale Cardinals Jerseys Wholesale Bills Jerseys Wholesale Jets Jerseys Wholesale Panthers Jerseys Wholesale Ravens Jerseys Wholesale Texans Jerseys Wholesale Patriots Jerseys Wholesale Steelers Jerseys Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys Wholesale Packers Jerseys Wholesale Browns Jerseys Wholesale Chiefs Jerseys Wholesale Colts Jerseys Wholesale Rams Jerseys ' ' '