2-3 on their road swing. Enes Kanter scored 25 points and

When you grew up in Ottawa, back in the days before the Sens, you really had just two choices when it came to NHL teams to cheer for: the Habs and the Leafs. If I could afford a therapist, I imagine the good doctor would tell be that my affection for the Leafs was part of an ongoing and pathological need to be alone and unhappy. Though, quite simply, its more likely that its because thats what was on local TV in Ottawa. I admit I could be wrong. I dont have a PhD. Thats right. I was a Leafs fan. I had a Leafs sweater that I slept in, that my dad bought me after some endless whining in the aisles of a Canadian Tire. An Allan Bester poster hung above my bed. I wore number 9 in Little League because of Russ Courtnall, and I may have cried when he was traded to the dreaded Habs for John Kordic. My parents werent sports fans, but they let me bring an old black and white TV into my room to watch Hockey Night in Canada, to fall asleep to the third period charms of Bob Cole and Harry Neale. I cant often remember my postal code, or where I lived in 2009, or the name of that girl, but I easily recall the names of Dale Degray, Peter Ing, Brad Smith, Ken Yaremchuk, and Dan Daoust, forgettable Leafs from a forgettable era.The arrival of the Ottawa Senators coincided with the arrival of my first love. Well, the first reciprocated love. Fittingly I used this sea change to shift my affections to the Sens, whose losing was familiar but who provided a new hope, a virginal slate upon which to build a new love. The Sens got better, but love did not. Like it tends to, it left, mostly my doing, as I had found affections for all sorts of other things one does as they enter their 20s.The Sens and I remained true to each other, even though I carried the relationship. I lived in Vancouver for a few years, but never felt any connection to the Canucks, nor for any West coast girl. Well, there was one girl, but she left me for my best friend. In that manner, she was not unlike the Sens. All kinds of promise, ending in sure disappointment; the better looking, more mature Leafs beating the Sens in the playoffs year after year.With both the Sens and the Leafs the pain was the same: expectations were crushed by reality. No matter what I did, season after season they hurt me. They left me alone in June, as other teams and their fans moved on to full playoff beards, Cup parades, and what I can only assume is happiness.Years passed. I moved back to Ottawa. I watched hockey less. I dated seldom. I grew a playoff beard in January. My mother worried. She had nightmares that I was floating through life without RRSPs, without a mortgage, without a wife, and without kids. My dad seemed to understand, even though he wasnt much for hockey. I moved to Costa Rica. My beard got longer. My tan was superb. Televised hockey was difficult to find. Beer was cheap. There was no fear of commitment, because everyone was transient, moving on, moving forward, or at least sideways.But the rains came and I returned to Canada, but this time to Montreal, a city that truly appreciates the loveless. A city where the bars are open late, and life exists only in the present. And I found myself watching hockey again, with people who didnt know about my past, about the Leafs and the Sens, who didnt know of my failings in my mothers eyes. And I found myself cheering for the Montreal Canadiens, the longtime enemy of both the Leafs and the Sens. Outwardly I was a fan, but inside I was in turmoil. I felt like I was cheating on myself, as if I was committing hockey adultery, even though I was single and every team I ever loved sucked.And then came 2010. And a magical run through to the Conference Finals. And Halak signs. And PK Subban. And overtime wins. And there was a girl. A girl I loved. And for a brief moment I thought about breeding, about ceremony, pageantry, making my mum happy, a parade down Ste. Catherine, about my dad in a tuxedo, about rings.But, as hockey and love have taught me, all good things end in horrible, crushing, debilitating disappointment sometime in June. The Habs lost to the Flyers, and someone else won the Cup, and Halak was traded, and the girl left because I was afraid she might not, and summer arrived with condolence beers and late nights on terrasses and waiting for next year. Always next year. My mum didnt say anything, but I could see her deleting imaginary grandchildren in her mind, and transferring familial hope to my sister and her young family.And life went on. Seasons changed, both on the calendar and the NHL schedule. I still rocked a playoff beard, out of both laziness and hope, so Id be prepared in case of victory. The Habs sunk back to middle-of-the-pack mediocrity. The Leafs and the Sens lived in that same ether. My mum would send me promotional materials for post-graduate programs and ask how my married friends were doing. My dads tuxedo remained in the back of his closet, dry-cleaned and at the ready. I still watched Habs games, but my interest has waned, my commitment faltered.Then, two weekends ago, I was having a few adult beverages and watching the Sens and Habs battling each other in an important late-season game. It was like watching the past fight for your affections. With just under four minutes left, it looked like the Sens had the game won. But the Habs scored once, twice, and a third time with only .3 seconds left to tie it, before winning it in overtime.So buoyed by the victory, and spirited by the spirits, I headed out to the local to meet a friend and celebrate the victory. And in the back of the bar, a bar cheered by the win and the hour, was the girl from 2010. And we talked for a bit. And she asked about my folks. And we smiled when youre supposed to smile. And we spoke longingly about spring coming. And after a silence, and a pause, she had to leave, and as she did she looked back and said, "Maybe Ill see you soon." Maybe. And maybe the Habs will make a run, and my mum will stop worrying about matrimony, and my dads tuxedo will be content in its stasis, and maybe I will see her soon. That wouldnt be so bad. Better than being a Leafs fan. Ron Jaworski Youth Jersey . Louis Cardinals a hard-fought victory. The Colorado Rockies intentionally walked Yadier Molina with one out and runners on first and third to load the bases for Kozma. Chuck Bednarik Jersey . Among the teams moves was trading one of the teams two third round picks, no. 83 overall, to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brandon Bollig, a six-foot-two, 223-pound left-winger who had seven goals, seven assists, and 92 penalty minutes in 82 games last season. http://www.theeaglesfootballauthentic.com/eagles-desean-jackson-black-jersey/ . - The New England Patriots needed help on defence so they added three experienced players at midseason. Mike Quick Jersey . -- The NFL cancelled its Hall of Fame game between St. Ron Jaworski Womens Jersey . "Well over 50 (per cent)," coach Claude Noel said Tuesday after practice, where the Jets were looking at ways to cut down the scoring chances theyve been giving away.Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls withstood a LaMarcus Aldridge onslaught in the first quarter, got on a huge run early in the second and then kept the Portland Trail Blazers at bay the rest of the way. Derrick Rose scored a season-high 31 points to go with five assists and the Bulls defeated the Blazers 115-106 on Friday night. Aldridge netted an NBA season- high 21 first-quarter points to help Portland to the early lead, but the Bulls went on a 16-2 surge in the second and never trailed the rest of the way. Aaron Brooks and Nikola Mirotic deposited 17 and 15 points off the bench, respectively, while Pau Gasol added 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for Chicago, which has won three of its last four games. Aldridge finished with 35 points and nine boards and Damian Lillard supplied a season- high 35 points to go with six helpers and five rebounds for the Blazers, who have dropped consecutive contests on the heels of a five-game winning streak. Final Score: Washington 104, LA Clippers 96 Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - The fourth longest winning streak in Clippers history came to an end in the nations capital Friday night, as Bradley Beal, John Wall and the Washington Wizards handed Los Angeles a 104-96 defeat at Verizon Center. Beal scored a season-best 29 points while Wall added 10 points and 11 assists for the Wizards, who have won six in a row at Verizon Center and are off to the best home start (11-2) in franchise history. Marcin Gortat chipped in with 18 points, and he and Kris Humphries helped limit Blake Griffin to 14 points -- nearly 10 below his season average. Chris Paul recorded 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists but committed six of LAs 18 turnovers. The Clippers had won nine in a row since a road loss in Memphis on Nov. 23 and were 10-1 in their previous 11 meetings with Washington. Final Score: Atlanta 87, Orlando 81 Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Paul Millsap posted 23 points and eight rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks extended their win streak to nine games with an 87-81 victory over the Orlando Magic. Al Horford scored 17 points and Jeff Teague had 13 for the Hawks, who have not lost since the Raptors dropped them with a 126-115 decision on Nov. 26. Victor Oladipo paced Orlando with 21 points and Evan Fournier scored 18. Tobias Harris and Kyle OQuinn but recorded double-doubles in the setback. Final Score: New York 101, Boston 95 Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Knicks were finally all smiles Friday after snapping a 10-game losing streak with a 101-95 road victory over the Boston Celtics. Rumors of in-house fighting between players and problems with first-year head coach Derek Fisher filled the headlines during New Yorks skid, but the return of Carmelo Anthony and a solid showing for the bench changed the storyline -- at least for a day. Anthony missed Wednesdays loss against the Spurs with a lingering knee issue but was his usual productive self with 22 points on 9-of-20 shooting. Amare Stoudemire chipped in with 20 points, while Tim Hardaway, Jr. and J.R. Smith netted 16 and 12 points, respectively, off New Yorks bench. Jeff Green paced the Celtics with 29 points, but Boston, which had won three in a row a home, turned it over 18 times and never led in the second half. Final Score: Brooklyn 88, Philadelphia 70 Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Mason Plumlee had 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets pulled away in the fourth quarter to take down the Philadelphia 76ers 88-70 on Friday night. The Nets outscored the Sixers 25-10 in the final frame. Alan Anderson posted 12 points, five rebounds and three steals, while Joe Johnson added 12 points for Brooklyn, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Robert Covington tallied 20 points and six boards for the Sixers, who are 2-3 on the heels of their 0-17 start to the season. Final Score: Toronto 106, Indiana 94 Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Lou Williams scored 26 points off the bench to help the Toronto Raptors send the Indiana Pacers to another loss with a 106-94 decision on Friday. James Johnson notched 13 points in a reserve role, while Jonas Valanciunas and Greivis Vasquez added 10 points apiece with the former grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds in the win. The Pacers lost their seventh straight game overall and their sixth straight on the road. Solomon Hill netted 16 points to lead Indiana. Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Watson each chipped in with 13 points apiece. Final Score: Memphis 113, Charlotte 107 (2-OT) Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Zach Randolph deposited 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies edged the Charlotte Hornets 113-107 in a double-OT thriller from FedExForum. Randolph split a pair from the foul line to start the second overtime period and hit a 16-foot jumper at 1:46 that made it 109-105.dddddddddddd Mike Conley made four free throws down the stretch to secure the win. Marc Gasol and Conley both had 19 points for Memphis, which has topped the 100-point mark for the fourth straight game. Kemba Walker scored a game-high 28 points for the Hornets, who have lost five straight away from home. Gary Neal added 25 points off the bench, and while Gerald Henderson only scored 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, his acrobatic tip-in at the end of regulation forced overtime. Final Score: Oklahoma City 111, Minnesota 92 Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Russell Westbrook supplied 34 points with six assists and six rebounds in the Oklahoma City Thunders 111-92 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Kevin Durant and Steven Adams each scored 16 points, with Adams adding 11 rebounds in the win. Anthony Morrow and Serge Ibaka netted 14 and 13, respectively. Oklahoma City has won five straight and seven of its last eight, improving to 5-1 since Durant returned to the lineup from foot sugery. Andrew Wiggins, coming off his first career double-double in Wednesdays win over Portland, deposited 18 points with five rebounds. Shabazz Muhammad also scored 18 points for the Timberwolves and Thaddeus Young added 16 points with five boards. Final Score: New Orleans 119, Cleveland 114 New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - The New Orleans Pelicans handed the Clevland Cavaliers their second straight loss, but LeBron James was on the floor this time. The Pelicans were the ones without their star player. Tyreke Evans had a season-high 31 points with 10 assists as the Pelicans defeated the Cavaliers 119-114 on Friday night. Anthony Davis left in the first quarter with a chest contusion and did not return. Ryan Anderson poured in 30 points off the bench, while Jrue Holiday added 16 points and eight assists for New Orleans, which has won three of its last four games on the heels of a 1-5 stretch. James recorded 19 of his 41 points in the opening frame. Kevin Love supplied 21 points and seven rebounds and Kyrie Irving provided 17 points and seven helpers for the Cavaliers. Final Score: Detroit 105, Phoenix 103 Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Andre Drummond had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the Detroit Pistons 105-103 road win over the Phoenix Suns. Josh Smith posted 12 points and 11 rebounds and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 14 points to help Detroit finally end a 13-game losing skid. The Pistons last won a game on Nov. 14 in Oklahoma City. Jodie Meeks, who signed as a free agent this summer, played just under 22 minutes in his Pistons debut after missing their first 22 games with a back injury. He had 12 points off the bench, including a pair of late free throws that helped the Pistons secure the win. Goran Dragic led seven Suns in double figures with 18 points. Markieff Morris had 17 and P.J. Tucker and Eric Bledsoe netted 16 apiece as Phoenix lost its fourth straight game to fall to .500. Final Score: Miami 100, Utah 95 Salt Lake City, UT (SportsNetwork.com) - Dwyane Wade scored 29 points and the Miami Heat capped a tough road trip with a 100-95 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday. The Heat led wire-to-wire and were the beneficiary of a five- second violation in the closing seconds. Wade missed a free throw with 5.2 ticks remaining and Miami ahead 98-95, giving the Jazz one final shot out of a timeout. They never got one off, however, as Joe Ingles failed to get the ball inbounds and was whistled for a violation. Norris Cole hit two free throws to finish off the win for the Heat, who also received 22 points from Chris Bosh and went 2-3 on their road swing. Enes Kanter scored 25 points and Gordon Hayward added 18 for the Jazz, who were coming off a surprising win over the defending champion Spurs on Tuesday. Final Score: LA Lakers 112, San Antonio 110 (OT) San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - On a night where Kobe Bryant could have passed the great Michael Jordan on the NBAs all-time scoring list, it was Nick Young who bailed the Los Angeles Lakers out against the defending champs. Youngs desperation 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left in overtime lifted the Lakers to a 112-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Young finished with a team-high 29 points off the bench and Bryant added 22 points with nine assists in Los Angeles second straight win. Bryant entered the game 31 points shy of passing Jordan (32,292) for third place on the all-time scoring list. Tim Duncan, who needed 15 points to pass Jerry West for 18th on the all-time scoring list, paced the Spurs with 19 points and 18 rebounds. ' ' '