LOS ANGELES -- Matt Barnes is back playing with the Los Angeles Clippers, and it looked as though hed never been away. Wearing goggles to protect his surgically repaired left eye, Barnes contributed 13 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers to help the Clippers win their fourth straight, 112-91 over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. "Love having him back," said Blake Griffin, who had 24 points and 16 rebounds. "Hes a guy who has a positive impact even if he doesnt score a basket." Barnes played for the first time since undergoing three procedures to repair a torn retina in his eye. He got hurt on Nov. 18 when Memphis Zach Randolph inadvertently hit Barnes in the eye. "I feel good," he said, adding that he doesnt like the goggles. "I got elbowed and the goggles gave me a bruise. I dont see myself wearing them long." Clippers coach Doc Rivers said of Barnes, "He looked good. He just gives us something extra -- the toughness, the cutting, the basketball IQ. His shot looked good." Jamal Crawford scored 27 points, hitting six 3-pointers as the Clippers led all the way. Chris Paul added 10 points and 11 assists. DeAndre Jordan had 12 rebounds. "Whenever we set the tone in the first quarter it kind of carries us," Crawford said. "Chris and those guys threw some good passes. I had the easy part shooting the ball." Wilson Chandler scored all of his 19 points in the first half and Timofey Mozgov had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Nuggets, who lost their third straight. Ty Lawson added 13 points as Denver was held to 35 per cent shooting. "We just got thoroughly outplayed by a better team. They pretty much did what they wanted to do to us on the boards. Inside, outside, and on the break, our energy was bad," Nuggets coach and former Lakers star Brian Shaw said. "Were not in a good place right now. Weve got to do some soul searching and really get back to the basics if we want to right the ship." Nuggets starter Kenneth Faried rolled his left ankle at 8:45 of the first quarter and didnt return. The Clippers made 13 3-pointers, improving to 21-2 since the start of last season when they make at least 11. They hit five 3s in the third, including three by Crawford, who had 11 points in the quarter. Griffin went coast-to-coast for a dunk in the third, when Los Angeles stretched its lead to 79-60. "Thats a tough team," Chandler said. "Youve got to try to take something away on the fast break, but theyve got the layups, theyve got the lobs or theyve got the open man for the 3, so its kind of tough." Grifffin and the other starters got some rest to start the fourth before he, Crawford, Paul and Jared Dudley returned midway through. Griffin made four straight free throws and Crawford scored to restore the Clippers lead to 20 points with under five minutes to go. Griffin provided two highlights in the second. He dribbled the length of the court, drawing oohs from the crowd as he went behind his back three times before doing a 360-degree spin and hitting a layup. It didnt count, though, when Lawson was called for a foul. Griffin made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Clippers their largest lead of the half, 44-27. "I dont even know what I was doing," Griffin said, smiling. Barnes missed and Griffin flew in and slammed the ball down for the one-handed putback that kept the Clippers ahead by 11. Darren Collison got in on the act, too. Barnes tipped the ball as the Nuggets inbounded and Collison tossed up a 22-foot desperation heave that went in at the buzzer, keeping the Clippers ahead 56-43 at halftime. Collison scored 13 points. NOTES: Nuggets F Jordan Hamilton returned after serving a one-game suspension for throwing a punch in Tuesdays loss to Oklahoma City. ... Clippers G J.J. Redick is expected to get the cast off his right hand early next week. Hes recovering from a broken hand and torn ligaments in his wrist. ... The Nuggets fell to 1-4 in the second half of a back-to-back set. They were beaten by Phoenix on Friday. . “Momentum is only as good as the next days starter,” the long-time Baltimore Orioles manager famously quipped. . - The Cleveland Indians will place centerfielder Michael Bourn on the disabled list before their opener at Oakland on March 31.
http://www.cheapchiefsjerseyssale.com/? ... ersey-sale. -- The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with cornerback Kelvin Hayden. . -- The NFL cancelled its Hall of Fame game between St. .com) - Bradley Beals 22 points and seven rebounds helped the Washington Wizards erase a halftime deficit and top the Utah Jazz, 93-84, on Sunday.SARASOTA, Fla. - After his second knee operation in a less than year, Manny Machado thinks hell be ready to play when the Baltimore Orioles start spring training next month.The dynamic 22-year-old third baseman participated in batting practice and running drills Wednesday at the teams spring training headquarters during the final session of the Orioles three-day mini-camp.My goal was just to come out here and show them that Im ready to go, he said.Machado hit .283 with 14 homers, 51 doubles and 71 RBIs in his first full season in 2013, when he was picked for the AL All-Star team and earned a Gold Glove. He tore a left knee ligament that Sept. 23 when he stepped awkwardly on first base in a game at Tampa Bay and needed surgery.Machado returned May 1 and batted .278 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs. He was suspended for five games after throwing his bat against Oakland on June 8 following consecutive high-and-tight pitches from Fernando Abad.Machados season ended Aug. 11 when he tore a ligament in his right knee while swinging during a plate appearance against the New York Yankees. He had surgery 16 days lateer.ddddddddddddRight now, I feel like Im ready to go come spring training. Im ready to roll — finally have a spring training, Machado said. I havent had one in a while. Thats the first thing thats on my mind. Hopefully, Ill be ready if nothing comes up.Manager Buck Showalter asked Machado to drive over from his off-season home in Hialeah.Manny looked good today. Glad he came over, Showalter said. Didnt have to. Appreciated him making the trek.Machado married Yainee Alonso, the younger sister of San Diego first baseman Yonder Alonso, during the off-season, and took off a month.Machado said that when he came back, he felt awesome.I felt great. My body was feeling great, he said. I think thats why Im in this position now that I could do what Ive been doing, because I took that little time off and kind of let my body heal completely.NOTE: RHP Suk-min Yoon, who was signed last year to a $5.75 million, three-year contract, will not be invited to big league spring training, Showalter said. The South Korean was a highly coveted free agent a year ago, and spent 2014 pitching for Triple-A Norfolk. ' ' '
