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MIAMI -- For the first time all season, the Miami Heat are alone atop the Eastern Conference. Detroit Lions LaAdrian Waddle Mens Alternate Jersey Game Nike NFL Blue . And thats quite a turnaround from how things seemed less than a week ago. LeBron James fought through a sore back to score 32 points, Chris Bosh added 18 and the Heat used another strong defensive effort to beat the Toronto Raptors 93-83 on Monday night. The win pushed the two-time defending NBA champions percentage points ahead of the struggling Indiana Pacers in the race for the No. 1 seed in the East. "It doesnt feel like anything," James said. "The standings are what they are. We want to play the best we can and the fact that we are in first place, I think thats pretty cool but weve got so much work to do. Weve got too much work to do. Weve got guys that need to get healthy. We havent even talked about it. We probably wont talk about it. Weve got to play the season out." Chris Andersen scored 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting and Mario Chalmers added 12 for Miami (51-22), which was again without Dwyane Wade (hamstring), Greg Oden (back) and Ray Allen (flu). Indiana (52-23) lost at home earlier Monday night to San Antonio, 103-77. "The No. 1 seed is the last thing on our minds right now," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after his teams loss. The Heat -- who were three games out in the East after losing at Indiana on Wednesday -- are basically saying the same thing. Sure, its a neat perk -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called it an "ancillary" effect of hard work -- and Bosh acknowledged the outcomes Monday merited a very subtle fist-pump from him. But theres still plenty of time for things to change, and Miami is thinking more about getting those who are hurt and sick back into rhythm with the playoffs coming up in less than three weeks. "Were aware of it," Spoelstra said of the standings. "Its not that were naive to it. I didnt talk about it. ... These were pros that were getting ready for battle and its that type of focus, thats the type of thing were trying to stress right now, the process of building those habits. The results will follow. They tend to take care of themselves." Greivis Vasquez scored 17 points, DeMar DeRozan scored 16 and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors. Steve Novak added 13 for Toronto, which lost Kyle Lowry to a sore left knee late in the third quarter after he collided with James. "It was a hard-fought game -- basketball at a high level," Vasquez said. "We lost it in the third period. We came out too relaxed. We didnt attack the basket. Everything worked for them." Lowrys knee swelled, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said, and that hardly sounds like good news for a team fighting for the No. 3 spot in the East. "He bumped knees," Casey said. "It puffed up a little bit. X-rays were negative. We just have to wait and see how he is tomorrow." The Heat were down 10 midway through the second quarter, and then closed the half on a 22-9 run to take the lead and never trailed again. Bosh had consecutive baskets in the fourth quarter, the last of them an easy breakaway, to put Miami up by nine. A possession later, after a 3-pointer from Vasquez, James split a pair of defenders on the dribble and found Toney Douglas for a right-wing 3. And after a stop on the ensuing Miami trip, James got a wild layup to fall while getting fouled. Moments later, the Heat could look at the standings and finally see themselves on top. "We could still lose it," Bosh said. "That reality is there. We just have to keep concentrating on what weve been doing." NOTES: Miami has now won 15 straight against the Raptors, the last 14 of those meetings coming since Bosh left Toronto and joined the Heat during the summer of 2010. ... Monday was the start of a five-game homestand for the Heat, who face Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York and Brooklyn. Detroit Lions Golden Tate III Womens Alternate Jersey Game Nike NFL Blue . Liverpool is at the top at Christmas for the first time since 2008 after scoring 42 goals. Only Manchester City has been more lethal in front of goal, with the team — a point behind Liverpool and Arsenal in third — scoring 51 goals in 17 games. Lions Chris Houston Womens Alternate Jersey Nike NFL Blue . So far, his encore is even better. Wainwright became the National Leagues first eight-game winner by dominating Cincinnati again, and the St.SEATTLE - Fresh off spending more than two hours winding his way in front of a parade crowd that surpassed the population of Seattle, Pete Carroll was ready for the post-season to finally arrive. Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. "These players know that they got better all the way to the last game of the season. Thats always out there for us and that will continue to be our focus." Carroll and his team were feted in grand fashion on Wednesday, enjoying the first championship parade for a team in one of the four major sports in the city of Seattle since 1979. Seattle officials estimated the crowd along the parade route at 700,000 while owner Paul Allen, addressing a celebration at CenturyLink Field, said it was 1 million fans that crammed downtown streets. Carroll was at the front of the parade and later was leading the charge that this team he helped put together is not expecting to be a one-year wonder. "They have come together to do something very special and its not just one year," Carroll told the crowd. "Were just getting warmed up if you know what Im talking about." That means Carroll doesnt believe the Seahawks need to make major off-season additions as they did a year ago when Seattle signed defensive linemen Cliff Avril, Tony McDaniel and Michael Bennett in free agency and traded for Percy Harvin. Seattle will continue to mine the draft for gems like those they have found in the past and look at free agency but Carroll said they are very comfortable with the roster they have moving forward. "The priority is for us to get back to work and work really hard again. Thats going to be more important. Its not going to be something from the outside of us. We have what we need, we just need to get back to work when the time comes with the right attitude and the right focus. Thats all Im concerned about." It appears SSeattles free agency focus will be on trying to retain players on its current roster that could be coveted by others. Glover Quin Womens Road Jersey. Wide receiver Golden Tate and Bennett will both be free agents in the off-season and both expressed their desire to return to Seattle. Tate is at the end of his rookie contract, while Bennett gambled on a one-year deal with Seattle last off-season and now could be in line for a significant pay increase after a standout season with a team-high 8 1/2 sacks in the regular season and another 1 1/2 in the playoffs. Bennett became the interior pass rusher that Carroll has sought since his arrival in Seattle and part of a defensive line rotation that caused havoc. "I want to be back here 100 per cent," Bennett said. "I love the team. I love my teammates. Pete does a great job letting us play. I want to be a part of that. I know we can go back and win a Super Bowl again with all of these guys." Tate was Seattles leading receiver this season, his fourth with the team after being a second-round pick in 2010 as part of Carrolls first draft class. Tate said he would consider accepting a "little" less money for a chance to stay with the Seahawks. "In my eyes I would rather stay and play in a great organization, in a great city, around great people, around great teammates for a little less than go to a crappy city and win a ball game every now and then and be miserable for six months and have a fan base that doesnt care about the sport," Tate said. "Youve got to give a little or take a little, whatever. Well see how it works out. Hopefully, it does work out. I think Ive done everything in my power to earn the trust and respect of this organization." Carroll said Seattle will go into the off-season very healthy, the only lingering concern being a possible surgery on the toe of left tackle Russell Okung, who was injured in Week 2 against San Francisco and aggravated it later in the season. Harvin came out of the Super Bowl fine with his hip and now gets an entire off-season to get healthy. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
