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CHICAGO - The Chicago Bulls used a rare lull in the schedule to focus on their defence, and it paid off in the second half against Brooklyn. Dewan Hernandez Jersey .Derrick Rose scored 23 points, and the Bulls pulled away from the Nets for a 105-80 victory on Wednesday night. Chicago held Brooklyn to 29 points on 26.2 per cent shooting (11 for 42) in the final two periods.They came out with a lot of energy. They got us back on our heels, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. I liked the way we responded in the second half.Chicago had six players, including all five starters, score in double figures in its first game since Saturday nights 112-102 loss to Golden State. Jimmy Butler had 18 points, Pau Gasol added 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Mike Dunleavy scored 14 points. Taj Gibson finished with 11 points and 10 boards.The third quarter, we really got into it, said Gibson, who also matched a career high with six blocked shots. We tried to be a dominant team on rebounding, tried to just finish strong.Deron Williams led Brooklyn with 17 points, but the Nets dropped their third straight. Kevin Garnett scored 13 points, and Alan Anderson had 12.They turned up their defence and they put on a block party, Brooklyn coach Lionel Hollins said.Garnett left in the fourth quarter because of a left foot injury. The team said X-rays were negative, and Garnett said he was all right.Chicago grabbed control with a 17-3 run in the third quarter.Rose made a 3-pointer, and Gibson had a big dunk before Gasol capped the surge with four straight points, including two foul shots that made it 70-58 with 3:32 to go.It just got worse for injury-riddled Brooklyn in the final period, with Chicago scoring 15 straight points to increase its advantage to 101-73 with 3:17 to go. Butler finished the run with a jumper.Its a work in progress, Garnett said. Weve got to continue to work. It doesnt help that guys are out of the lineup so weve all got to continue to come in here, continue to work, and try to get better.The 25-point margin was the biggest win of the season for Chicago, which also beat Brooklyn 102-84 on Nov. 30. The Bulls had allowed at least 100 points in four of their previous six games, but Rose said the work in practice on Monday and Tuesday helped them turn it around.We did a lot of defensive drills, Rose said. I think he (Thibodeau) was just trying to make us be aggressive while we were out there instead of just holding back and letting them walk wherever they want to go, run wherever they want to go.___MISSINGThe Nets played without forward Mirza Teletovic, who was sidelined by a right hip pointer. Joe Johnson (flu) and Brook Lopez (lower back strain) missed their second straight game, and Andrei Kirilenko was held out because of personal reasons, according to the team.Joakim Noah, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and rookie Doug McDermott missed the game for Chicago. Noah has a sprained right ankle, and McDermott has been hampered by a sore right knee.REBOUNDINGThe Bulls outrebounded the Nets 57-44. The 57 rebounds were a season high for Chicago.TIP-INSNets: Brooklyn dropped to 4-6 on the road. It has lost 10 of its last 12 games at the United Center, counting the post-season. ... Garnett had two steals to give him 1,801 for his career. He is the 16th NBA player with at least 1,800.Bulls: Gasol has recorded a double-double in each of his last seven games. He leads the team with 13 this season. ... Chicago has scored at least 100 points in seven straight games for its longest streak since an eight-game run from March 26-April 11, 2009. ... The Bulls improved to 3-5 at home.UP NEXTNets: Host Philadelphia on Friday.Bulls: Host Portland on Friday.___Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Fake Raptors Jerseys . Jimmy Howard made 44 saves and Henrik Zetterberg scored two goals, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. Raptors Jerseys 2020 .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown.Conor McGregor has demanded a share of the UFC ownership after becoming the companys first two-weight world champion. McGregor, the reigning featherweight champion, knocked out Eddie Alvarez in New York on Saturday to claim the lightweight strap, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two weight divisions simultaneously.In July, WME-IMG confirmed the acquisition of the UFC for $4bn (£3.09bn), with current president Dana White staying on to run the company, but previous owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta retaining only a minority interest. A host of celebrities, including Sylvester Stallone, Calvin Harris, Ben Affleck and Conan OBrien, have reportedly invested in the worlds premier mixed martial arts organisation as part of the WME-IMG takeover. McGregor celebrates his second round knockout victory over Eddie Alvarez But following his historic victory over Alvarez, McGregor revealed he is yet to hold talks with the UFCs new owners and hinted he could walk away from the company if he is not offered a stake in the organisation.Theyve got to come talk to me now because no one has come to talk to me since the sale has happened, said McGregor, whose rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in August became the highest-grossing paper-per-view in the commpanys history. Pascal Siakam Jersey . . Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. As a businessman, theyve come to say hello and things like that. But, Ive earned something. I mean, who owns the company now? People have shares in the company, celebrities. Conan OBrien owns the UFC nowadays, so where is my share? Where is my equity? If Im the one thats bringing this. I mean, theyve got to come talk to me now, thats all I know.  McGregor floored Alvarez three times inside the first three minutes Ive got both belts, a chunk of money, a little family on the way. If you want me to stick around and you want me to keep doing what Im doing, lets talk.But I want ownership, I want equal share, I want what I deserve, I want what Ive earned. So theres a little announcement for you. Also See: McGregor makes history in NY Is McGregors charm back? UFC star Jones banned for year McMahon wants Rousey in WWE ' ' '

Leicester Citys Jamie Vardy has been banned from shooting drills during training sessions by manager Claudio Ranieri. Cheap Yeezy From China . Vardys goals have been crucial to Leicesters remarkable title push this season and he took his tally for the campaign to 21 with two second-half strikes in the victory over Sunderland last weekend.According to the England striker his manager will not allow him to participate in shooting drills as a precautionary measure to keep him fresh for the Premier League run-in. I dont really get the chance to practice that much on my finishing because we have our shooting drills early in the week when the gaffers wanting me to rest my legs, he said.So normally, when theres a bit of shooting, the gaffer tells me to go inside. Ill keep doing that if it means Im saving my legs - and goals - for games. Team spirit is key at Leicester, according to Vardy Ranieris side have embraced their role leading the pack and Vardy credits the spirit in the squad as a key component to their success. Foxes tickets ￡15k a pair Re-sale ticket prices soaring for Leicesters final home game We are always laughing. Its the same group of characters we had at the start of the season and to be honest with you thats the good thing about us. Its a squad and we are tight knit, he added. Thats how we have been from day one. Were only looking ahead to the next game. Next week. Thats all we have done all season, one game at a time.Leicester have won their last five games and will be hoping to extend that streak when they host top-four hopefuls West Ham at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. Also See: Who could Leicester draw? Leicester tickets ￡15k a pair Are Leicester getting lucky? Foxes still have work to do Fake Yeezy . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wild team that has a nice mix of proven veterans along with young, inexpensive talent on the rise. When the Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, making a big splash in the summer of 2012, it set the franchise on a path to being more competitive, but a big reason that they have been so competitive is the contributions of young players who still have more to give. Yeezy For Sale . - Their offence is underperforming.Scottsdale, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Martin Laird shot 3-under 68 on Saturday and he extended his lead to three strokes after 54 holes of the Phoenix Open. Laird ended three rounds at 13-under-par 200. He will go for his fourth PGA Tour title on Sunday. Hideki Matsuyama fired an 8-under 63, the low round of the week at the TPC Scottsdale, and he soared into a share of second place at minus-10. He was joined there by Brooks Koepka (64) and Zach Johnson (67). Jon Rahm, who is a member of the Arizona State golf team, posted a 5-under 66 and he improved into a tie for fifth at 9-under-par 204. He stands alongside first-round leader Ryan Palmer (68) and Justin Thomas (69). Bubba Watson (69), Angel Cabrera (69) and Francesco Molinari (64) are among nine players tied for eighth place at minus-8. Molinari had a hole-in-one on the raucous par-3 16th. Laird, who led by two when the second round was completed earlier Saturday, stumbled out of the gate as he bogeyed the first. He atoned for that mistake with a 5-foot birdie putt on the third. Laird made it two in a row as he birdied the fourth from seven feet out. After three straight pars, Laird drained a 15-footer for birdie at the ninth to make the turn at 11-under. He poured in a long birdie try from off the green at No. 11. Laird moved to minus-13 with a kick-in birdie at the 13th. He scrambled for par on 14 after finding the rough off the tee. Thats just a brutal hole. If you miss the fairway, its almost an automatic layup. That was a big up and down for par, stated Laird about the 14th. He found water off the tee at the par-5 15th and that led to his third bogey of the round. The Scotsman bounced back with a 4-foot birdie putt at No. 17. Laird closed with a par at the last to end three clear of the field. It was wedge and I didnt hit that bad of a shot, making bogey with a wedge on a par-3 youre never happy, especially on that hole. Theyre going to let you know about it. So that was a big onee because I had just come off a bogey on the par-5 before, Laird said of his par at 16. Wholesale Yeezy . Then I managed to get one back with a birdie at 17. I had fun out there even though it was a little erratic at the end. Matsuyama converted back-to-back birdies at two and three before running off four straight pars from the fourth. He drained a 23-footer for birdie at No. 8 and he birdied the ninth en route to making the turn at minus-5. The reigning Memorial winner started his second nine with three more pars. He chipped to two feet at the par-5 13th and knocked that in for birdie. Matsuyama began a hot closing stretch with a 2-putt birdie at the par-5 15th. He followed with birdies at 16 and 17, both from inside six feet. Matsuyama ran in a 17-footer for birdie at the last to gain a share of second place. Koepka had a slow start to his round with eight pars and a birdie on the front nine. He jumped up the leaderboard with three birdies in the first four holes around the turn. Koepka birdied three in a row from the 15th, all from inside 10 feet, to soar to minus-10. Im very pleased with how I played the back nine. I knocked a bunch of rust off and Im trying to get back into the swing of things since this is the first event of the season for me, said Koepka. Johnson opened with a birdie, but followed with four straight pars. He drained a long birdie try at the sixth, but gave that shot back when he failed to save par from the rough at the eighth. Around the turn, Johnson jumped to minus-10 as he ran off three consecutive birdies from the 13th. He closed his round with three pars in a row. NOTES: Laird, whose last PGA Tour victory was at the 2013 Texas Open, owns the 54-hole lead for the fourth time in his PGA Tour career ... He won one of the previous three times he was in that position ... Matsuyama had one of the 10 bogey-free rounds ... Saturdays attendance was down from last year, but there were still 159,906 at the course during round three. ' ' '

Jake Shields is gone from the UFC. Antonio Brown Jersey . The 35-year-old former Strikeforce welterweight champion was let go on Monday following over three years with the company. Shields last fought at UFC 171 when he lost a unanimous decision to Hector Lombard. "Jake Shields has been released by the UFC. Jake appreciates the opportunities provided by the UFC and thanks Dana White and Lorenzo Fertita," Shieldss manager Lex McMahon said in a statement to MMAFighting.com. "Jake is an elite athlete who is one of the best welterweight fighters in the world with a long history of winning at a championship level." Shields (29-7-1, 1 NC) made his debut for the company at UFC 121 where he defeated Martin Kampmann by split decision. He followed that up with a welterweight title fight against then champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. St-Pierre retained his title in front of 55,000 fans in UFCs highest-grossing event to date with over $12 million in gate. According to McMahon, Shields will continue to fight. "Jake and our team are already exploring options," said McMahon in the statement. "Im confident that Jake will have a new promotion to call home very soon. Jake thanks his fans for their support and looks forward to competing for them again soon." Jared Goff Jersey .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them. Michael Jordan Jersey . - The New Orleans Saints have re-signed receiver Joseph Morgan for one year and have agreed to a four-year deal with free agent fullback Erik Lorig. IRVING, Texas -- Canadian Mike Weir hasnt had a top-25 finish since 2010. After the second round of the Byron Nelson Championship Friday, hes closer to breaking that drought. Weir, of Brights Grove, Ont., and fellow Canadian Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., are part of an eight-player group tied at 6-under 134, two strokes behind leader Brendon Todd, heading into Saturdays third round. "The work Ive been doing over the years is to get back into this position, and now Ive got to see if I can handle it and get momentum going and play well on the weekend," said the 44-year-old Weir. "Its been difficult to play and not be in contention." Also at 6 under after Friday were Martin Kaymer -- five days after winning The Players Championship -- Paul Casey, who finished near the top of the leaderboard after a record back nine, Morgan Hoffmann, who had had bogey-free 66s, Tim Herron (66), Charles Howell III (66) and Marc Leishman (68). Casey was over par Friday before matching the PGA Tour record for the best score on a back nine, an 8-under 27 with six birdies and an eagle. That was part of his 7-under 63 that was the low round of the day, though he could never remember such a good nine. "On par-3 courses, I think," Casey said. "I like to think I would be good at shooting low rounds of golf through the past, but certainly nothing like that." When Casey made the turn, he was coming off a three-putt at No. 9, his third bogey of the day. The 36-year-old Englishman, whose only PGA Tour victory was five years ago, was then 2 over for the tournament, even after making a 9-foot eagle putt on the par-5 seventh hole. "I think its easier when your back is up against the wall, like I was today" Casey said. "I was backed into a corner and had to do something. A little shift in, lets say, attitude, and a little shift in goals." Kaymer had his second consecutive 67, and has been in the 60s for all six of his rounds at TPC Four Seasons. The German won at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday. "If you had a good week, obviously you can take a lot into the next week. You play a little bit more free, a little bit more relaxed," Kaymer said. "Its a new week, and I want to do as good as possibble here. Kevin Durant Jersey . quot; For the second time in five years, Todd is back on the PGA Tour after getting his card back through the Web.com Tour. He ended his round with back-to-back birdies to wrap up a round of 64 in which he needed only 22 putts. That included the 6-footer at the par-3 17th after his tee shot rolled just past the hole. "Its nice to put two under-par rounds together before the cut. Thats been a challenge for me this year," Todd said. "I was patient today." Todd, who started with six consecutiveF pars before four birdies in a five-hole stretch, first got to 7 under with a 12-foot birdie at the par-3 13th hole, but gave that stroke back at the par-4 15th when he hit his first two shots into the rough and had his only bogey. Peter Hanson was leading after a first-round 65, but was eight strokes worse Friday and dropped back to a tie for 25th at 2 under. David Duval, only a stroke off the lead after an opening 66 that included birdies on four of his last five holes, shot a 76 Friday and missed the cut by a stroke at 2-over 142. The former No. 1 player, now 890th in the world 15 years later, had six bogeys over his last 11 holes and had only one birdie during his second round. Casey made a 6 1/2-foot birdie putt at No. 10. His drive at the short par-4 11th was short of the greenside bunker, and from an awkward stance hit his approach over the pin onto the fringe before making a 24-foot birdie. He also had birdies at Nos. 13-15, a 32-foot putt for an eagle-3 at the 16th, and closed with another birdie. The overall nine-hole scoring record is Corey Pavins 8-under 26 on the front nine in the first round of the 2006 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee in 2006. Seven others have had 27s on nine holes, the last Nick Watney in the third round of the 2011 AT&T National. Scottie Scheffler, a 17-year-old amateur from Dallas, shot a 68 with six birdies and four bogeys to make the cut at 1-under 139. Jordan Spieth, now 20 and the eighth-ranked player in the world, made the Nelson cut at ages 16 and 17 when he too was a top-ranked junior player from Dallas playing on a sponsor exemption. Spieth was 3 under after a 67 Friday. Defending Nelson champion Sang-Moon Bae missed the cut after rounds of 73 and 74. ' ' '