Bewerbungen » one for his own validation.Its tim

NEW YORK -- LeBron James had little to say about his choice of hotels and even less about Phil Jacksons choice of words.James and his teammates made their statement loudly on the court.James scored 25 points, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love also surpassed 20, and the Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the New York Knicks 126-94 on Wednesday night.It was the first meeting since James was angered when Jackson referred to his friends and business partners as a posse last month in an ESPN interview. James refused to answer questions about the Knicks president, who watched the game from his usual seat a few rows back of center court.Im motivated for the love of the game, Im motivated by the process, Im motivated knowing that my kids are watching me tonight on national television, James said. So I dont need much more.The Cavs, who didnt stay together in New York after James and some other players opted against staying in the teams Donald Trump-branded hotel, won their second straight after a three-game skid.Irving led Cleveland with 28 points and Love scored 21, 16 in the first quarter, in Clevelands eighth straight victory over New York.Were going to go through skids, were not the perfect team, Irving said. But we also know what we have as a team when we collectively come together and its a beautiful thing.Brandon Jennings scored 16 points for the Knicks, who had their four-game winning streak snapped and lost for the just the third time in 10 games. He started for Derrick Rose, who missed his first game of the season with lower back pain.The Cavs made 22 3-pointers in 40 attempts.They played unbelievable and made all those shots, Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis said. Its really hard to stop a team like that.James and Love outscored Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony 46-20.Tristan Thompson grabbed 20 rebounds for the Cavs. They played without guard J.R. Smith, who returned to Cleveland for additional testing after hyperextending his left knee Monday in Toronto.Love and Irving made consecutive 3-pointers to kick off a 20-4 spurt that extended a one-point lead to 34-17 and the Knicks never really recovered. They trimmed it to nine late in the first half, but James had a ferocious dunk during the Cavs run of six straight points, and another burst to open the second half pushed it to 71-48 on Irvings 3-pointer.TIP-INSCavaliers: It was a rough first quarter for former Knicks guard Iman Shumpert, who missed a layup and a breakaway dunk, when he appeared to hurt his hand after hitting it on the rim. ... Irving came in averaging 28.4 points in five games at MSG, his highest in any arena.Knicks: Anthony was presented with his USA Basketball Olympic championship ring before the game. He shared USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year award earlier Wednesday with Kevin Durant after winning his record third gold medal in Rio. ... Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, working the game for ESPN, got a big ovation when shown on the overhead video screen.LEBRONS LODGINGJames said the decision not to stay at the Trump SoHo was a personal preference and not a political statement. He said it was the first time he hadnt stayed in the team hotel -- some other players also changed hotels -- though he did ride the team bus as usual to the morning workout.BAD BACKRose left the Knicks victory over Miami on Tuesday in the third quarter and was still feeling pain when he arrived Wednesday to meet with team doctors, who sent him for an MRI exam to make sure there was nothing structurally wrong.UP NEXTCavaliers: Host Miami on Friday. The Cavaliers have won the last three meetings in Cleveland.Knicks: Visit Sacramento on Friday to open a five-game trip in the West. The Knicks just beat the Kings here on Sunday, 106-98.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BriancmahoneyRobert Foster Jersey . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Deon Lacey Jersey . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. http://www.wholesalebillsjerseys.com/?tag=youth-t-j-yeldon-jersey . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. Rafael Bush Jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Corey Thompson Jersey . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position.CHASKA, Minn. -- Phil Mickelson has been giving the Ryder Cup a lot of thought lately.Probably way too much thought, though thats nothing new. Tough not to overthink things when youre always the smartest guy on the first tee.In Ryder Cups past, that might have signaled trouble for a U.S. team that has often lost because it struggles to find a mental edge. In the latest version that begins this week in Minnesota, it may not matter simply because theres such a talent gap between the two teams.The only real problem for Mickelson could be that hell be sharing the blame if the U.S. somehow kicks yet another one away at Hazeltine National Golf Club.Lefty finds himself in a dual role as both the elder statesman and a senior adviser to a U.S. team that has been on the losing side way too often recently in its matches with Europe. Its a position he seems to covet, and one that he arguably deserves after making 11 Ryder Cup teams in a row.Win, and it takes some of the sting out of what has been a less-than-stellar Ryder Cup career for Mickelson.Lose, and maybe its time to own up to the fact that trying to manufacture camaraderie among Americas golfing elite just doesnt work against a European team that always seems to find it on its own.I think its a great opportunity for us to do something special, Mickelson said Sunday. We have been given, the first time in 20 years that Ive been involved in the Ryder Cup, actual input, actual say, kind of ownership, if you will, of the Ryder Cup. And all the players feel like theyre involved and listened to. All the vice captains have great input.The question remains how that input will help players make putts. But Mickelson likes things better with the players somewhat in control.Mickelson and Tiger Woods were among 11 players, captains and PGA of America officials who were appointed to a Ryder Cup Task Force after the U.S. was thrashed by Europe two years ago in Scotland. In a desperate attempt to right the ship, they were charged with revamping anything and everything about how the U.S. prepares for the cup.The fact there was even a task force to begin with wasnt just because the U.S. team lost for the eighth time in the last 10 Cups. It was because Mickelson had enough of the high-handed way Tom Watson went about captaining the team in the lopsided win by the Europeans.ddddddddddddnfortunately, we have strayed from a winning formula in 2008 for the last three Ryder Cups, and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best, Mickelson said in a tense team press conference after the loss.That led to Mickelson having a big hand in bringing back Davis Love III as captain, despite the fact the U.S. collapsed in singles play to lose under his guidance four years ago in Chicago. It also led to a bizarre selection process -- mocked by the Europeans -- that culminated in the final pick being announced Sunday night on the eve of the weeks play.Indeed, this team seems to be as much Mickelsons as it is Loves. Hes been prominent in talking about how it was put together, even contradicting Love earlier this month about team plans.Mickelson and Love could be excused for not appearing to be on the same page. There are so many cooks on the American team -- including an assistant captain by the name of Tiger Woods, part of a sizeable team of five assistants -- that its impossible for everyone to match up their sound bits.Thats especially true after Love on Friday upped the pressure by declaring his squad the best golf team maybe ever assembled.That may or may not be true. The U.S. squad is supremely talented, and the Europeans have six players who have never been in a Ryder Cup before.But for the U.S. to win, Mickelson will have to do more than just help put pairings together. And he has a checkered past in the Ryder Cup, where he famously lost twice in pairing with Woods and is 16-19-6 overall.Hes been on 10 teams, and on the losing side on eight of them. For all his flag waving and ping pong playing in the team room, he hasnt come up big on the course, where it matters most.Mickelson has a chance to make up for that in a big way beginning Friday at Hazeltine. The U.S. desperately needs a win, and Mickelson almost as desperately needs one for his own validation.Its time for Mickelson to stop thinking, and begin playing.----Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or ht one for his own validation.Its timseball Jerseys[/url] ' ' '