LONDON -- Real Madrids 6-1 thrashing of Schalke followed by its 2-2 draw with La Liga title rival Atletico Madrid sent it to the top of this weeks Associated Press global football poll. Madrid edged Bayern Munich by three points to take team of the week honours for the second time this season. It was even closer in the player poll, where Munichs Arjen Robben beat Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo by two votes. Robben scored a hat trick in Bayerns 5-1 Bundesliga victory, also against Schalke, and runner-up Ronaldo managed a brace against Schalke in the Champions League. "Bayern Munich have gone unbeaten for an incredible 48 Bundesliga games and dont just beat opponents: They hammer them," Richard Jolly of ESPN said. Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sympathized with Schalkes tough week. "What in the name of soccer did Schalke 04 have to do to get a schedule where it played Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in a span of four days? Thats inhumane," Timmermann said. "And Schalkes in fourth place in the Bundesliga." Manchester City was third in the team vote after coming from behind to win the League Cup final against Sunderland 3-1. Yaya Toure, who levelled for City in the second half at Wembley with a curling long-range strike, was sixth in the poll, tied with Carlos Tevez. Tevez led fourth-place Juventus to a 2-0 away win over AC Milan. "It was impressive the way Carlos Tevez played this game: He was everywhere, showing a real fighting spirit, working hard for the team and scoring an amazing goal," panellist Aurelio Capldi of RAI Sport in Italy said. "He is now the Serie A top scorer." Chelsea was fifth after its 4-1 victory against Fulham saw it move four points ahead at the top of the Premier League, after Arsenal lost to Stoke 1-0. Germany attacker Andre Schurrle scored a second-half hat trick for Chelsea and enters the poll for the first time this season in third position. Robert Lewandowski of Borussia Dortmund was fourth, and Luis Suarez fifth after scoring on his 100th Premier League appearance for Liverpool as it won 3-0 away at Southampton to rise to second in the league. "The Uruguayan international striker creates, performs and leads his team higher and higher," Manos Staramopoulos of Eleftheros Typos in Greece said. After Tevez and Toure, the rest of the top 10 were Lionel Messi, Aritz Aduriz of Athletic Bilbao, and Karim Benzema of Real Madrid. . Golden States second straight road win wasnt painless. David Lee scored a season-high 29 points -- 13 in the fourth quarter -- and Nate Robinson added 17 points, leading the Warriors to a 105-95 win Tuesday night over the road-worn Cleveland Cavaliers. . PETERSBURG, Fla. . Earnshaw, 31, most recently spent time on loan in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv from Welsh club Cardiff City, which plays in Englands second-tier League Championship. Earnshaw began his career with Cardiff Citys youth program and turned professional in 1998. . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. .The Canadian teenage golf sensation announced Thursday shell join the LPGA Tour in 2015 instead of attending the University of Florida.CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Chris Paul said he spoke with Blake Griffin recently about getting back to what the Los Angeles Clippers do best.For the teams two superstars, that means working the pick and roll.This is our fourth year together and obviously your game changes and evolves and stuff like that, but we both realize our bread and butter used to be when I would attack downhill and he was rolling to the basket, Paul said. So we are trying to mix that in more.Griffin had 22 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, Paul had 22 points and a season-high 15 assists as the Clippers handed the Charlotte Hornets their sixth straight loss 113-92 on Monday night.Griffin finished one assist shy of a triple-double and Paul moved past Jerry West into 25th place all-time in NBA annals in assists.I thought Blake and Chris set the tone for us on both ends and I thought that was the difference, said Clippers coach Doc Rivers.The Clippers (8-5) outscored the Hornets by 39 points from beyond the 3-point arc.Jamal Crawford had 21 points and J.J. Redick added 17, combining to shoot 9 of 17 from 3-point range. As a team the Clippers were 15 of 32 on 3-point attempts; the Hornets were just 2 of 20.When you see J.J. and those guys getting open 3s like that its not because I did anything special, its because our bigs did a great job rolling, Paul said.Cody Zeller led the way for Charlotte with a career-high 17 points. Al Jefferson had 16 points and Kemba Walker 15 for the Hornets (4-11), who have lost eight of their last nine games.Lance Stephenson, Charlottes big free agent acquisition, was a non-factor with three points and six assists. He did not play in the fourth quarter even after Gary Neal left the game with a shoulder injury. Coach Steve Clifford said Stephensons lack of ball movement is one of the reasons he took him out of the game.Paul and Walker played a game within a game, each tryingg to get the better of each other on various possessions.ddddddddddddaul had six assists in the opening quarter and showed off his skills in the low post by posting up Walker and scoring on a pair of turnaround jump shots over the fellow point guard.That seemed to ignite Walker, who responded with a nifty crossover move that left Paul stumbling to regain his balance as he drained a step-back jumper from 17 feet. Paul didnt seem to take kindly to being shown up, knocking down an 18-footer on the ensuing possession.Clifford said the Hornets need to keep plugging despite the losing streak.We cant lose our spirit, Clifford said. To be a good team in this league it takes a lot of things but your best players have to be prideful and hard players. Al and Kemba tonight showed again theyre going to fight for this and theyre going to try hard to get this turned around.___TIP-INSClippers: Matt Barnes sat out with a calf injury and Rivers said his starting forward could miss the teams next game as well.Hornets: Forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist remains out with a stress reaction in his foot and Clifford said hes nowhere near being close to ready to return.KOBE VS. MICHAEL: With Kobe Bryant approaching Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list, Rivers was asked to weigh in who is better. We still have to play Kobe, so I will make my opinion when theyre all out (of the league) and they cant hurt you, Rivers said with a laugh. Right now Kobe can hurt me, so I say nothing. But Michael is Michael. I mean cmon, Michael is Michael. I saw a lot of him and like him better in a suit and tie.STATISTICAL ODDITY: Hornets forward Marvin Williams started all 15 games and played more than 360 minutes this season before attempting his first two free throws on Monday night. He made both.UP NEXTClippers: Play at Detroit on Wednesday night.Hornets: Host Portland on Wednesday night. ' ' '
|