After undergoing several tests, LeBron James took the court last night to lead the Miami Heat to a 106-87 win over the 76ers. James scored 27 points despite his three-game break following a hamstring injury.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said: “He knows his body better than anybody, so he knew how to pace himself and put his fingerprints on the game.”
After the game, James said: “”It’s special. We’ve got a special team. We’ve been saying that all year. We don’t take this moment for granted. There’s not many teams in NBA history that have won 60 games.”
76ers’ Dorell Wright added: “That’s a championship team, a veteran team, so they know how to close games. But I’m not taking anything from us. I think effort was there. We played hard.”
The Heat won their game despite the absence of two injured players- Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
Dan Ellis, goalie for the Carolina Hurricane, didn’t start in yesterday’s game against the Florida Panthers. He did end up playing though, and helped his team earn a 3-2 victory with 19 saves.
Ellis explained that his initial reluctance to play was due to an illness.
“Just wasn’t feeling well,” Ellis said. “Some type of flu or whatever it was, but in the end that ended up costing us our goalie. It kind of sucks to lose such a good goaltender, such a big piece to our team, and such a good person. But at least we got the win.”
Goalie Cam Ward replaced Ellis in the beginning of the game, but was taken down during the second. The extent of his leg injury was unclear after the game.
“He’ll probably get evaluated tomorrow… More results,” explained Hurricane coach Kirk Muller. “Hopefully he gets back soon because he was playing good hockey.”
Ellis added: “If I maybe would have just found a way to play through it, maybe it could have prevented an accident like that.”
18-year-old Nick Anderson manages the basketball team at the Academy of Holy Angels high school in Minnesota. Challenged with cerebral palsy, Nick has never been able to play. Never, that is, until this week.
“There is no better feeling than stepping on the court with a jersey on,” Anderson said after the game. “This is something I’ve waited for my entire life.”
Though Anderson didn’t shoot, he handled the ball perfectly, helping his teammates achieve a 75-69 victory, according to the Star Tribune.
Anderson’s mother Michelle was thrilled for her son. Cerebral palsy has never kept him from pursuing his dreams, and this game was a gratifying reward for his determination. She explained:
“He has such a passion for sports, he loves it. And he’s a very deep thinker. But I never dreamed he would play the game, get the chance to go out there and do it. It’s incredible. He always had his determination.”
Coach Larry McKenzie said:
“He’s been more committed than the guys that get the opportunity to play. After every game, the first text I get on what we can do to improve is always from Nick. He’s a leader of leaders.”
He added, “I just think it sends that message that whatever your challenges are in life, if you stay with it, opportunity comes. Dreams to come true; I’m a believer in that.”
Al Jefferson’s jumbo-sized bed has made a giant splash in the media this month, with Mo Williams’ Twitter shot wowing fans and furniture fanatics alike.
Measuring 12 feet by 10 feet, the bed is the size of the average bedroom. The set cost $23,287.
Talking about the generated hype, the Utah Jazz center said: “I think it’s really silly. I think there’s more important things going on in this world than me buying a bed that I can afford.”
He added, “I don’t regret it. I love it.”
Though the bed was certainly pricey, Jefferson is about to make $15 million this season. In comparison, the money spent is like a person with a $50,000 salary spending $77.62 on a bed; a steal by anyone’s standards!
