thats where its going to be from here on out.Brady followed in lockst

New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - The New Orleans Pelicans handed the Cleveland 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. To beat a team like that without AD (Davis) and have as many contributions across the board was special, Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. 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. James sat out Thursdays contest against Oklahoma City due to left knee soreness. The Thunder proceeded to snap Clevelands eight-game winning streak. I felt good after the tests I was put through before the game, James said. I just wanted to go out and help our team win and was were a little bit unsuccessful. Cleveland trailed by as many as 19 late in the third, but Irving nailed a triple and fadeaway jumper on consecutive possessions to pull the Cavs within 106-99 with 3:46 left. The Pelicans, though, netted the next six. Back-to-back Evans buckets preceded a Holiday floater to cap the spurt and extend their advantage to 112-99 with 2:17 to play. Cleveland responded again, however, as Irving recorded a three-point play and hit a pull-up jumper before James Jones knocked down a right wing 3-pointer to whittle the deficit to 112-107 with 54.8 ticks on the clock. Luke Babbitt provided the dagger with 39.1 seconds remaining at the other end with a straightaway triple. The Pelicans took their commanding third-quarter advantage following a 12-2 surge during the latter stages of the period. Earlier, the game was tied 33-33 following a quarter of play, but a 12-5 swing during the latter part of the second helped New Orleans to a 64-59 margin heading into the break. Game Notes Davis had eight points on 4-of-4 shooting prior to departing ... The Cavaliers fell to 2-6 against the Western Conference this year. One of those wins came against New Orleans earlier this season ... The Pelicans shot 55.7 percent (44-of-79) from the floor. George King Jersey . -- Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday for the first time in his seven-year career because of a swollen muscle in his left upper back. Kevin Johnson Jersey . The Brazilian-born strikers brace drew him level with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the leagues leading scorers with 17 goals apiece through 16 rounds. "The important thing is to help the team win, not the goals," Diego Costa said. After a first half dominated by defence, Atletico pressed Valencia into its area and Diego Costa did the rest. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/Grant-Hill-City-Edition-Jersey/ .com) - Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of 16th-ranked Sooners 48-14 loss to No. Grant Hill Jersey . -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday. Frank Kaminsky Suns Jersey . -- Mississippis Andrew Ritter said his game-winning, 41-yard field goal felt good off his foot.CHANDLER, Ariz. - Those bad guys from New England finally made it out West, and it didnt take long for them to begin circling the wagons.An angry Robert Kraft led the way on a rainy Monday night in the desert, reading from a defiant speech crafted at 35,000 feet on the way out. It came straight from the heart, the owner of the New England Patriots said, because someone other than Bill Belichick and Tom Brady had to stand up for truth, justice and the American way.Actually, someone just had to explain what happened to those deflated balls in the AFC championship final, but that wasnt going to happen. Not here and certainly not now, with the Super Bowl just days away and the Patriots desperate for a way to turn the controversy over deflated balls to their advantage.That, really, was what all this was about. If Belichick was struggling to rally his players around their collective wounded pride, their owner wasnt going to let any more time pass before taking his shot.Kraft was nothing but all in, declaring that his coach and players had way too much integrity to engage in any kind of shenanigans. To even suggest so, he said, was so offensive that someone really ought to be apologizing, and he wasnt just talking about Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman.If the (Ted) Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure in the footballs, I would expect and hope the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular to coach Belichick and Tom Brady, for what theyve had to endure this week, Kraft said.If his righteous anger was a bit overboard, Kraft certainly had his reasons for taking the podium at the team hotel before Belichick and Brady faced the assembled media for the first time since arriving a few hours earlier.Clearly, he was looking to take some heat off of Belichick and Brady, who by now have already claimed ignorance about the deflated balls in so many ways that even the media seems tired of asking the questions. But ask they do, because its Super Bowl week and even the slightest hint of controversy is like raw meat to the insatiable appetite of television and the Internet.So Kraft tried to turn it to an advantage by declaring his love for both Belichick and Brady, rallying the troops with the classic uss against them mentality that coaches love to use to motivate their teams.ddddddddddddTom, Bill and I have been together for 15 years. They are my guys, Kraft said. They are part of my family. Bill, Tom and I have had many difficult discussions over the years. Ive never known them to lie to me. Thats why Im confident in saying what I just said.It didnt take long for Belichick to get on the podium and pay his owner back. Dressed for success in coat and tie instead of the traditional hoodie, he said he was forever indebted to Kraft for working out a trade to get him from the New York Jets, had a great personal and professional relationship with the owner, and loved everything about the organization.Oh, and he wished Patriots fans well in the massive snowstorm hitting the New England area, saying they have the kind of toughness and teamwork to get through it just like the football team they cheer for would get through its own ordeals.As for those deflated balls? Well, the owner had already had his say, so there was nothing left to add.I appreciate the questions, but Ive covered everything that I can cover in the previous week and my attention is focused on the Seattle Seahawks, he said. Our job is to get ready to play this game Sunday and thats where its going to be from here on out.Brady followed in lockstep, proving if nothing else that the Patriots had a game plan for the media this week and are sticking to it. By then, the assembled media seemed exhausted and barely brought up the controversy in a passing reference to one of the greatest passers ever.Brady did manage to mention, though, how much he loves his owner, too.Ive been fortunate to play 15 years and its a privilege to play for this team, he said. Mr. Kraft, Jonathan (son of Robert Kraft), theyre family to me and Id love to go out and play my tail off and play as best as I possibly can and try to go win a Super Bowl for him.On Sunday, the Patriots just may do that, and with properly inflated balls, to boot.Then maybe the talk will not be about deflated balls or cheating coaches. Instead, it will be about how the guys who are supposed to be so bad can be so good.____Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg ' ' '