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SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
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Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
PORTLAND, Ore. - The last time the Portland Trail Blazers managed a winning month was November 2004.
At least, it was. Brandon Roy helped Portland to its eighth straight win with 24 points and eight assists in the Trail Blazers’ 88-76 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.
“When you’ve won seven in a row you start to believe you can win every game,” said Roy, who was 10-of-17 from the field and made key baskets in the fourth quarter as Portland pulled away.
David West had 21 points and Tyson Chandler had 16 points and 19 rebounds for the Hornets, who lost for the fourth straight time at the Rose Garden.
Martell Webster had 13 points and Steve Blake had 10 for the Blazers, who started off slow, shooting just 34 percent in the first half. Portland (13-12) last won eight straight during the 2002-03 season.
The Blazers last won eight straight in 2002-03. They are 8-1 in December.
Chris Paul had 11 points and eight rebounds for New Orleans. Rasual Butler had 10. New Orleans was coming off a big win over Phoenix on Saturday, in which Paul had his 12th double-double of the season, but he made just 5 of 15 shots against the Blazers.
“If we make shots we win the game,” Paul said. “That’s all it was. We didn’t make shots.”
Both teams were missing starters they had hoped to have back. Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge has battled plantar fasciitis. Peja Stojakovic sat out with a strained left groin for the second game after reinjuring it.
The Hornets shot 40.8 percent from the field. They might have fallen behind earlier in the game if not for a 47-36 rebounding advantage, and Chandler’s dominance on the offensive glass, where he had 12 of his rebounds and many of his points.
“When you don’t have shots falling it’s going to be tough some nights,” he said. “(The Blazers) are playing great at home. They definitely have home-court advantage because you couldn’t hear anything out there.”
The score was tied 11 times in a back and forth first half, but New Orleans led 39-37 at halftime.
The Blazers didn’t really take control until New Orleans went scoreless for more than six minutes in the final quarter.
Roy, averaging 24 points during Portland’s streak, put the Blazers up 71-66 with a 3 that beat the shot clock early in the fourth.
Channing Frye’s tip-in made it 73-66 and gave Portland its biggest lead of the game at that point. Jarrett Jack made a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 10 with 4:28 to go.
Chandler’s offensive rebound and monster dunk cut the lead to 78-71, but Roy countered with a driving basket for the Blazers.
Morris Peterson picked up a technical foul for taunting Joel Przybilla, got another one arguing the call and was ejected.
James Jones made one of two technical shots, and Roy found Frye from a 20-foot jumper that put the game away.
“There’s been times this season when we would have folded in a game like this,” Roy said. “But tonight we never put our heads down.”
Notes: Roy became the first Blazers player to win back-to-back player of the week awards since Clyde Drexler in 1987-88. ... Hornets coach Byron Scott said Melvin Ely will not need surgery on his left eye socket, fractured when he took an elbow from Kenyon Martin last week in Denver. Ely won’t return until mid-January, however. ... Blazers coach Nate McMillan said he wants Aldridge to practice before his return, which is likely to be Wednesday against Toronto. ... Roy is only the third Blazer to win the Player of the Week award twice. Clyde Drexler won it five times and Billy Ray Bates twice.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
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