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Dirk Nowitzki Jersey.Y. (AP) -New York Islanders defenseman Jack Hillen has left the game after being struck in the face by a hard shot from Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. Hillen was protecting the area in front of goalie Dwayne Roloson during a power play when Ovechkin wound up for a drive in between the blue line and the circles. Hillen appeared to be hit in the chin and immediately dropped to the ice with 2:31 left in the first period Tuesday night. Blood pooled in front of Hillen as he was tended to by medical staff. Ovechkin also checked on Hillen, who skated off with assistance after a stretcher was wheeled onto the ice. Teammates and Ovechkin tapped their sticks on the ice in hockey applause fashion as Hillen was taken to the dressing room.
Kevin Love Jersey.Y. -- The lights have been turned off on Buffalo Bills linebacker Shawne Merrimans season.
Larry Bird Jersey. Pavano, who won a combined 14 games last season for the Twins and Cleveland Indians, has won both of his starts this year and has been terrific in doing so. After allowing a run in seven innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in his season debut, Pavano got the best of the Boston Red Sox on Monday, holding them to a run and four hits in six innings.
Danny Ainge Jersey. The Ontario Superior Court ruled Friday in favor of Labatts, which claimed it already had a deal in place with the NHL before the league committed to a $375-million sponsorship agreement with archrival Molson Coors.
LeBron James Jersey. But the first thing the Virginia Commonwealth coach did after his teams 59-46 NCAA "First Four " victory over Southern California on Wednesday night was to take a shot at those who questioned whether his team even belonged in the tournament.
John Havlicek Jersey. The joint certainly will be jumping, too, as Flyers icon Bob Clarke will be presented with his No. 16 banner that hung in the Spectrum during a pregame ceremony. On top of that, the Flyers also would like to nix any lingering memory of Tuesdays 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.PORTLAND, Ore. -- When the Trail Blazers closed in on the Thunder, Russell Westbrook considered it his responsibility to set things right. The Blazers, who trailed by as many as 21 points, closed within five in the third quarter, but Westbrook came back with consecutive jumpers and Oklahoma City went on to win 109-75 on Tuesday night. "The home team will always make runs and my job as point guard is to take control of the game and not let things get out of whack," he said. Westbrook finished with 32 points and eight assists to pace the Western Conference-leading Thunder to their fourth straight win. Kevin Durant scored 25 points and James Harden added 21 off the bench for the Thunder, who built a 65-47 lead by halftime. "In the second (half) we were a little stagnant and we werent getting any shots, so he just took it over," Kevin Durant said of Westbrook. "Thats what great point guards do." LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and eight rebounds as Portland fell to 3-4 under Kaleb Canales, who took over as interim coach when the Blazers fired Nate McMillan at the NBA trade deadline. The Blazers were coming off a 90-87 victory over Golden State on Sunday. Portland has not had back-to-back wins since Jan. 23-24 against Sacramento and Memphis. "I dont think we made things as difficult as we could have," Aldridge said. "I feel like they were just taking warm-up shots in the first half." The Thunder (38-12) were coming off a 103-87 victory at home over the Miami Heat on Sunday. Oklahoma City heads to Staples Center to face the Lakers on Thursday before hosting the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Bulls on Sunday. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 104-101 in Oakland on Tuesday night. Rookie Nolan Smith got the start at point guard for the Blazers in place of Raymond Felton, who left the team to be with his mother while she undergoes a heart procedure. Smith is the son of the late Derek Smith, who played nine seasons in the NBA and was a close friend with Thunder coach Scott Brooks. Brooks said before the game that Nolan Smith was the ring bearer at his wedding. "He was a feisty little guy," Brooks said of the younger Smith, who went on to play at Duke before he was selected by the Blazers with the 21st overall pick in last Junes draft. Smith, who finished with three points in 25 minutes, said he felt he did well on defence, not so much on offence.
Chris Bosh Jersey. "There are things I definitely could do better. But its a learning experience," he said. "Tomorrow Ill watch film and figure out how to get better." The Thunder beat the Blazers 111-107 in overtime at the Rose Garden on Feb. 6, a game that was controversial because of a goaltending call on Aldridge in the final six seconds of regulation. The NBA overturned the call the next day. Oklahoma City went up 28-14 on Derek Fishers 3-pointer near the end of the first quarter. Fisher was playing his fourth game since he was picked up as a free agent by the Thunder last week. The Thunder extended the lead to 57-40 midway through the second quarter on Westbrooks fast-break layup. The Blazers narrowed it to 71-63 midway through the third quarter on Aldridges turnaround jumper, putting the crowd on its feet for the first time in the game. Wesley Matthews added a 3-pointer, pulling Portland within five points, and Nicolas Batum raised his arms to the crowd on the way back down the court. Westbrooks layup quieted the Rose Garden fans, but Aldridge hit his own to narrow it again for the Blazers. This time Westbrook answered with two straight jumpers. Durants 3-pointer a short time later extended the margin back out to 82-72 and the Thunder cruised the rest of the way. "A lead of 20 in the first half is really nothing," Durant said. "A team like this is going to find a way to come back, and the crowd was unbelievable. They put pressure on us but we did a great job of responding." J.J. Hickson, acquired by the Blazers last week after he was waived by Sacramento, had a season-high 21 points off the bench. "Me coming here was kind of a blessing," Hickson said. "It was an opportunity." Notes: The Thunders game Thursday against the Lakers marks Fishers first game against his former team since the Lakers traded him to Houston earlier this month. The Rockets bought out his contract and he signed as a free agent with the Thunder last week. ... The Thunder always draw a number of fans wearing Seattle SuperSonics jerseys. One fan behind the Thunder bench had a sign that read "Stolen" with the Sonics signature "S." ... Aldridge had a blocked shot to put him at 419 with the Blazers, tying him with Arvydas Sabonis for ninth on Portlands career list. ' ' '