Allgemeines » Thursday. ... A sizeable contingent

NEW YORK -- Jason Kidd has a winning record for the first time in his coaching career. "Doesnt matter," he said. "It doesnt. Were playing better, thats all that matters." Better than anybody in the Eastern Conference since the new year, in fact. Joe Johnson scored 21 points, Marcus Thornton came off the bench for 20, and the Nets powered their way above .500 for the first time this season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 103-94 on Wednesday night. Deron Williams added 16 points and Paul Pierce 14 for the Nets (30-29), who have won four in a row overall and six straight at home in turning around a turbulent start. They are still only sixth in the Eastern Conference, but look capable of climbing more after following a rout of Chicago on Monday by clobbering the Grizzlies for most of this one. The matchup between two of the NBAs best teams in 2014 was a mismatch until the fourth quarter, when the Nets had already led by 30. Memphis fell to 21-9 since Jan. 1, while the Nets 20-8 record is tops among East teams. "Its not always how you start, its going to be how you finish. And I think with the way weve been playing as of late, since the All-Star break, since the turn of the new year, this is the Nets team that I envisioned from the beginning of the season," Pierce said. Jon Leuer scored 19 and Marc Gasol 18 for the Grizzlies, who were without Zach Randolph because of the flu and then turned in a sickly performance. Memphis never led and missed a chance to tie Phoenix for the Wests eighth and final playoff spot. "We look at the standings every day. I hear guys talking about who lost, who won. Just to come out with a performance like this is devastating," guard Tony Allen said. "But we cant hold our heads down. Weve got to keep pushing." Leading scorer Mike Conley missed all eight shots and had two points and six turnovers. "It was a tough night," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. "We had some guys really, really struggle tonight. Give them credit. They came out and played with a much more forceful nature, attacking us, both being physical defensively and just the mentality that, you know Were going to bring it to you." Jason Collins played 17 scoreless minutes on the day he signed his second 10-day contract. The NBAs first openly gay player got a visit in the locker room before the game from Commissioner Adam Silver, but received just polite applause when he checked in during the second quarter after getting a standing ovation Monday during his home debut. Randolph sat in front of his locker before the game with his sweatshirts hood pulled over his head, ultimately deciding he lacked the energy to play. Pierce went right at his replacement, Ed Davis, and already had eight points by the time Davis was yanked with the Grizzlies trailing 13-2. James Johnson replaced him and quickly botched a fast-break layup as Memphis missed 10 of its first 11 shots. Andray Blatches three-point play made it 26-5 with 3:30 left in the first, and Brooklyn led 54-44 at halftime. Brooklyn scored the first nine of the second half to open a 19-point lead and kept pouring it on by making six 3-pointers in the third quarter. The lead hit 87-57 on Johnsons short jumper, but the Nets had to bring starters back when the Grizzlies sliced that in half by midway in the fourth. The Nets were 10-21 after getting blown out at San Antonio on New Years Eve, threatening to become the NBAs biggest flop after building a team that would cost more than $180 million in salary and taxes. But theyve kept rolling after losing leading scorer Brook Lopez for the season, and most recently playing without Kevin Garnett for the past three because of back spasms. They picked up Thornton in a trade with Sacramento just before the trade deadline, a move that was all but ignored after they signed Collins a few days later. But hes scored 20 or more in two of his first five games with the Nets, and had 15 in the second quarter alone Wednesday. Notes: The Nets are 9-3 against West teams since Jan. 1. ... The Grizzlies Nick Calathes was chosen Wednesday as the Western Conference rookie of the month for February, when he averaged 10.7 points and 4.6 assists. ... Memphis had scored 110 in each of two previous games and was averaging 103.4 since the All-Star break. Billy Martin Yankees Jersey . They have homered once every 27.3 at bats, which just happens to be the third best mark in the American League, albeit just 10 games into the season. Roger Clemens Jersey .com) - Pavel Datsyuk and Gustav Nyquist both scored in the shootout as the Detroit Red Wings denied the Minnesota Wilds comeback bid with a 5-4 win on Tuesday. https://www.cheapyankees.com/2411g-joe-p...ey-yankees.html. Clevelands manager had just watched his team lose 5-3 to Kansas City, which completed a 2-6 homestand and dropped the Indians 2 1/2 games behind Detroit in the AL Central. Babe Ruth Yankees Jersey . According to the Globe and Mail, a decision between the NHL and the Players Association should come within the six months. "I can tell you, (a decision) shouldnt take all that long," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Globe and Mail. Yogi Berra Jersey . Luke Wileman and I stood in the corridor outside of the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room at BC Place in Vancouver. PITTSBURGH -- The San Diego Padres have gone 45 seasons without a no-hitter. Andrew Cashner nearly put a perfect end to their drought. The right-hander carried a perfect game into the seventh inning and faced the minimum 27 batters in a one-hitter that sent San Diego past the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Monday night. Cashner (10-8) retired his first 18 batters before Jose Tabata grounded a clean single into right field leading off the seventh. Tabata was erased when Andrew McCutchen grounded into an inning-ending double play, and Cashner cruised the rest of the way for his first complete game in 31 career starts. "Ive had some no-hitters broken up before and I think in previous times Ive learned to stay with my game plan and keep making pitches," Cashner said. "That was a big spot in the game with McCutchen up. I kept telling myself to keep throwing my sinker where I wanted to, even though I gave up the hit on it." The Padres, who began play in 1969, remain the only major league franchise without a no-hitter. Cashner, who has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 11 starts, did not second-guess himself about throwing a sinker to Tabata. "I didnt want to get beat with my slider there," Cashner said. "I still think its a great pitch. I still think its the right pitch. Thats the way it goes." Cashner struck out seven, did not walk a batter and threw 97 pitches. He also scored from second on a single, sliding home with the second run of the game, moments before giving up Tabatas hit. Though Cashner said he had never scored from second base or slid into home plate as a professional, he did not blame that for losing the no-hitter. "Scoring that run helped keep me in the game," he said. The Pirates lost for the second time in eight games after entering the day tied for first place in the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals, who played later at Colorado. "Cashner was throwing three quality pitches for strikes and, most importantly, he was keeping them all down in the strike zone," Pittsburgh second baseman Neiil Walker said.dddddddddddd "Sometimes, you have games like this where the other guy just pitches a great game." Kyle Blanks, Ronny Cedeno and Rene Rivera each had two hits as the Padres won for the ninth time in 13 games. They are 17-3 in their last 20 at PNC Park. A.J. Burnett (8-11) took a shutout into the seventh but wound up with the loss. He allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings, with three walks and eight strikeouts. "A.J. pitched a heck of a ballgame himself," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. San Diego broke through for two runs against Burnett in the seventh. Cedeno and Rivera opened the inning with singles, and Cashner bunted into a fielders choice that left runners at the corners. Will Venable hit a sacrifice fly, and Cashner scored on Jedd Gyorkos single to left. The Padres left runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth -- but it didnt matter the way Cashner pitched. "Once you get into the fifth inning, I always think about the possibility of a no-hitter," Padres manager Bud Black said. "The way Cash was throwing, where his pitch count was, the look in his eye -- the whole everything was set up for a good game." NOTES: San Diego closer Huston Street missed the game to attend to a personal matter and is not expected to rejoin the team until Wednesday. ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso could take batting practice with his teammates sometime during the four-game series that concludes Thursday. ... A sizeable contingent of fans made the 90-minute drive from Morgantown, W.Va., to cheer Gyorko, a native of the city and former star at West Virginia. ... The Pirates honoured RHP Tyler Glasnow and OF Andrew Lambo as their minor league player and pitcher of the year. Glasnow was 9-3 with a 2.18 ERA in 24 starts for Class-A West Virginia, and Lambo hit a combined .282 with 32 home runs and 99 RBIs in 120 games with Triple-A Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona. ... Pittsburgh LHP Jeff Locke (10-5, 3.14 ERA) starts Tuesday night against LHP Eric Stults (8-13, 4.03). ' ' '