We deserve to be respected, says Philippines' Gier

(hanoi)Philippines central defender Rob Gier believes he and his teammates have earned the respect of football fans across South East Asia off the back of their surprise performance at this year's AFF Suzuki Cup.

The previously unheralded Filipinos stand on the cusp of qualifying for the semi-finals of the first time in the tournament's 14-year history after drawing with Singapore and a win over defending champions Vietnam.

Those results have left Simon McMenemy's team on top of Group B with the final round of group matches to be played on Wednesday.

The Philippines face Myanmar in Nam Dinh knowing a draw will be enough to take them into the last four at the expensive of either Vietnam or Singapore, two nations that have won the last title three AFF titles between them.

"We've had two fantastic results and for all the coaching staff and Filipinos back home, it has made everyone in South East Asia stand up and recognise what we are doing in the Philippines with regards to football," said the former Wimbledon centre half.

"Certain circles have been a little bit disrespectful to us in our preparation and we hope these two results prove how good we are and hopefully we get a bit more of the respect that we deserve now."

Gier's performance against Vietnam epitomized the spirit within the Philippine camp, the 29-year-old climbing off his sickbed – as did team mate Phil Younghusband – to start against the Vietnamese.
The pair put in an immense amount of work as they saw off a series of relentless attacks from the defending champions before prevailing in what was one of the biggest shocks in the tournament's history.

"I don't really know how I got through the game to be honest," said Gier. "Up to kick off I was feeling pretty bad.

"The importance of the game and the adrenaline of a full house of 40,000 people inspired me to get through it. It was a massive team effort.

"Phil Younghusband was pretty sick before the game too and it was a massive collective effort to get through the game. We are both feeling better but still not 100 percent.

"We'll take time to rest our bodies and recover and make sure we are ready for the big game in a couple of days' time. It's difficult for the team at the minute."

While Sunday's win at the My Dinh Stadium was played out in front of a packed stadium backing the home team, the Philippines' attempt to complete one of the most dramatic performances seen in recent years moves to the provincial city of Nam Dinh.

There, in a match that kicks off at the same time as Vietnam's encounter with Singapore, Gier and company face a Myanmar side that has only pride left to play for after their disappointing showing at the year's tournament.

Gier, who is currently playing for English non-league side Ascot United, is fully aware of the significance of the upcoming clash.

"The Myanmar game is a massive game, even bigger than the Vietnam game because if we don't perform against them then all the hard work will have been for nothing," he says.

"We're just making sure we're focused on the task at hand, making sure we get all the injuries sorted out, making sure the tactics are right and, God willing, we'll prevail against Myanmar."

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Gaisano Malls will soon be established in the province of Southern Leyte

A groundbreaking rites formally and officially seals the deal for the ties that bind the city government of Maasin and Gaisano chain of superstores in line with the public-private partnership scheme propagated under the administration of Pres. P-Noy.

Highlight of the event was the lowering of the capsule and the ceremonial shoveling by all the principal actors of the deal, both from Gaisano and the officials from the local governments.

In attendance of the said activity was Dr. Edward Gaisano, chairman of the Board of Directors of Vicsal Development Corporation, the operator of Gaisano Metro chain of superstores, Mr. Arthur Emmanuel, head of the retail group, with full participation from the city government of Maasin lead by City Mayor Engr. Maloney Samaco and ever supportive dou of the Mercado Brothers, Lone District of Southern Leyte Representative Oging Mercado and Governor Mian Mercado.

The branch here in Maasin City will be known as Gaisano Metro Maasin Department Store and Supermarket, and it will be Gaisano's tenth branch in a continuing move of opening new branches around the country.

According to the reports released by Philippine Information Agency, Gaisano Capital will also soon be established in the nearby booming municipality of Sogod, which the latters management has already applied for the building permit and submitted it's building plan for the project. The target date for the operation is tentatively set on June 2011 in time with the founding anniversary of the town. The source revealed that the proposed 2-storey shopping mall shall accommodate their supermarket, dept. store and reserved among others.

With this development, even the business community is excited with the coming of Gaisano in the countryside. That it would be more convenient for the people in the general to go shopping in the locality rather than trooping at the jam-packed malls at the cities which would be more expensive.

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Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift are early AMA winners

(AP) The Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift were among the early winners at American Music Awards on Sunday night, but the ceremony was as much a showcase for acts with new albums as it was a celebration of the biggest achievers of 2010.

"This is amazing!" said an exuberant Rihanna, who danced onstage to receive her award — favorite soul/R&B female. She ended her speech by yelling, "Wassup! Thank you!"

Rihanna, with her hair dyed a ruby red, gave the show a colorful and sexy start, performing a medley of songs from her just released album "Loud," including the No. 1 hit "What's My Name," wearing a bustier and what seemed like a scarf wrapped around her backside.

The Black Eyed Peas, winners for favorite pop/rock band, gave a levitating performance, singing from boxes atop the stage during part of their performance of their new single, "The Time."

But some of the prime-time performances were given to acts who weren't nominated, but had albums to promote. Diddy's latest incarnation with the group Diddy-Dirty Money sang material from their upcoming album, while Kid Rock gave a stirring, acoustic performance of "Times Like These," his song lifting up his hometown of Detroit during its recent economic struggles, from his new CD, "Born Free."

Swift, last year's artist of the year, took home favorite country female. Sporting sleek blonde hair instead of her usual cascading curls, Swift said simply: "I just want to thank the fans."

Swift was due to perform later in the evening, along with Bon Jovi, a pregnant Pink and more.

The night's top nominees were Eminem and Lady Antebellum with five apiece; they had yet to appear on the stage by mid-show.

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Usher and the Peas capture first AMAs of the night

(AP) Usher and the Black Eyed Peas captured the first honors at the American Music Awards on Sunday night, with Usher beating out Alicia Keys and Sade for R&B/Soul album of the year.

"All of my team back in New York City, I'm bringing this home for you," the leather-clad crooner said as he held his trophy high.

The Black Eyed Peas won best pop/rock band, duo or group. While they didn't give a noteworthy speech, frontman will.i.am wore a memorable outfit: A hat and a necklace made out of what appeared to be Legos.

The performance-driven show got off to a colorful and sexy start, courtesy of flaming redhead Rihanna, who performed a medley of songs from her latest album, including the No. 1 hit "What's My Name," wearing a bustier and what seemed like a scarf wrapped around her backside.

Eminem and Lady Antebellum were both up for a show-topping five awards apiece. Other major nominees included Ke$ha and Katy Perry.

A cold Los Angeles night didn't stop the stars from showing a little skin as they arrived for the awards at the Nokia Theatre.

Miley Cyrus walked the red carpet wearing a strapless dress with a flowing train. Avril Lavigne rocked in a mini animal-print dress.

John Legend was more covered up than the ladies, but even he remarked on the cold and windy conditions. Still, he said he expected a "pop music explosion" during the show.

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Jazz rally from 18 down, beat Clippers in 2 OTs

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)–  Deron Williams scored 30 points, making the tiebreaking layup with 6.8 seconds left in the second overtime, and the Utah Jazz overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-107 on Saturday night.
Williams had 22 points after halftime, and Paul Millsap added 25 points and 13 rebounds. Al Jefferson finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Utah's 15th consecutive home victory over the Clippers.
Eric Gordon scored 27 points and his slam dunk with 6.2 seconds left in regulation tied it at 91. Gordon missed a runner in the lane at the end of the first overtime, and Craig Smith missed from short range at the final buzzer at the end of the second OT.
Chris Kaman scored 23 points despite playing most of the game with foul trouble for the Clippers, who fell to 1-6 and haven't won in Salt Lake City since Jan. 22, 2003.
Utah opened the second half with a 17-3 run, sparked by 3-pointers from Raja Bell and Andrei Kirilenko, and began the fourth quarter with a 14-7 spurt to build an 87-80 lead.
Williams scored 15 points in the third quarter and gave Utah its first lead of the game, 77-75, on a layup with 9:42 left in the fourth quarter. He missed a jumper from the top of the key at the end of regulation.
The Clippers struggled against Utah's zone defense in the second half. Rookie Blake Griffin scored 16 points, but was 0 for 4 from the floor after the first quarter. He fouled out with 2:28 to go.
Early on, Los Angeles hardly looked like a team playing on the road for the second consecutive night. The Clippers, who lost a night earlier to Denver, made nine of their first 10 shots and opened a 17-point lead less than nine minutes in. They led 55-39 at halftime.

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West leads unbeaten Hornets over Bucks

MILWAUKEE (AP) –  The New Orleans Hornets are rolling. The Milwaukee Bucks are sputtering — and growing increasingly frustrated.
David West made 10-of-12 shots and scored a season-high 25 points, and New Orleans remained unbeaten with an 87-81 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday night.
Chris Paul and Marco Belinelli each added 14 for the Hornets, who at 6-0 are off to their best start in franchise history. They entered play under rookie coach Monty Williams as one of only three undefeated teams in the NBA after beating the Miami Heat on Friday.
"I just wanted to be a presence," West said. "I knew we may be a step slow because we had a tough game last night, but we responded. Guys made big plays down the stretch."
Andrew Bogut had 19 points and 14 rebounds in his return to the lineup for Milwaukee after missing Friday night's game against the Indiana Pacers with a migraine. John Salmons added 14 points for the Bucks, who dropped to 2-5.
Brandon Jennings, who had 12 points for Milwaukee, said he can't pinpoint the cause of the early problems and used a couple of expletives in summing up his team's play to date.
"We just need to go out there and play basketball," Jennings said. "Anybody can talk in the locker room."
While Milwaukee looked sluggish for most of the first three quarters, there was no letdown for the Hornets after their 96-93 victory over the Heat on Friday.
They led 41-35 at halftime despite 13 first-half turnovers after Belinelli sank a 64-foot, three-quarter court shot at the halftime buzzer.
West scored 10 points in the third quarter, and the Hornets led by as many as 13 points in the period. They led 65-54 after three, but Milwaukee used an 11-2 run to cut it to 67-65 on Jennings' 3-pointer.
Milwaukee hung tight but got no closer the rest of the way.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's follow shot made it 84-81 with 1:48 left, but he missed a free throw, and Drew Gooden then missed two free throws with 1:09 remaining that would have made it a one-point game.
The Bucks again had a chance to cut into the lead on their next possession, but West picked off Salmons' errant pass with 42 seconds left, and Paul, who made three shots in the final 5:56, sealed it with a running baseline jumper with 21.5 seconds remaining.
"We had a two-and-a-half hour flight to get up here, and we easily could have just chalked this one up," West said. "At halftime, (coach) Monty (Williams) talked about just fighting the temptation of being tired, and we were able to come out and have a good third quarter, which I thought put them on their heels a little bit and made them fight uphill the rest of the game."
Milwaukee made just 38.6 percent of its shots and 25 percent (4 of 16) of its 3-pointers.
"They missed a lot of shots, but we had 19 turnovers," Williams said. "For us to overcome 19 turnovers, we had to defend."
Said Paul: "The crazy thing is we're still not where we need to be defensively. I think that says a lot about our team. Right now this team gets mad when other teams score."
Jennings said the Bucks could use similar energy.
"It was just an ugly game for us," he said. "It's starting to get a little bit ridiculous now because every day it's like it's something — shots not falling and we just all break down. Some people are probably not on the same page, or I don't know what it is, but it's getting a little bit annoying now.
"When things aren't going right, it just seems like the energy level goes all the way down. We have got to find something before it gets too late and it gets a little ugly."
Migraines have been a recurring problem for Bogut, who also missed a preseason game on Oct. 16 with one. He said it typically takes 48 hours to feel symptom-free and that he still had a minor headache and some light sensitivity before the game Saturday.

Notes: Bucks Andrew Bogut's 14 rebounds of the game gave him 3,059 for his career, moving him into 10th place in franchise history ahead of Ervin Johnson (3,050). ...

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Anthony's 27 points lead Nuggets past Mavericks

|DALLAS (AP) –  Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points and the Denver Nuggets went 13 for 21 from beyond the 3-point line in a 103-92 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
Chauncey Billups added 18 points and Al Harrington contributed 14 points and eight rebounds for Denver.
Jason Terry scored 26 points and Dirk Nowitzki had 23 for the Mavericks, who have lost two of their first three home games.
The teams met in Denver on Wednesday night, with Dallas pulling out a 102-101 victory behind Nowitzki's 35 points. This time, the Nuggets pulled away in the fourth quarter after it was tied at 79 after three.
Anthony hit three 3-pointers in the final 3:47 and scored 15 points in the third, but was on the bench for most of the Nuggets' 12-4 spurt to start the fourth. The run started and ended with dunks by Harrington, giving Denver a 91-83 lead with 7:23 left, and the Mavericks never recovered.
Terry had one point and Nowitzki went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Denver clung to a 53-52 advantage at the break behind 6-for-9 3-point shooting. Terry's 23 points were among the few Dallas highlights, with Terry draining a 3-pointer with 5.9 left until halftime to get the Mavericks close.
The Nuggets went with a small lineup including 6-foot-9 Sheldon Williams as the tallest starter, and Denver assumed a 26-24 lead after one quarter as Dallas committed six turnovers in the first 12 minutes, 10 in the first half.
Late in the second quarter, Anthony got into a playful exchange with some heckling fans. Anthony was laughing during the give-and-take.
Denver was coming off Friday night's 111-104 home victory over the Clippers. The Mavericks had been idle since Wednesday night.

Notes: These is the 3rd straight game that Denver are without the presence of their three Bigs, Brazilian C Nene missed his third straight game with a strained left groin while Fs Kenyon Martin and Chris "the BirdMan"Anderson are out indefinitely while recovering from knee surgeries.

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Wade, James, Bosh carry Heat past Nets, 101-89

MIAMI (AP) –  Terrance Williams sent LeBron James into the stands — and into overdrive. Just like that, a close game turned into a Miami Heat runaway.
Dwyane Wade had 29 points and 10 rebounds (his 96th double double giving sole possession of 4th place in Miami Heat history), James scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter — seven in the last 32 seconds after getting flagrantly fouled by Williams — and the Heat rolled past New Jersey 101-89 on Saturday night for their second easy win over the Nets in a week.
A 25-10 run over the final 7 minutes of the third allowed the Heat to finally take control, sending the Nets to their fourth straight loss.
Wade and James had a few highlight-reel moments. James went behind-the-back, one of his nine assists, to set Wade up for a dunk late in the first half; Wade returned the favor on a lob for a spectacular alley-oop on a 2-on-1 runout in the third quarter, prompting the two to meet in a twisting, side-bumping airborne celebration.
Then Williams really got James flying.
James was coming down the right side of the court in transition when Williams simply drove a shoulder, hockey-style, into the side of the NBA's two-time reigning MVP. James toppled over the row of courtside photographers and into some of the most expensive seats in the house for an impromptu meet-and-greet with fans.
Williams was called for a flagrant-one foul, James made one of the two ensuing free throws, then a 3-pointer on the extended possession. The next time down, James struck from 3-point range again to close the third quarter and give Miami an 87-68 lead and essentially put away the game.
Chris Bosh scored 21 points for Miami, which started a six-game homestand. The Heat have held all seven opponents under 100 points, and did so again Saturday while shooting 49 percent.
Anthony Morrow scored 25 for the Nets, 4-for-7 from behind 3-point arc, and is 15 made 3's shy of being eligible to pass Steve Kerr for No. 1 on the league's all-time accuracy list from beyond the arc. ... ,the Nets got also 12 from Brook Lopez — who made three of his first four shots in the game's opening 2:11, and went 2 for 12 the rest of the way. And Heat fans didn't forgive Williams, either: He was booed every time he touched the ball the remainder of the evening.
For the seventh game of their season, the Heat were almost implored to take a Game 7 approach.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra — who wasn't thrilled with the "energy and effort," two of his favorite buzzwords, in the early going of Miami's loss at New Orleans on Friday night — wrote the word "desperate" six times on the massive whiteboard that covers one wall of the home locker room.
Miami didn't exactly respond with that mantra in mind.
New Jersey ran out to a 12-5 lead and led for much of the game's first 18 minutes, before a three-point play by Wade put the Heat ahead 40-39 with 5:47 left until halftime. Morrow's jumper early in the third quarter tied the game at 55, but Carlos Arroyo scored on the next Heat possession and Miami wouldn't trail again.
Eventually, Miami started to click a little bit, too.
With two Nets players in front of him in transition, Wade made a nifty pass to James for a swooping left-handed layup and the foul, the three-point play putting Miami up 62-55. And the other "Big 3" guy got into the act on the next possession, with James finding Bosh for a dunk that was immediately followed by a long scream under the basket.
It was the 900th career game for Heat swingman Jerry Stackhouse.

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Winless Rockets lose Brooks, fall to Spurs in OT

SAN ANTONIO (AP)–  Tony Parker had 21 points and 14 assists, including seven points in overtime, and the San Antonio Spurs kept the Houston Rockets winless with a 124-121 victory Saturday night. The Spurs are off to their first 4-1 start since the 2007-08 season.
The only NBA team without a victory this season, the Rockets (0-5) are off to their worst start since 1999. They might have more troubles ahead, too, after point guard Aaron Brooks was carried off the court at halftime with an injured left ankle.
Brooks came down on Manu Ginobili's foot after heaving an errant halfcourt shot at the buzzer. He did not return to the game, and results of X-rays taken in the locker room weren't immediately available.
Ginobili scored 28 points, and the Spurs withstood three 3-point tries by the Rockets in the frantic final 14.3 seconds of overtime. Richard Jefferson added 22 points and was 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point line.
Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 24 points. Luis Scola had 20, and shot the last of a trio of missed 3-pointers that
 Houston was able to attempt while the scrambling Spurs couldn't corral a rebound.
Tim Duncan shook off a miserable first half and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
With the Rockets already saving Yao Ming for Sunday's game against Minnesota, the injury to Brooks left them without two starters for the second half. It almost didn't matter.
The Rockets had two chances to put the Spurs away in the final 16.8 seconds of regulation, but Courtney Lee missed two free throws that would've pushed the lead to four and rookie Ishmael Smith missed a potential game-winning runner with 2.8 seconds left.
Shane Battier added 14 points for the Rockets.
Before arriving in San Antonio, the winless Rockets could take some comfort in losing to four teams that were a combined 18-3 entering Saturday, including unbeaten New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Silver linings in this loss might be tough to find. Brooks had 18 points before writhing on the court while his teammates trotted to the locker room without the club's third-leading scorer.
Towering over Brooks on the court in a blazer was Yao, who didn't play on the first night of back-to-back games. Faced with choosing between Yao defending San Antonio's pick-and-roll or Minnesota's Darko Milicic, Rockets coach Rick Adelman preserved Yao for the Timberwolves.
"I don't know if it's right or not," Adelman said.
The Rockets are putting strict limits on Yao's minutes to try and keep the injury-plagued star healthy for a full season. The 7-foot-6 center is averaging 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

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Celtics' Pierce reaches 20,000 career points

BOSTON (Reuters) - All Star forward Paul Pierce became the third life-long Boston Celtics player to reach 20,000 NBA career points on Wednesday.
Pierce, who scored 28 points in his team's 105-102 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, has spent all of his 13 seasons in the NBA with the Celtics. Hall of Fame players Larry Bird and John Havlicek, who both also achieved the mark, spent their entire careers with Boston.
"It was really emotional," Pierce told television reporters after he passed the mark from the free throw line and received an ovation from his home crowd.
"I've been through so many hard years here. To come so far at this point in my career I'm just blessed and happy to still be a Celtic."
Pierce now has 20,005 points and joins three of his current team mates, center Shaquille O'Neal, power forward Kevin Garnett and guard Ray Allen in achieving the milestone.

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Paul helps Hornets sting Rockets for 4-0 start

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Chris Paul led the New Orleans Hornets to a 107-99 victory over the winless Houston Rockets on Wednesday as the team improved to 4-0 and matched their best start to an NBA season.
The three-time All-Star led all scorers with 25 points, including 13 in the final three minutes, and added eight assists.
Paul, who missed 37 games last season due to injury, put New Orleans ahead for good with 2:33 remaining, sending Houston (0-4) to their worst start since 1999.
The Hornets, meanwhile, remained one of the three unbeaten teams in the NBA alongside the Atlanta Hawks and two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.
"We talked about being as desperate as (the Rockets) are before the game," Hornets first-year coach Monty Williams told reporters.
"I asked the guys, 'How would you feel if you were 0-3?' That was my mindset all day. How would I feel if we were 0-3?"
Guards Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks each scored 18 points for Houston, who led by one point with three and a half minutes to play before New Orleans surged to the finish.
Brooks was ejected in the final minutes after receiving a double technical for arguing a call.
"It's been the same story for four games now," Houston coach Rick Adelman said. "We right in that game with a couple minutes to go, and we're just not finishing them."
China's Yao Ming, who missed last season after surgery on his left foot, had 15 points.
Marco Belinelli added 18 points for the Hornets who trailed by nine in the third before a 14-2 run helped them go ahead by two heading into the fourth.

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Lakers trounce Warriors to remain unbeaten

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles Lakers All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol helped the two-time defending NBA champions breeze to a 3-0 start to the season with a one-sided 107-83 victory over the Golden State Warriors Sunday.
Spanish center Gasol paced the team with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Bryant recorded 20 points and seven rebounds in just 27 minutes of work.
"It feels good (to rest down the stretch). That means we're taking care of business," Bryant told reporters. "We're playing well, the pieces we have complement each other and we're just going to keep it rolling."
The Lakers got off to a fast start, outscoring the Warriors 34-14 in the first quarter, and cruised to their 10th straight win against Golden State, who last defeated Los Angeles in March 2008.
Lamar Odom scored 11 of his 16 points in the opening quarter and also chipped in 14 rebounds to continue his strong start after spending the summer helping the United States win a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships.
Monta Ellis scored a team-high 20 points for the Warriors (2-1) who had began the year with two wins but were without sharp-shooting guard Stephen Curry who missed the game with an ankle injury.
Curry averaged 17.5 points per game last season to finish runner-up for the Rookie of the Year Award, but he has been slowed by an ankle ailment since the preseason.
In his absence, Golden State shot just 40 percent from the field and was outrebounded 55-42.
In their quest for a third straight NBA title, the Lakers have leaned on Gasol early in the campaign while Bryant works his way back from offseason knee surgery and center Andrew Bynum sits out after his own knee procedure.
"Probably (this is the best start I've had in my career)," said Gasol, who has led the team in scoring in two of the three games. "I try not to look at numbers. I'm happy with us playing well and we'll try to continue."

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Miami Heat rout Orlando Magic as "Big Three" inspire big win

MIAMI (Reuters) - The much anticipated home debut of the Heat's "Big Three" exceeded expectations as Miami routed their interstate and divisional rival Orlando Magic 96-70.

The Heat dominated the second half defensively, limiting the Magic to just 25 points to turn a narrow six point halftime lead into a comfortable victory.
"The guys now can't go back on this," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They've showed me defensively what they're capable of."
Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 26 points, including 12 in the third quarter as the Heat took command of the game.
LeBron James had 15 points and seven assists and Chris Bosh had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Udonis Haslem had a double-double coming off the bench with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
"When me and Chris (Bosh) decided to join him (Wade), and even the rest of the guys, this is what we envisioned," said James.
"Is it going to be a 26-point win every night? No, it's the NBA and we know that, but the fans, they came out and the least we could do is play hard for them."
Dwight Howard scored 19 first half points for Orlando but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter without scoring in the second half to lead the Magic. The Magic starters combined for a meager 37 points, and just seven in the second half.
"I think their defense was very good," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.
"I think that their length and the way that they got into the passing lanes made it tough for us to get good ball movement. Passing's a major problem with our team. It really is."

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Howard leads Magic to crushing opening win over Wizards

ORLANDO (Reuters) - The Orlando Magic began life in their new Amway Center home with a dominating 112-83 victory over the Washington Wizards Thursday.

John Wall vs Dwight  "SuPeRMaN" Howard

Four-times All-Star Dwight Howard led the Magic with a double-double, scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds despite not playing in the final quarter of the season opener for the two sides.
Vince Carter added 18 points and Jameer Nelson scored 16.
The Wizards were led by reserve Cartier Martin's 17 points while first-overall draft pick John Wall scored 14 points and nine assists on his NBA debut.

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Cavaliers stun Celtics in first game without LeBron

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The Cleveland Cavaliers began the post-LeBron James era with a stunning 95-87 victory over the heavily favored Boston Celtics Wednesday.
Making the victory all the sweeter for jilted Cavaliers fans was the fact that their season-opening win came over the Celtics, something James and his new team the Miami Heat were unable to do in the NBA curtain-raiser Tuesday.
When James announced in July that he was "taking his talents to South Beach" to form a super team in Miami with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, it left Cavaliers fans crushed fearing a return to the bottom of the standings without the twice league MVP.
But for one night at least, the Cavaliers looked every bit a championship contender and the sellout crowd agreed erupting in wild celebration as the final buzzer sounded and confetti rained down from the rafters.

J.J. Hickson

"I'm very proud of my guys tonight, there were times in this game when we got down double-digits and they could have just mailed it in but they didn't," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott told reporters.
"This is how we've got to play basketball. We played really hard all night long.
"We're going to enjoy this victory because it was big time for us, for us to win this game at home, to start the season off this way."
"TRUE STRENGTH"
The Cavaliers had trailed by as much as 11 points but showed their mettle in the final minutes, taking an 86-84 lead on a J.J. Hickson layup.
Hickson led the Cavaliers with a game high 21 points while Daniel Gibson provided 16 points and eight assists coming off the bench.
Ramon Sessions chipped in with 14 points while Jamario Moon, who took over James locker and his starting place in the lineup added 10.
The Celtics, arriving in Cleveland off an emotional win 24 hours earlier, appeared to run out of steam down the stretch.

newly acquired cavs ramon sessions and reserved forward jamario moon who took over lebron james starting place

"I think their true strength is playing together," said Celtics Kevin Garnett. "They don't have the one go to guy but they do play well together.
"They play hard and when you don't match that you find yourself in trouble."
Rajon Rondo had 18 points and nine assists to pace the Celtics while Paul Pierce added 13 and Garnett contributed nine points and 15 rebounds.

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LA Lakers reserves earn tense opening win

shannon brown and steve blake

aaron brooks drives past the defense 

LOS ANGELES | Wed Oct 27, 2010 9:28am EDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Lakers were indebted to bench players Shannon Brown and Steve Blake as they launched their NBA championship defense with a nail-biting 112-110 win over the Houston Rockets Tuesday.
Brown knocked in four three-pointers and fellow guard Blake slotted three, the last of them with just 18.8 seconds left on the clock, as the Lakers came from 15 points behind..

5th ring

The lead changed hands four times in the last minute of a gripping contest at the Staples Center before Blake's final shot effectively sealed the win.
Kobe Bryant, although not at his best after having off-season surgery on his right knee, scored 27 points for the Lakers while Spanish forward Pau Gasol added a game-high 29. Brown ended up with 16 points and Blake finished with 10.

kevin martin

Guard Kevin Martin top-scored with 26 points and Aaron Brooks contributed 24, including four of six three-pointers, for the Rockets who led throughout the second and third quarters.
Yao Ming, who missed all of last season because of a fractured bone in his left foot, contributed 11 rebounds and nine points for Houston after playing only 23 minutes.
The evening began on a high note for the Lakers when last season's team and coaching staff were presented with diamond-encrusted gold championship rings.
Veteran forward Ron Artest, who joined the team before last season, then urged the sellout crowd to look upwards as the 2009-10 NBA championship banner was unveiled in the Staples Center rafters, sparking frenzied applause.
EARLY-SEASON RUST

ron artest and pau gasol

With the ceremony over, both teams displayed early-season rust but the Rockets, helped by three three-pointers from Brooks, took advantage of poor Lakers defense to race into a 33-26 lead after the first quarter.
Los Angeles, initially struggling with their outside game, trailed by 15 when Brooks knocked in another three-pointer late in the second period before a Bryant jumper and two free throws trimmed the deficit to 62-51 by half-time.
Gasol and Bryant, finally gelling superbly on offense, sparked a rousing Lakers fightback in the third quarter which ended with guard Blake scoring two three-pointers for Houston's lead to be cut to 82-77.
Two free throws by Matt Barnes off the bench leveled the score at 86-86 early in the fourth period before a Barnes drive for a finger-roll layup put the Lakers ahead for the first time since the opening quarter.
Brown coolly knocked in a three-pointer to give the home team a 91-86 cushion before adding two more in a dizzying 21-second sequence to send the partisan crowd into a frenzy.
Leading 99-91, the Lakers inexplicably lost control at both ends of the court as the Rockets began to claw their way back to set up a thrilling finale.
Houston will visit the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, while the Lakers are next in action against the Suns in Phoenix on Friday.

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Boston Celtics beat the Heat to spoil LeBron's Miami debut

BOSTON (Reuters) - The Boston Celtics spoiled the opening act of LeBron James's latest quest for an elusive NBA title by defeating the Miami Heat 88-80 on Tuesday in a highly anticipated showdown of Eastern Conference powerhouses.
James, the two-time MVP who signed with the Heat as a free agent in the off-season after seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, scored 31 points but had eight turnovers in the season-opener for both teams.
"We all know Rome wasn't built in one day, so it's going to take time, and we understand that," said James, who hit 10 of 21 shots but had trouble finding his rhythm from the outside.
"We have to keep on making progress every day and just continue to get better."
Boston held a comfortable 60-45 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter but James scored nine points during a 12-3 Miami run that cut the Celtics' lead to 63-57.
Miami trimmed their deficit to 68-64 but a lay-in by Glen Davis and a three-pointer by Paul Pierce hiked the lead to 73-64.
James made a driving lay-up with 1:10 left to cut the Heat's deficit to 83-80 but Ray Allen responded with a three-pointer from the corner to hike the lead to 86-80 with 49 seconds remaining and send the crowd into a frenzy.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade, who missed most of the preseason with a hamstring injury, had an awful game, scoring 13 points on four of 16 shots with six turnovers.
Wade admitted he was "a little bit out of rhythm, of course" and appeared undaunted the Heat's season opened with a loss.
"This is one of 82," said Wade. "Sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82-0. It just ain't happening."

The Celtics, who shot better and played with greater energy, were led by Allen, who finished with 20 points, and Pierce, who had 19.
"It was a fun game," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "They're going to be a lot better when we see them again, and hopefully we are, as well."
James and Chris Bosh, a free agent who also signed in the off-season with Miami, joined Wade with the hope of leading the franchise to its first title since 2006.
While James played well in spots, Wade and Bosh were nothing short of awful at a raucous, sold-out Boston Garden, shooting a combined seven of 27 from the floor.

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FIBA World Championship

(Wikipedia)

      

FIBA World Championship

Current season or competition: 2010 FIBA World Championship
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1950
No. of teams	24
Continent	International (FIBA)
Most recent champion(s)	USA (4th title)
Most titles	USA (4 titles)

The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1950, except for two occasions.

The tournament structure is similar, but not identical, to that of the FIFA World Cup; both of these international competitions have been played in the same year since 1970. A parallel event for women's teams, the FIBA World Championship for Women, is also held quadrennially, in the same year as the men's event, but in a different country. The current format of the tournament involves 24 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation. The winning team receives the Naismith Trophy, first awarded in 1967. The current champions are the United States, who defeated Turkey in the final of the 2010 tournament.

The tournament structure is similar, but not identical, to that of the FIFA World Cup; both of these international competitions have been played in the same year since 1970. A parallel event for women's teams, the FIBA World Championship for Women, is also held quadrennially, in the same year as the men's event, but in a different country. The current format of the tournament involves 24 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation. The winning team receives the Naismith Trophy, first awarded in 1967. The current champions are the United States, who defeated Turkey in the final of the 2010 tournament.

History of the FIBA World Championship

The FIBA World Championship was conceived at a meeting of the FIBA World Congress at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.[1] Long-time FIBA Secretary-General Renato William Jones urged FIBA to adopt a World Championship, similar to the FIFA World Cup, to be held in every four years between Olympiads. The FIBA Congress, seeing how successful the 23-team Olympic tournament was that year, agreed to the proposal, beginning with a tournament in 1950. Argentina was selected as host, largely because they were the only country willing to take on the task.[2] Argentina took advantage of the host selection, winning all their games en route to becoming the first FIBA World Champion.

The first five tournaments were held in South America, and teams from the Americas dominated the tournament, winning eight of nine medals at the first three tournaments. By 1963, however, teams from Eastern Europe – the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia in particular – began to catch up to the teams from the American continents. Between 1963 and 1998, the tournament was dominated by the United States, the Soviet Union (and later Russia, Yugoslavia (and later Croatia and FR Yugoslavia), and Brazil accounted for every medal at the tournament.

In 1994, professional players participated in the tournament for the first time.[3] Although the United States initially dominated with NBA players, other nations eventually used professional players to finally catch up to the four powerhouse countries. In 2002, Argentina, led by four future NBA players, captured the silver medal, while NBA player and tournament MVP Dirk Nowitzki led Germany to the bronze, its first ever World Championship medal. Meanwhile, the United States' team, made up entirely of NBA players, struggled to a sixth place finish. In 2006, emerging powerhouse Spain beat Greece in the first appearance in the final for both teams. Spain became only the seventh team (Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia are counted separately in the FIBA records) to capture a World Championship gold. This new era of parity convinced FIBA to expand the tournament to 24 teams for both the 2006 and 2010 editions of the tournament.[4] Currently FIBA expects to have 24 teams again at the 2014 FIBA World Championship, and is considering expanding to 32 teams for future events.[5]

The World Championship has used various forms of qualification throughout its history. The first five tournaments were held in South America and participation was dominated by teams from the Americas. At the first tournament, FIBA intended for the three Olympic medalists to compete, plus the host Argentina and two teams each from Europe, Asia, and South America. However, no Asian team was willing to travel to the event, so six of the ten teams were from the Americas. European powerhouse Soviet Union later made their first appearance in 1959 after missing the first two events.

In the tournament's early years, only Europe and South America had established continental tournaments, so participation in the tournament was largely by invitation. Later, Asia added a continental championship in 1960, followed by Africa in 1962, Central America in 1965, and Oceania in 1971, As a result of these changes, qualification became more formalized starting with the 1967 tournament. In that year, the Asian champion received an automatic berth in the tournament, joining the top European and South American teams. In 1970, the African and Oceanian champion each received a berth, while the Centrobasket champion and runner-up were each invited. For must of these years, the tournament host, defending World Champion, and top Olympic basketball tournament finishers also qualified for the event.

Since 1970, qualification has continued to be based on the continental competitions and the Olympic tournament. The only major change came in the 1990 FIBA World Championship, when the tournament started taking qualifiers from the newly redesigned FIBA Americas Championship rather than from North, Central, and South America individually. After the tournament expanded to 24 teams in 2006, the tournament has allocated qualification as follows:[6]

• EuroBasket (Europe) – 6 berths
• FIBA Africa Championship (Africa) – 3 berths
• FIBA Asia Championship (Asia) – 3 berths
• FIBA Americas Championship (North, Central, and South America) – 4 berths
• FIBA Oceania Championship (Oceania) – 2 berths
• Defending Olympic Champion – 1 berth
• Host team – 1 berth
• FIBA-selected wild cards – 4 berths

Each of the five continental championships also serves as qualification for the Olympics, so all are held every two years. The year immediately preceding the World Championship is used to determine the berths at the tournament. For example, all of the berths at the 2010 FIBA World Championship were determined by continental championships held in 2009. After the first twenty teams have qualified, FIBA then selects four wild card teams, based on sporting, economic, and governance criteria, as well as a required registration fee from each team to be considered by the FIBA board.[7] Of the four wild cards, only three can come from one continental zone. In each of the two tournaments that the wild card system has been in place, FIBA has selected the maximum three European teams to compete in the event.

The World Championship has existed in several different formats throughout the years as it has expanded and contracted between 10 and 24 teams. The first tournament in 1950 began with a ten-team double-elimination tournament followed by a six-team round robin round to determine the champion. Between 1954 and 1974, each tournament started with a group stage preliminary round; the top teams in each preliminary round group then moved on to a final round robin group to determine the champion. In 1978, FIBA added a gold medal game between the top two finishers in the final group and a bronze medal game between the third and fourth place teams. In each year between 1959 and 1982, the host team received a bye into the final group. Of the seven host teams in this era, only three medaled despite the head start. As a result, FIBA made the host team compete in the preliminary round starting in 1986.

In 1986, the tournament briefly expanded to 24 teams. Four groups of six teams each competed in the preliminary round group stage. The top three teams in each group then competed in the second group stage, followed by a four-team knockout tournament between the top two finishers in each group. The championship contracted back down to 16 teams for the 1990 tournament. The three tournaments between 1990 and 1998 each had two group stages followed by a four-team knockout tournament to determine the medalists. The 2002 tournament expanded the knockout round to eight teams.

In 2006, FIBA made the decision to expand back to 24 teams and introduced the format that is currently in place.[8] Under the current format, the teams are divided into four preliminary round groups of six teams each.[9] Should teams be tied at the end of the preliminary round, the ties are broken by the following criteria in order:

1. Game results between tied teams

2. Goal average between games of the tied teams

3. Goal average for all games of the tied teams

4. Drawing of lots

The top four teams in each group then advance to a sixteen-team single-elimination knockout round. It begins with the eighth finals, where the top teams in each group play the fourth-placed teams in another group and the second and third-placed teams in each group face off. This is followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. The semifinal losers play in the bronze medal game, while the quarterfinal losers play in a consolation bracket to determine fifth through eighth places.

Naismith Trophy

Since 1967, the champion of each tournament has been awarded the Naismith Trophy, named for basketball inventor James Naismith. A trophy had been planned since the first World Championship in 1950, but did not come to fruition until FIBA finally commissioned a trophy in 1965 after receiving a US$1,000 donation. The original trophy was used from 1967 through 1994. An updated trophy was introduced for the 1998 FIBA World Championship and the original now sits at the Pedro Ferrándiz Foundation in Spain.[10]

The updated trophy is designed in an Egyptian-inspired lotus shape upon which there are carved maps of the continents and precious stones symbolizing the five continents (FIBA Americas represents both North America and South America). Dr. Naismith's name is engraved on all four sides in Latin, Arabic, Chinese, and Egyptian hieroglyphs. The trophy stands 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) tall and weighs nine kilograms (twenty pounds).[11]

Results

Summaries

Year	Host (final location)		Gold medal game				Bronze medal game
			Gold	Score	Silver		Bronze	Score	Fourth place
1950	Argentina (Buenos Aires)		Argentina	64-50[12]	USA		Chile	51-40[12]	Brazil
1954	Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)		USA	62-41[12]	Brazil		Philippines	66-60[12]	France
1959	Chile (Santiago)		Brazil	81-67[12]	USA		Chile	86-85[12] Overtime	Formosa
1963	Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)		Brazil	90-71[12]	Yugoslavia		Soviet Union	69-67[12]	USA
1967	Uruguay (Montevideo)		Soviet Union	71-59[12]	Yugoslavia		Brazil	80-71[12]	USA
1970	Yugoslavia (Ljubljana)		Yugoslavia	80-55[12]	Brazil		Soviet Union	62-58[12]	Italy
1974	Puerto Rico (San Juan)		Soviet Union	82-79[12]	Yugoslavia		USA	83-70[12]	Cuba
1978	Philippines (Manila)		Yugoslavia	82–81 Overtime	Soviet Union		Brazil	86–85	Italy
1982	Colombia (Cali)		Soviet Union	95–94	USA		Yugoslavia	119–117	Spain
1986	Spain (Madrid)		USA	87–85	Soviet Union		Yugoslavia	117–91	Brazil
1990	Argentina (Buenos Aires)		Yugoslavia	92–75	Soviet Union		USA	107–105 Overtime	Puerto Rico
1994	Canada (Toronto and Hamilton)		USA	137–91	Russia		Croatia	78–60	Greece
1998	Greece (Athens)		Yugoslavia	64–62	Russia		USA	84–61	Greece
2002	USA (Indianapolis)		Yugoslavia	84–77 Overtime	Argentina		Germany	117–94	New Zealand
2006	Japan (Saitama)		Spain	70–47	Greece		USA	96–81	Argentina
2010	Turkey (Istanbul)		USA	81–64	Turkey		Lithuania	99–88	Serbia
2014	Spain (Madrid)

Medal table

Note that FIBA considers the records of SFR Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union distinct from FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro/Serbia and Russia, respectively.^[13] The Republic of Serbia is the legal successor of the Serbia and Montenegro/FR Yugoslavia team.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	USA	4	3	4	11
2	Yugoslavia	3	3	2	8
2	Soviet Union	3	3	2	8
4	Brazil	2	2	2	6
5	Serbia	2	0	0	2
6	Argentina	1	1	0	2
7	Spain	1	0	0	1
8	Russia	0	2	0	2
9	Greece	0	1	0	1
9	Turkey	0	1	0	1
11	Chile	0	0	2	2
12	Croatia	0	0	1	1
12	Germany	0	0	1	1
12	Lithuania	0	0	1	1
12	Philippines	0	0	1	1

Records and statistics

FIBA World Championship records

The United States has won the most tournaments with four, followed by the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia with three each. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) later won two titles after Yugoslavia disbanded, but FIBA does not consider the team as Yugoslavia's successor.[13] However, Serbia is the official successor of Serbia and Montenegro, so could tie the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia with a third title. Similarly, Russia is not the legal successor of the Soviet Union, so cannot improve upon the Soviet Union's three titles. Both Brazil and the United States have competed in every World Championship, the only two teams to do so.

For individuals, three players – Ubiratan Pereira Maciel and Marcel De Souza of Brazil and Phil Smyth of Australia – have appeared in five tournaments.[14] Six different players have won medals in four tournaments. Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt is the runaway all-time leading scorer, scoring 916 career points in four tournaments between 1978 and 1990. Nikos Galis of Greece is the all-time leading scorer for a single tournament, averaging 33.7 points per game for the Greeks at the 1986 FIBA World Championship. FIBA also names a Most Valuable Player for each tournament. Since the tournament opened to professionals in 1994, NBA players have won four of the last five MVP trophies – Shaquille O'Neal for the United States in 1994, Germany's Dirk Nowitzki in 2002, Spain's Pau Gasol in 2006, and the USA's Kevin Durant in 2010. The only exception was Dejan Bodiroga of Yugoslavia, the MVP of the 1998 tournament, when the NBA players weren't able to participate, due to 1998–99 NBA lockout.

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