Thorson completed 15 of 22 passes for 196 yards, but

Chris Pauls answer was brief, just like his time on the free agent market. "IM IN!!!" he wrote Monday on Twitter. He will be staying with the Clippers, the longtime losers he helped turned into a division champion in just two seasons. Dwight Howard will need more time to think. Free agency opened Monday in the NBA with the focus on the pair of Los Angeles All-Stars, though Paul took himself off the market only hours after shopping season started. Agent Leon Rose confirmed Pauls return, which had been expected after the Clippers signed Doc Rivers as their new coach. The Clippers can pay the two-time Olympic gold medallist around $108 million for five years. Howard can make even more by staying with the Lakers, but that wont stop him from looking elsewhere. He met with the Houston Rockets early Monday, the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks also are interested, and the Lakers have said repeatedly they want to keep him. The Rockets got the first crack at persuading him to leave. With Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler joining its contingent, Houston pitched Howard on joining All-Star James Harden. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey wrote on Twitter that it was a great meeting with Howard and that having Olajuwon and Drexler there "made it obvious how (Howard and Harden) could be the next (great) big/wing combo." Hawks general manager Danny Ferry and new coach Mike Budenholzer were visiting Howard later Monday, trying to convince him to join his hometown team. And hell meet Tuesday with the Lakers delegation. His first -- perhaps only -- season in Los Angeles was a disappointment and he acknowledged being unhappy at times. But the Lakers want to keep the former Defensive Player of the Year, believing the extra year and about $30 million more they can give him will provide a huge advantage. Steve Nash, who like Howard had a difficult first season in Los Angeles, tweeted Monday that he was flying from New York to Los Angeles to help the Lakers make their pitch. "(Dwight Howard) were coming for you," he wrote. "Youre going to love the statue we build for you outside Staples in 20yrs!" Contracts cant be signed until July 10, after the next seasons salary cap has been set. The Hawks also were expected to meet with their unrestricted free agents, Josh Smith and Kyle Korver, on their trip to Los Angeles, a person with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Mondays meetings have not been officially announced. There is plenty of interest in Smith, a versatile forward, and Deron Williams announced the Nets interest in Korver by posting a picture of the sharp shooter in a Brooklyn uniform on social media. The Knicks are hoping Andrea Bargnani relocates his outside shot after agreeing to a deal with Toronto to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft. The Raptors will receive Knicks reserves Steve Novak, Marcus Camby and Quentin Richardson, who will be signed-and-traded. The Knicks are also sending the Raptors a 2016 first-round pick and two second-round picks, according to a person with knowledge of the details. Bargnani averaged a career-best 21.4 points just three seasons ago, but finished with his worst scoring and shooting numbers last season since he posted career worsts of 10.2 points and 38.6 per cent shooting in 2007-08. Other top players that are available include Denvers Andre Iguodala and Philadelphias Andrew Bynum -- both part of the four-way trade that sent Howard from Orlando to Los Angeles last summer -- and Indianas David West. Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith of the Knicks is a free agent, as is former winner Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs, who also could lose forward Tiago Splitter. Miami is trying to hold onto Chris Andersen, which would essentially keep together the entire core of the team that beat San Antonio in seven games to win the NBA championship. Nike Air Max 90 Blue . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Nike Air Max 90 Grey . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. http://www.airmax90outletonline.com/ .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Nike Shoes Air Max 90 Womens . JOHNS, N. Nike Air Max 90 Shoes Sale . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald did not need to search too far to remind his players that a loss in Week 1 does not squash their goals.He just jogged their memories.The Wildcats enter Saturdays game against FCS powerhouse Illinois State looking to rebound from a season-opening loss to MAC favorite Western Michigan and the knowledge that the team they beat in last years opener did quite well in the end: Stanford went on to win the Pac-12 championship game and the Rose Bowl after Northwestern kept the Cardinal out of the end zone in a surprising 16-6 victory.I would say we beat them a lot more than Western Michigan beat us and (I) reminded the guys what they decided to do collectively as a program is learn from it and get better, Fitzgerald said. At the end of the year, you could say they were one of the best teams in the country.The Wildcats clearly have some work to do if theyre going to match last seasons school record-tying 10 wins, let alone challenge for the Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl berth. Dominant on defense last season, they allowed Western Michigan to control the ball for 39 minutes and convert 4 of 4 fourth downs in a 22-21 loss.Quarterback Clayton Thorson also fumbled at the goal line in the closing minutes, stopping the comeback attempt. And Northwestern lost by one after going 5-0 in games decided by seven points or less a year ago.Yet as discouraging as the opener was, Northwestern can still achieve big things.Safety Kyle Queiro found inspiration in the 1983 Miami team that beat Nebraska for the national championship in the Orange Bowl after getting blasted by Florida in the season opener and Jim Valvano leading North Carolina State to the NCAA basketball title that year.That kind of just fueled me up, Queiro said. Its a long season, and theres still work to do. Im really excited about those things. Its not like were ggoing into uncharted territory.dddddddddddd Theres other teams that have done that before.Here are some things to look for as Northwestern tries to rebound against Illinois State:RUNNING AWAYSecond in the Big Ten to Ohio States Ezekiel Elliott last season with 1,418 yards rushing, Justin Jackson opened his junior year on a strong note. He now has 14 career 100-yard games after running for 124 yards and a career-high three touchdowns last week. He is about to face a team that forced three turnovers and gave up just 22 yards rushing while stomping Valparaiso 50-13.ABOUT ILLINOIS STATEThe Redbirds are just two years removed from the FCS championship game and are coming off a run to the quarterfinals. Quarterback Jake Kolbe threw for 166 yards and a touchdown last week, and had an interception returned for a TD. George Moreira ran for 93 yards on just seven attempts, and linebacker Alejandro Rivera returned an interception for a TD.ARMEDThe Wildcats are banking on more from Thorson now that he has a season behind him. But his sophomore year opened on a difficult note. Thorson completed 15 of 22 passes for 196 yards, but the offense basically stalled. And the goal-line fumble was a crushing blow.TAKEDOWNLinebacker Jaylen Prater set career highs against Western Michigan with nine solo and 18 total tackles, the most in a Northwestern opener since Pat Fitzgerald took over in 2006. Prater had 46 tackles as a junior last year before suffering a season-ending eye injury.SECONDARY PROBLEMNorthwesterns secondary could have its hands full with Anthony Warrum. A third-team All-American last season, he set a school record and led the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 15 touchdown catches and was second in the league with 1,290 yards receiving. ' ' 'API POINTSOrtiz moved past Bobby Doerr into sixth place on Bostons career list with 2,043 hits. He has 1,739 RBI, which is one away from tying Rafael Palmeiro for the ninth most in AL history.UP NEXTRed Sox RHP Rick Porcello (17-3), 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay this season, faces Rays RHP Matt Andriese (6-5) on Wednesday night. ' ' '