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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - LeBron James took a look at the stat sheet after three quarters and liked what he saw. There was a lot to like. James had 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Miami Heat build a big lead, and then rested in the fourth quarter of a 110-78 victory against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. It was James first triple-double of the season and No. 37 for his career. "That thing has been pretty elusive, hasnt it?" James asked. "Im just glad it came in a win. That is the important thing about getting those. It is only special if you win the game." James had a triple-double without needing a point, assist or rebound in the final quarter for the fourth time in his career. His last triple-double through three quarters was Jan. 27, 2009, for Cleveland against Sacramento, according to STATS. "Nothing LeBron James does should surprise us," Pistons coach John Loyer said. "Hes the best player in the game, or pretty close to it. He orchestrates for everybody." The banged-up Heat had little trouble with the Pistons even though they were without Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen and Greg Oden. "At this point, theres somebody out every night," James lamented. The Heat had plenty of players make up for the losses. Udonis Haslem scored 12 of his 17 points in the first quarter, when James already had seven assists. Chris Bosh scored 15, Chris Andersen had 13 points, Norris Cole scored 12 and James Jones added 10 for Miami. "This was one of those games where we had to have different guys step up," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You cant make excuses about lineups and injuries in this league. Weve got to win games with the guys you can put on the floor every night." Greg Monroe and Will Bynum each had 12 points and Kyle Singler scored 11 for the Pistons, who honoured their 1989 championship team at halftime. Detroits Andre Drummond had 12 points and eight rebounds while Josh Smith was held to nine points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Bad Boys didnt seem to inspire the current players, whose lack of effort was "mind-boggling" to Loyer. "We didnt lay it on the line," Loyer said. Detroit was competitive for about a quarter. The Heat led 28-23 after the opening period before outscoring the Pistons by 10 in the second quarter and by 17 in the third. "They punched us in the mouth and we never got back up," Loyer said. "We didnt have any energy in the second half. "They play hard no matter who they play or no matter who they have playing in the game." Both teams scored 18 in the final quarter, but that was when James was on the bench and so relaxed that he smiled for pictures taken by fans during a timeout. Wade said he couldnt play because his right hamstring was bothering him, adding that hes day to day. Wade has played in 51 of 71 games this season, sitting out many by design because the two-time defending NBA champions want to rest his sore knees to make sure hes ready for the playoffs. Chalmers injured his right quadriceps in Wednesday nights loss to Eastern Conference-leading Indiana. Chalmers said hes day to day. Allen missed his second straight game because of the flu, and Spoelstra said he kept Oden out to rest his back. NOTES: James said before the game he was wowed by slugger Miguel Cabrera getting a $292 million 10-year contract from the Detroit Tigers, saying he wished the NBA didnt have a salary cap. James has six-year contract worth roughly $110 million. ... Pistons president of basketball operations and Hall of Fame player Joe Dumars declined to be interviewed before the game and did not address the crowd when the Bad Boys were honoured at halftime. Dumars job seems to be in jeopardy with the franchise likely to miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year. Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas spoke for his teammates during the short ceremony and thanked the fans during his brief remarks. "There were a lot of obstacles that we had to overcome through the years, and we couldnt have done it without your love and support," Thomas said. Throwback Texans Jerseys . Thaddeus Young scored seven of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Turner added 22 points, and the 76ers hung on for their first road win since Nov. 1, beating the depleted Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 on Sunday night. Duke Ejiofor Stitched Jersey . He could have transferred when academic sanctions barred the Huskies from the NCAA tournament his junior season. http://www.officialtexansnflauthenticshop.com/martina....-jersey . Pressley missed all of last season with Cincinnati because of a knee injury, but the 5-foot-10, 249-pounder had been expected to fill a need on Clevelands roster. Youth Texans Jerseys . -- Even as Chris Paul remained evasive about his future, he did what team leaders are expected to do. Jordan Thomas Stitched Jersey . -- Aaron Rodgers looked fine on the practice field Thursday.TORONTO Mason Raymond was coming off what he believed to be a pretty good sixth season in Vancouver. He scored 10 goals in 46 games and entered the summer of 2013 as an unrestricted free agent for the first time. But when September rolled around and training camps were due to open in a matter of days, Raymond found himself without the safety and security of a contract. We all knew what was happening with the cap, he told the Leaf Report. But did I think Id be in that situation? No, not at all. Amid the now forgotten wreckage of the last NHL lockout was the plunge in the caps upper limit from $70 million in 2013 to $64.3 million this fall. The dip in available dollars and subsequent uncertainty left many veterans, like Raymond and new Leaf Jerred Smithson, searching with frustration for amenable contracts, often with little or no success. Though he had played in over 300 NHL games and had scored 25 goals as recently as 2010, Raymond had no better option but a professional tryout in Toronto on the eve of training camp. Suffice it to say, the lack of opportunity took him by surprise and remains a source of bewilderment. I had a good year last year, said the 27-year-old, who totaled 22 points in his final season with the Canucks. I fully expected something to materialize. To be honest, I didnt really know that youd come into a team on a tryout five days before camp opened. I was optimistic and so was my agent, but it just seemed like for whatever reason a lot of players got stuck in the situation that I did. There was a general sense among teams, including the Leafs, that cost-effective opportunities might present themselves because of the cap crunch this summer. But to find Raymond available on the eve of training camp was certainly an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Inked to a one-year contract for an even $1 million, he has proven a valuable find so far. Averaging what would be a career-high of 19 minutes, Raymond has scored five goals and 11 points in 17 games. His speedy presence, amid a 10-game suspension to David Clarkson and early injuries to Nik Kulemin, James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul, as well as current ones to Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland, has been an obvious aid to the Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic division. Ive always believed Im an NHL player, Raymond said. I thought that prior to coming to camp, I thought that all summer and I think that to this day. You have to go out and prove that more importantly to yourself, I think. Im a big believer that, [if] you do the right things, play some good hockey, everything else will take care of itself. Some fled to Europe with no jobs to be found as the summer months waned and became fall. Others stuck around and remained as patient as possible, Raymond and Smithson, a veteran of 588 career games prior to this season, among them. I knew the situation, said Smithson, in conversation with the Leaf Report. I knew the cap was going down, but nothing can really prepare you for that. I figured I was still good enough to get a job, get a one-way deal somewhere and, when it didnt happen, it was tough.dddddddddddd It was not so much humbling, but more frustrating. I knew it was a possibility, but once it really hit, it [was] not a good feeling. Unlike Raymond, Smithson wasnt able to land even a tryout in the NHL, but one instead with the Marlies of the AHL. It was mid-October. He and his fiancé were parents of a newborn baby. Patience had been predictably difficult to keep. I knew right away I wasnt obviously a big name, that teams were going to go after the first few days, so I was prepared to be patient maybe not this patient, but prepared to be patient, he said. Once August rolled around and still, there wasnt anything that was really coming out at me. There were a few tryout offers or two-way deals, but nothing that I was really willing to bite on right away. Smithson and his agent were forced to give a good, long look to Europe. It was never a dream of mine to go over to Europe, he said. And I made that clear to my agent right away that Im willing to be as patient as I can. It was obviously a lot harder than I originally thought, but it worked out. Injuries to Bozak and Bolland finally opened a door back into the NHL for Smithson last week - the 34-year-old signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $550,000. A noted faceoff specialist and penalty killer, he has quickly gained an important role for Randy Carlyle, plugging the gap of the two injured centres in both regards. Im not a big fan of the term it is what is, but I cant control [the cap crunch], said Smithson, who played seven seasons in Nashville, also making stops in Los Angeles, Florida and Edmonton. I could just control my attitude and try to stay in the best shape as I possibly could and, if a phone call came, just be ready for when that opportunity knocked. Im very grateful for the opportunity the Leafs gave me, with the Marlies and with them, [and Im] just looking to take advantage of it. Though Smithson projects as more of a stop-gap option, Raymond could earn himself a larger contract next summer with a productive season. Two years ago, Clarke MacArthur joined the Leafs late in the summer on a bargain one-year deal, worth $1.1 million. Now a member of the Ottawa Senators, MacArthur busted out with a career season that first year in Toronto, subsequently signing a two-year deal worth $6.5 million the following offseason. Raymond could be in line for something similar if he remains productive. At the very least, with the cap expected to rise once more, he is unlikely to find himself in such a precarious position again. "Thats hockey, thats life, thats the cards you were dealt and you have to deal with it, Raymond said of the cap crunch this past summer. You can sit here and say the what ifs, whatevers, and all that, but it was a situation and, unfortunately, it happened to some of us. I think [the cap was] the reason, [but] I dont know the exact reason. For [Smithsons] sake and my sake things have worked out well. Cheap Cowboys Jerseys Cheap Giants Jerseys Cheap Eagles Jerseys Cheap Redskins Jerseys Cheap Falcons Jerseys Cheap Panthers Jerseys Cheap Saints Jerseys Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys Cheap Cardinals Jerseys Cheap 49ers Jerseys Cheap Seahawks Jerseys Cheap Rams Jerseys Cheap Bears Jerseys Cheap Lions Jerseys Cheap Packers Jerseys Cheap Vikings Jerseys ' ' '
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