ICC 10er » get the puck on net and drive to the net

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Bobcats arent content with just securing a playoff spot, they want to move up in the Eastern Conference before the playoffs. If they play like they did on Tuesday night, they might just make it. Al Jefferson scored 30 points, Anthony Tolliver added 22, and the Bobcats had a franchise-record 42 assists to earn a rare win over the Dallas Mavericks, 114-89 on Tuesday night. "These guys, you can see it in their eyes. Now, were playing for something and trying to reach our goals," Jefferson said. "I think we can have a chance to make a move when we come back from the All-Star break." First, there is the matter of playing the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. The Nets are currently seventh in the East, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Bobcats. "It was really important to get this one and go to Brooklyn and beat a seed ahead of us," Jefferson said. The Bobcats had lost 17 of 18 against the Mavericks, but scored 60 points in the paint and tied a season-high with 12 3-pointers. Charlottes 42 assists on 45 field goals was the highest percentage (.933) in the NBA this season. "We were able to make the right play and knock in some shots," said Josh McRoberts, who had a career-high 13 assists. "We shared the ball pretty well, and it helps when youre making shots." Charlottes relatively easy victory came on the night it was announced that the wife of Bobcats owner Michael Jordan gave birth to the couples identical twin daughters. Jordans spokeswoman Estee Portnoy told The Associated Press on Tuesday night that Yvette Jordan gave birth to Victoria and Ysabel on Sunday in West Palm Beach, Fla. Jordan missed his teams fine performance. "I told them we couldnt lose concentration," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. "We had games this year where we were down 16 or 18 points in the third quarter and we came back. In this league it happens all of the time." But there was no comeback for the Mavericks. Dallas Dirk Nowitzki sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and was taken to the locker room for observation. He returned in the second half and finished with 16 points in 25 minutes. The Bobcats went 12 of 24 from beyond the arc, led by Tolliver, who was 5 of 6. Jefferson was 14 of 23 from the field and reached the 20-point plateau for the 14th time in 15 games. He has averaged 27 points per game during that span. Charlotte built a 58-44 lead at halftime behind 16 points each from Jefferson and Tolliver. Gerald Henderson added 15 points, and Bismack Biyombo scored 10 points on 5 of 5 shooting and blocked a 3-point attempt by Vince Carter. Nowitzki had been 16-0 against the Bobcats while averaging 26.1 points per game. But he had just two points in 10 minutes of action in the first half before rolling his ankle when he landed on McRoberts foot. Nowitzki said he will play Wednesday night at Indiana. He wasnt quite sure what went wrong in a game that was never close in the second half. "They really got whatever they wanted," Nowitzki said. "Jefferson on the block scored. When we doubled, he passed out and they shot the ball well. They broke us down on some penetrations. They had 40-something assists, which is unheard of. "Every time there was a breakdown defensively, and they made us pay all night long." Dallas primary problem was stopping Jefferson in the paint. Playing at the top of his game, the 10-year NBA veteran scored almost at will with a series of low post moves, pump fakes and up-and-under moves. And when he wasnt doing that he was moving the ball and helping create shots for his teammates. NOTES: It wasnt all good news for the Bobcats as point guard Kemba Walker left the game with tightness in his Achilles in the second half and didnt return. He is day-to-day. ... The Bobcats handed out a season-high 42 assists. ... Monta Ellis had 16 points and has reached double figures in six straight games for Dallas. ... The Bobcats honoured six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. Cheap NFL Stitched Jerseys . -- The NFL cancelled its Hall of Fame game between St. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale . - The Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dennis Pitta reached agreement on a five-year contract Friday. http://www.cheaponlinenfljerseys.com/.com) - One point guard will return, while another will sit when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Of course that doesnt mean hes ignoring it. Thats actually rather impossible given the behind-the-scenes access to the Toronto Maple Leafs the network is getting. Cheap NFL Jerseys . With the players association in the midst of meetings in Las Vegas, a vote will be held on Friday to decide the CFLPAs presidency and other executive positions.The Chicago Blackhawks will try to avoid a third straight loss in the Western Conference Final when they visit the Los Angles Kings for Mondays Game 4 battle at Staples Center. Follow the action live NOW on TSN and TSN GO, beginning with the NHL on TSN pre-game show. The Blackhawks won the opener of this set 3-1 and then held a 2-0 lead late in the second period of Game 2 before Los Angeles came alive. The Kings used a furious comeback to take the second meeting in Chicago by a 6-2 score and then posted a 4-3 decision in Saturdays Game 3 in L.A. to grab a 2-1 edge in this best-of-seven series. The defending Stanley Cup champions hope to turn things around on Monday and even this set at two games apiece before it heads back to Chicago for Wednesdays Game 5. The Blackhawks beat the Kings in five games during the West finals a year ago before downing Boston to win the Cup for the second time in four seasons. Chicago is 2-5 on the road in the 2014 playoffs after Saturdays loss. The Kings are 4-3 on home ice this postseason. Jeff Carter has fueled the Kings offence over the last two games, recording four goals and three assists over Games 2 and 3. Carter recorded a hat trick and an assist in Game 2 and added a goal and two assists to help L.A. win Saturday on home ice. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Carter is the first Kings player to register three or more points in consecutive playoff games since Wayne Gretzky did it in 1993. After scoring six straight to win Game 2 in a rout, the Kings lit the lamp three straight times after falling behind, 2-1, on Saturday. Carter scored the tying goal at 8:08 of the second period in Game 3 and set up the go-ahead goal by Tyler Toffoli six minutes later. Carter has 19 points (8G, 11A) this postseason, one point behind teammate Anze Kopitar for the NHL lead. Drew Doughty had a goal and an assist, while Slava Voynov notched a power-play marker for the Kings, who can take a stranglehold in this series tonight. "Two-to-one series against the defending Stanley Cup Champs, I dont think theres taking control of a series," said Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown. "I think that both teams have shown that they are able to battle adversity. This is a team that was down last year and found a way to come back, so we did what we wanted tonight and got the lead in the series. Now its about resetting and reloading. Were up in the series, we have to keep going up." Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots in Saturdays win, while Corey Crawford allowed all four goals on 32 shots for the Blackhawks, who went 0-for-4 on the power play. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews scored two goals in a losing effort.dddddddddddd After his clubs second straight loss, Toews said now is not the time for frustration to set in. "We played well but we didnt get the result we wanted tonight," said Toews. "Well keep improving and move on to the next one. There is no time for getting discouraged and frustrated. We know we can keep pushing it to that next level and that is what its going to take against these guys. Clearly they want it badly and are playing really hard. For us I think its just a matter of continuing that effort that we started with in the first period." Toews scored short-handed 5:26 into Saturdays game, but Voynov tallied just 50 seconds later off a feed from Carter to even the score. Toews added his second goal of the game with 6:41 remaining in the first, but that would be Chicagos last goal until Patrick Sharp tallied in the closing seconds of regulation. Los Angeles tied the game at 8:08 of the second period on Carters eighth of the playoffs. Tanner Pearson fought for the puck behind the net and sent a pass to the front where Carter one-timed it in. The Kings took their first lead of the game six minutes later after a neutral zone turnover saw Carter chip the puck through the middle and behind the defence. Toffoli caught up to the puck and went backhand to forehand before sliding it in for his sixth of the playoffs and a 3-2 lead. "Getting pucks deep and getting lots of pucks to the net and creating traffic, you cant score goals unless you get the puck on net and drive to the net," said Toffoli. "If you look at our goals tonight, its cut into our system and were executing well right now." Quick stopped 10 shots in the second frame and helped Los Angeles kill off two penalties to keep the lead. The score stayed at 3-2 until Doughty tallied on a blast from the top of the right circle with 8:03 left in the third. Sharp scored with just 4.2 seconds remaining, but Chicago was unable to get another shot on net before time expired. Patrick Kane, last seasons Conn Smythe winner for the Blackhawks, has yet to register a point in the first three games of the series, but he hopes to break out in Game 4. "Just demand (the puck)," Kane said about how he can get on track. "Thats the biggest thing. Demand the puck and when I do get it be confident with it. Those two things will generally lead to better games from myself." This series marks the first time two teams are meeting in the Western finals in back-to-back years since the Stars/Avalanche in 1999-2000. ' ' '