Off-topic » ck. Starter Erik Johnson retired the next two hit

LOS ANGELES -- When Blake Griffin soared past Stephen Curry and hammered home his one-handed rebound of Danny Grangers missed jumper, the slam emphasized everything thats so impressive about the Los Angeles Clippers nine-game winning streak. The Clippers are on this roll against good teams, at a perfect time for their playoff preparations -- and just like Griffins mind-blowing dunk, theyre doing it with style. Griffin had 30 points and 15 rebounds, Granger added 18 points off the bench, and the Clippers surged past the Golden State Warriors 111-98 Wednesday night. Chris Paul had 16 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds for the Clippers, who split their four-game season series against their Pacific Division rivals with an impressive finish to a tight game. "This is the time of year when you want to be playing your best," Griffin said. "Our fight has been great. Whoever is on the court ... up 10 or down 10, I think weve come to a point where it doesnt really matter. We stick together and try to pull it out." Griffin was in top form on both ends of the court, punctuating his latest monster performance with that rebound slam with 8:18 to play. The four-time All-Star has scored 20 points in 24 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the NBA this season. Los Angeles has the third-longest winning streak in club history and the teams best record after 66 games (46-20), but the Clippers dont seem satisfied by their five-game lead over Golden State in the division standings. "Its impressive, because for the most part, weve been playing good teams," Granger said after his fifth game with the Clippers. "You really want to peak at this time going into the playoffs, because if a team is hitting on all cylinders, you look up and youre in the finals." Klay Thompson scored 26 points and David Lee had 20 for the Warriors, whose five-game winning streak ended with their fourth straight loss to the Clippers at Staples Center. Curry had just 13 points and 11 assists before sitting out the final minutes. Golden State got an impressive game from Thompson, but its normally reliable bench went 3 for 25, struggling mightily for most of the second half. "Weve been playing great basketball against some good teams, and we thought we could come in here and play very well and get a win," Curry said. "It didnt turn out that way, but one loss isnt going to stop us. Were going to continue that momentum, that rhythm." Los Angeles held Golden State to just one field goal in a 9:40 stretch spanning the final two quarters. The Warriors stayed in it with defence and free throws, but Darren Collison scored six quick points down the stretch in the fourth quarter, and Matt Barnes 3-pointer with 1:25 to play essentially sealed the win. The California clubs completed their series with another demonstration of the reasons they might have the West Coasts best current rivalry, although both teams agree they need playoff stakes to develop true enmity. "All four games this year have been very competitive games," Lee said. "Both teams took care of their homecourt. I think were two pretty evenly matched teams that have big plans for the post-season, so we look forward to seeing what happens the rest of the season. These last three games weve played felt like playoff-style games." Granger kept the Clippers in it during a rocky first-half stretch, making his first six shots without a miss in about 11 minutes. Los Angeles rolled off a 15-3 run to close the third quarter with an 84-79 lead, scoring nine straight points capped by Pauls 3-pointer on a crosscourt assist from Griffin with 0.1 seconds left. NOTES: Paul missed eight of his first nine shots and struggled all night under tight defence from Thompson. Paul went back out on the Staples Center court after the game with an assistant coach to work on his shot after his 5-for-15 effort. ... Clippers G Jamal Crawford sat out for the fifth time in six games with a strained left calf. Jared Dudley returned from a three-game absence with back spasms, but played just one minute. ... Griffin grabbed his 3,000th career rebound late in the first half. He is the third player in NBA history to have 6,000 points, 3,000 boards and 1,000 assists in his first four full NBA seasons while also making 50 per cent of his shots, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Charles Barkley. Saku Koivu Jersey . On Wednesday night, they showed that stellar defence and a little small ball can get the job done too. With pinch-runner Kevin Pillar aboard after Dioner Navarro opened the bottom of the ninth with a single, Anthony Gose dropped down an excellent bunt along the first-base line. Max Domi Jersey . "Uuufff," was all shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria could come up with after Stantons latest mammoth shot. http://www.authenticcanadienspro.com/Jean-beliveau-canadiens-jersey/ .ca! Hi Kerry, Im sure youve received many emails wondering what your take is on the Spezza goal that looked like Neil blatantly kicked it in while standing directly in the middle of the crease where, you know, usually a goalie is to make a save but couldnt be due to Neil being there! Thanks! Jon - Westfield, MA Jon: Lets first ask Henrik Lundqvist what he thought of the scoring of the Sens second goal with . Andrew Shaw Jersey . Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the club. Clemons spent his first five NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of Clemson. Larry Robinson Jersey . But qualifying for her first Scotties Tournament of Hearts after years of falling short in tough Manitoba provincial championships is as good as consolation prizes get for the 29-year-old from Winnipegs Fort Rouge Curling Club. DENVER -- D.J. LeMahieus bat upstaged his glove as the defensive specialist transformed into an offensive catalyst. LeMahieus two-run single broke a tie in a six-run eighth inning, sending the Colorado Rockies to a 10-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. He finished with three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth that tied the game at 4. Buoyed by his big day -- on an afternoon he was honoured for his work in the field last season, no less -- LeMahieu helped the Rockies take two of three in the series. "Felt good to come through," said LeMahieu, who drove in a career-high three runs. Colorado broke open a tight game in the eighth with its biggest inning this season. Justin Morneau started the rally with a single off Scott Downs (0-2), who was pulled for reliever Ronald Belisario. The Rockies sent 10 batters to the plate, and LeMahieu had a clutch hit to centre. Pinch-hitter Josh Rutledge and Michael Cuddyer added run-scoring singles, while Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run double down the line. Rex Brothers (1-0) got two outs in the eighth to earn the win. "Need to keep the momentum," Gonzalez said. The momentum shifted in the sixth. Morneau led off with a double and hustled to third after left fielder Dayan Viciedo bobbled the ball on the warning track. Starter Erik Johnson retired the next two hitters and appeared he might escape the jam when LeMahieu lined a ball at right fielder Avisail Garcia. Earlier in the game, Garcia robbed LeMahieu of a hit on a similar play. So LeMahieu figured Garcia would come up with this diving catch, too. "Thought I was out," LeMahieu said. Garcia leapt forward and had the ball in his glove, but when he landed, the ground jarred the ball loose, allowing Morneau to trot home with the tying run. Garcia stayed on the ground for several minutes with a jammed left shoulder before walking slowly to the dugout. The team said X-rays were negative for a fracture or a separation. "Right now I have pain," said Garcia, whos scheduled for an MRI on Thursday. Chicago didnt ask for a video review to determine whether Garcia possiibly held the ball long enough for an out.dddddddddddd "You really have to have a positive view of whether it was a catch," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You have to have the glove around the ball to be a catch." Chicagos bullpen melted down, giving up six runs in 2 1-3 innings. Belisario gave up five of the runs in the inning, then left with tightness in his back. "He got the ground balls. But they just kept finding the holes," Ventura said. "And it kept going, kept going after that." After struggling in the first two weeks of the season, Jose Abreu heated up at hitter-friendly Coors Field, where he almost wound up. Abreu was 2 for 4 with a double on Wednesday. He had four hits in the series, including his first two homers of the season. The Rockies made a strong push to obtain the Cuban slugger in October before he signed a $68 million, six-year contract with Chicago. Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Abreu was as good as advertised: "All the reports were this guy is a legitimate middle of the order bat. I think we saw that." Before the game, the Rockies recalled Rutledge from Triple-A Colorado Springs, giving the team a backup for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who has been bothered by tightness in his right quadriceps. Weiss gave Tulowitzki the day off just so hes not "run into the ground this early." To make room on the roster, Colorado optioned struggling right-handed reliever Wilton Lopez to Colorado Springs. Lopez has an 11.37 ERA in four games. NOTES: The White Sox open a seven-game homestand on Thursday against Cleveland, with LHP John Danks (0-0) slated to take the mound. ... 3B Conor Gillaspie had a two-run single for Chicago in the fifth. ... The Rockies have their first day off of the season Thursday before opening a three-game series in San Francisco. ... Weiss is hoping RHP Tyler Chatwood (hamstring) will be ready to rejoin the rotation on Sunday when hes eligible to come off the DL. ... Cuddyer has hit in all 10 games to start the season. ... LHP Boone Logan made his Rockies debut in the ninth, getting the last out of the game. 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