rebounded with his highest points-per-game (0

Marit Bjoergen lived up to her billing as the hot favorite by winning the womens 15-kilometer skiathlon at Sochi on Saturday, giving the Norwegian cross-country skier her fourth career Olympic gold medal. Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze. Bjoergen was the most successful athlete of the Vancouver Games with three gold medals, a silver and a bronze and showed right away she has the ability to match that feat in Sochi. With a group of five skiers staying together until the last kilometer, Kalla tried to pull away in the final tough uphill section and decide the race before the final sprint. Only Bjoergen was able to match her pace going up the hill, and the Norwegian then went in front as they entered the stadium. Kalla had no answer for the strong finish by Bjoergen, who had time to turn her head and then raise her arm in celebration as she crossed the line. The skiathlon event starts with 7.5 kilometers of classical-style skiing before switching to freestyle, making it a tough test of the athletes all-round abilities. Kalla won the 10K freestyle event in Vancouver four years ago and showed she has vastly improved her classical style skiing since then. She has never finished on the podium in a skiathlon on the World Cup circuit and celebrated as if she had won on Saturday, raising her arms to celebrate as she crossed the line behind Bjoergen and then jumping up and down holding her skis in the air. She prevented a Norwegian sweep of the medals, with Therese Johaug finishing fourth. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland was fifth. Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland, a three-time overall World Cup winner who has been struggling with a foot injury, was with the leading group of seven skiers at the halfway mark but slipped and fell just as she was about to enter her station for the ski change and lost several seconds. She exited the ski change 7.4 seconds behind Kalla, and never came any closer during the freestyle. Entering the last lap, she was nearly 19 seconds behind and she finished sixth, 58.1 seconds back. The next womens event is the individual freestyle sprint on Tuesday, when Bjoergen is again among the favorites. The mens 30K skiathlon is Sunday. Air Max 720 Outlet Australia .A. Happ is coming off his first start of the year, a win at Philadelphia Monday. The former Phillie allowed three hits in five scoreless frames of a 3-0 triumph. Air Max 720 Australia Wholesale . The 18-year-old centre was the Senators first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot 196-pound native of Salmon Arm, B. http://www.cheapairmax720australia.com/. The eighth-year point guard played in his 500th career game on Sunday, a 98-93 win over the Orlando Magic. Does he feel like hes played in that many games? "No," he said initially, before reconsidering. Cheap Air Max 720 Australia . The Union looked to have grabbed a big win in the 88th minute when Amobi Okugo finally put the hosts in front. But a terrible giveaway by Union goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi handed Earnshaw the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time, keeping the Union two points back of fifth-place Red Bull New York for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Cheap Air Max 720 Online Australia . The question is how many minutes will be available to them and can any of their defence or goaltending provide value? Top Picks: Following a down year in 2011-2012, Matt Duchene rebounded with his highest points-per-game (0.MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Timberwolves were on the clock with the ninth pick in the draft in 2013 and Trey Burke was there for the taking.Wolves President Flip Saunders decided to trade the pick to Utah and received a nice return in promising forward Shabazz Muhammad and centre Gorgui Dieng. Burke donned a Wolves cap on draft night before the trade became official, and the erratic point guard seems to have something extra in the tank every time the Jazz face Minnesota.Burke bounced back from a horrendous shooting night to score a season-high 28 points, and the Jazz handed the Timberwolves their 11th straight loss with a 101-89 victory on Saturday night.Hed be first team all-league if he played against us all the time, Saunders said. Maybe I shouldve drafted him based on how hes played against us.After going 2 for 19, including 0 for 11 from 3-point range, against Atlanta on Friday, Burke hit 10 of 16 shots and 4 of 6 3-pointers. Rudy Gobert added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks to help the Jazz roll on the second night of a back-to-back. The Jazz (12-22) have won six of their last nine games.I dont think its just Minnesota, Im just aggressive, Burke said. When teams fall back in pick-and-roll Im able to get into the paint and make decisions. A lot of times teams press up and Im still trying to find ways to be aggressive in those situations.Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points, but the Timberwolves shot just 39.5 per cent and missed 10 of their first 11 3-pointers to fall to 5-27. They have won just once in their last 18 games.The Wolves had Friday off to prepare for the game, but they were lifeless from the start. The Jazz opened a 20-point lead in the third quarter and cruised to an easy win.The Jazz shot 50.7 per cent, hit 11 of 20 3s and outrebounded Minnesota 47-37. Derrick Favours had 15 points and eight rebounds.Thats probably about as bad a loss as weve had in a long time, at least that Ive been associated with, Saunders said.The short-handed Wolves have been desperate for a victory during this terrible slide and figured to have a good chance against a Jazz team that arrived in town early Saturday morrning.dddddddddddd Utah also lost big man Enes Kanter (sprained right ankle) and starting shooting guard Patrick Christopher (dislocated right patella) to injuries in a physical game against the East-leading Hawks.The Wolves have played much of the season without starters Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin, but that was no excuse against a young Jazz team that was struggling with injuries of its own. As usual, the Wolves lacked energy at the start of the game and their opponent took advantage.Utah hit 8 of 12 3-point attempts through the first 32 minutes of the game and blew the doors open with a 15-2 run early in the third quarter.A brief flurry by Mo Williams, who scored 20 points, helped the Wolves trim the deficit to eight points early in the fourth. But the defensively inept group couldnt find an answer for Burke, who had a long talk with coach Quin Snyder on the flight from Utah to Minnesota.Hes got a lot of pride and the way he played tonight was more than just making shots, Snyder said. He did that, but I thought he did a really good job of distributing and controlling the game.TIP-INSJazz: Burke entered the night averaging 18.4 points per game against the Timberwolves. He scored 26 against them last week. ... Joe Ingles started at shooting guard for the injured Christopher. ... Trevor Booker had 15 rebounds and eight points. ... The Jazz recalled Toure Murry from Idaho of the NBDL.Timberwolves: Reserve F Chase Budinger missed the game with an illness. ... Dieng was the only other Wolves player in double figures with 10 points.SHAKE-UP COMINGSaunders said after the game that he planned on making a change to the starting lineup after the group of Wiggins, Muhammad, Dieng, Thaddeus Young and Zach LaVine got off to another slow start. Young had just one rebound in the game and Saunders said he wanted to see more energy from Muhammad and LaVine.We talked to our team afterward just about what it is to be professional, Saunders said. Its everyones responsibility, players, coaches, everybody. It was disappointing.NEXT UPJazz: Host Indiana on Monday.Timberwolves: Host Denver on Monday. ' ' '