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MILAN, Italy -- Alessandro Matri scored twice on his Fiorentina debut to help his new team win 3-0 at bottom club Catania in Serie A on Sunday. Matri had only scored once in six months for AC Milan but now has more goals for Fiorentina after a brilliant first half. "Today was an afternoon I dreamed about," Matri said. "I really wanted to get back to helping the team. Its been a difficult six months, in which I suffered, and I thank those who were close to me, my family and my girlfriend, I dedicate the goals to them." Fiorentina moved three points behind Napoli in the race for third place and the final Champions League berth after the Naples club were held to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Bologna. Napoli thought it had won after goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon but Rolando Bianchi scored his second of the game in the final minute. In the evening game, Clarence Seedorf got off to a winning start as coach after Mario Balotellis penalty helped AC Milan beat Hellas Verona 1-0. "After the match we all gathered in a circle with our arms around each other. From now on we will always do that, regardless of the result. That way we will all look each other in the face," Seedorf said. "It is an important start and I am happy for this group. Theres a lot of work still ahead of us, but everything is lighter and comes easier when you are winning." Inter Milan lost 1-0 at Genoa for its third defeat in five league matches. In the earlier kickoff, 10-man Lazio fought back after twice trailing to win 3-2 at Udinese. Elsewhere, it was: Chievo Verona 1, Parma 2; Atalanta 1, Cagliari 0; and Sassuolo 0, Torino 2. With Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez injured, Matri was handed his Fiorentina debut days after joining on loan from Milan, and it did not take the former Juventus striker long to have an impact as he set up Fernandez for the opening goal in the 25th minute. Matri got on the scoresheet three minutes later, getting the better of his marker to slide home Manuel Pasquals pass. He doubled his tally four minutes from halftime when Catania goalkeeper Alberto Frison did brilliantly to deny Fernandez but Matri tapped home the rebound. Matri was substituted at the start of the second half as a precaution after picking up a knock. Fernandez almost scored his second of the match on the hour mark but hit the crossbar. It was a disappointing return to the Catania bench for coach Rolando Maran, who had been sacked and replaced by Luigi De Canio in October. Relegation-threatened Bologna had held Lazio to a draw last week and was looking to continue its unbeaten run under new coach Davide Ballardini. It took a surprise lead eight minutes from halftime when Bianchi got in front of Raul Albiol to head in Alessandro Diamantis cross. Napoli strove for the equalizer and its hard work paid off shortly after the hour mark when Higuain smashed home a penalty after Panagiotis Kone bundled over Blerim Dzemaili. Callejon fired Higuains cross into the far corner 10 minutes from time and Napoli looked set to take all three points when Kone was sent off for a second booking four minutes later. However, Bianchi drove home Diamantis corner to snatch a draw. Inter is eight points behind the top four as its miserable run continued. Luca Antonelli was left unmarked to head home a corner seven minutes from time. Inter has won just one of its past eight league matches. Verona is doing well in its first season back in the top flight and is level on points with Inter. Milan is struggling and replaced Massimiliano Allegri with former player Seedorf after last weeks 4-3 loss to Sassuolo. After beating Milan on the opening day, Verona appeared to be heading for a draw at San Siro before Alejandro Gonzalezs needless tackle on Kaka. Balotelli stepped up and fired powerfully into the right side of goal. "It is a victory that we dedicate to Seedorf, the first game is the most difficult," Balotelli said. Udinese is just three points off the drop zone after a third straight defeat. Bologna, Sassuolo and Chievo are all level on 17 points, four more than bottom two clubs Livorno and Catania. .C. - Alberta prop Andrew Tiedemann will captain Canada against Uruguay on Friday, the opening day of competition at the IRB Americas Rugby Championship. . TSN platforms will broadcast 75+ live games per season – tripling the networks current slate of MLB games. With the new deal TSN retains rights to ESPNs SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL and, for the first time, acquires rights to ESPNs MONDAY NIGHT BASEBALL and WEDNESDAY NIGHT BASEBALL. . Neither made it that far in 2013. Not even close. Federer lost his second match at the All England Club. Nadal exited in the first round, a year after bowing out in the second. .com Tours season-opening Colombia Championship on Sunday, breaking the course record with an 8-under 63 in the completion of the third round before rain washed out play. . The Red Wings hadnt played the night before. The Boston Bruins had. A month from now, or two months from now, it doesnt matter. But right now it does matter, when you start and you play back to back, its wear and tear on you for sure, Babcock said.MIAMI - Dwyane Wade scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half, Luol Deng finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in LeBron James first game back at his former home 101-91 on Thursday.Chris Andersen scored 12 for the Heat, who led by as many as 17, trailed for a moment in the fourth quarter before gathering themselves and pulling away again.James scored 30 points for the Cavaliers, hugging his former teammates before the game and after the final buzzer. It was James first time as an opponent in Miami since he helped the Heat reach each of the last four NBA Finals, winning two titles.Kyrie Irving added 25 points, and Kevin Love scored 14 for Cleveland.Miami was again without Chris Bosh, still sidelined by a calf injury.CLIPPERS 100, WARRIORS 86LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jamal Crawford scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, Chris Paul added 22 points, and Los Angeles handed NBA-leading Golden State its second Staples Center loss in three days.The Warriors held the Clippers to 4-for-24 shooting in the first quarter and 39.1 per cent for the game, two nights after the Lakers shot 51.7 per cent without Kobe Bryant to beat them 115-105. That loss ended a streak of 27 straight games by the Warriors in which they held opponents under 50 per cent.The Clippers, beginning a nine-game homestand after back-to-back losses to San Antonio and Atlanta, havent dropped three in a row since March 29-April 1, 2013. Blake Griffin missed his first eight shots and was 5 for 16 overall with 18 points and 15 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 12 boards.Klay Thompson scored 15 points, and Stephen Curry 14 for Golden State, which has lost three of five following a 23-3 start that included a franchise-record 16-game winning streak.BULLS 113, LAKERS 93CHICAGO (AP) — Pau Gasol had 23 points and 13 rebounds against his former team and Chicago beat Los Angeles with Lakers star Kobe Bryant resting his sore body.Jimmy Butler added 21 points, and Derrick Rose had 20 points and six assists to help the Bulls win their season-high fifth straight.With Bryant missing his second straight game, the Lakers weere unable to pull off another upset.dddddddddddd. They stunned Golden State on Tuesday night but came up short against the Central division leaders.Gasol, a two-time champion in six-plus seasons with the Lakers, was 9 of 14 from the field in his first game against Los Angeles since joining the Bulls in the summer.Wesley Johnson led Los Angeles with 19 points.THUNDER 114, SPURS 106SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Russell Westbrook scored 34 points, and Oklahoma City beat San Antonio in a rematch of last seasons Western Conference Finals.The Thunder earned their sixth straight regular-season victory over the defending NBA champions in the first meeting between the teams since San Antonio topped Oklahoma City in six games on the way to a fifth title.The Thunder were without reigning MVP Kevin Durant, and the Spurs were missing Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, but there was still plenty of firepower.Serge Ibaka had 21 points, including going 3 for 4 on 3-pointers for Oklahoma City (14-16). Steven Adams added 16 points and 15 rebounds to offset San Antonio centre Tiago Splitter matching his season-high with 14 points.Matt Bonner had 17 points to lead seven players in double figures for San Antonio (18-12), which has lost five of six. Tim Duncan had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.WIZARDS 102, KNICKS 91NEW YORK (AP) — John Wall had 24 points and 11 assists, eluding the Knicks all day until getting knocked to the floor by a flagrant foul that sparked an altercation, and Washington beat New York.Wall toyed with the Knicks for 3 1/2 quarters, highlighted by a spinning, 360-degree layup, before Quincy Acy knocked him down with a forearm shove with 5:31 to play. Wall got up and pushed Acy, who responded with a punch that appeared to hit Wall behind the neck. Acy was ejected in the Christmas dust-up, and Wall received a technical foul.Bradley Beal added 17 points for the Wizards, who had their top five of Wall, Beal, Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat in the starting lineup for the first time this season.Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points for the Knicks, who fell to 5-26 and have the most losses in the NBA. They have dropped six straight and 16 of 17. ' ' '
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