Crazyrebel(l)s ist umgezogen! » Monday night when the Houston Rockets come

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls have been playing great basketball of late and will try to continue that Monday night when the Houston Rockets come to the United Center. The Bulls have won two straight and nine of their last 10. Since Dec. 10, Chicago is 12-2 and vaulted into a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference, just 1 1/2 games behind the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls winning streak reached two games thanks to a 109-104 home overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday. It was Chicagos eighth win in its last nine as the host. Pau Gasol had another solid all-around game with 29 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Bulls. In Thursdays 106-10 win versus Denver, Gasol recorded 17 points, nine boards and a career-high nine blocks. As a team, Chicago tallied a franchise record 18 blocks. On Saturday, the Bulls had nine blocks, but shot just 37 percent from the field. I think we have room for improvement for sure, Gasol said. We can step it up a little more. I think when were locked in we can up the level of intensity and do some damage and win more comfortably. Aaron Brooks provided 19 points and Derrick Rose scored 12, but was just 5- of-18 from the floor. Taj Gibson had 12 points and Nikola Mirotic scored 10 in the win. After Bostons Jared Sullinger forced overtime with a layup with under three seconds on the clock, the Bulls never trailed in the extra period. Avery Bradleys layup had the visitors within two with 41.7 seconds left. Rose then countered with a layup on the ensuing possession. Evan Turner and Rose traded free throws to keep it a four-point contest with eight seconds to go. Turner then threw a cross-court inbounds pass that was too high for Jeff Green, who stepped out of bounds to seal the outcome. Including Mondays tilt with the Rockets, the Bulls play five of their next six at home. The Rockets have taken two of their last three, although theyve lost two in a row on the road. On Saturday, the Rockets buried the Miami Heat, 115-79, in Houston. Dwight Howard had 19 of his 23 points in the second quarter and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Rockets. Houston outscored Miami 71-39 in the second and third quarters to turn the game into a rout. James Harden posted 28 points and five rebounds for the Rockets, who had dropped five of their last eight games coming in. As bad as we were last night, we moved the ball pretty well tonight, said Rockets coach Kevin McHale about a Rockets team that had lost by 28 points in New Orleans on Friday. Against the Heat, McHale reinserted Donatas Motiejunas in the starting lineup. Josh Smith had started since being signed by the team, but Motiejunas scored 12 points. Smith had 12 off the bench while Patrick Beverley and Corey Brewer both scored 11. The Rockets visit the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks on this trip. The Bulls beat the Rockets in March of last season to end a four-game series losing streak. Chicago is 4-2 in its last six as the host versus Houston. Cheap Air Max 97 Ireland . There was little fanfare, though, when the Yankees captain was taken out of his final regular-season Subway Series game in the eighth inning. Jeter watched the last four outs from the bench, pulled off the field during a double switch Thursday night as the Yankees held off the Mets 1-0. Wholesale Air Max 97 Ireland . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory. http://www.airmax97cheapireland.com/ .com) - Novak Djokovic easily took care of Andy Murray to reach the final at the $2. Air Max 97 Ireland Cheap . Kuper, a fifth-round pick in Denvers 2006 draft, started 79 games at guard over eight seasons. He dislocated his left ankle in the last game of the 2011 regular season, and though he started another seven games after that, he never returned to his previous level. Air Max 97 Cheap Ireland . -- The NFL cancelled its Hall of Fame game between St. NEW YORK -- For nearly three years, Jadeveon Clowney couldnt wait to get to the NFL, and the league was just as eager to add the player some called the best defensive prospect in a decade. No surprise: Clowney is the Texans man. But Thursdays first pick of the NFL draft didnt come without some intrigue about how it would all turn out. There had been criticism of Clowneys work ethic last season and questions about whether the Texans would hold or trade the No. 1 slot. "I just been proving a lot of people wrong throughout my life," Clowney said. "Growing up, I grew up hard. I always said Im going to do something great. Hopefully, Im going to be a Hall of Famer one day." Houston will take that. This drafts other big name, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, sat with a sullen look on his face until Cleveland made its third trade of the round and grabbed the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at No. 22. To rousing cheers and chants of "Johnny, Johnny," Manziel smiled widely as he walked onto the Radio City Music Hall stage. "If you call it a slide, I wouldnt call it that at all," he said. "I was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. "Its a great story. Its great for me to end up there, at a team that has fans that are as passionate as I am on the field." Manziels wait added plenty of suspense nearly three hours after the Texans took their time selecting Clowney. Rarely does a team not reveal the top overall choice until it is announced, and there was wide speculation the Texans had soured on the defensive end, whose junior season at South Carolina was accompanied by criticism he played it safe to stay healthy for the pros. After Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick, fans filling Radio City Music Hall to capacity applauded Clowney as he held up his index finger, his eyes moist, a relieved look on his face. Just like the 30 prospects on hand, the fans were extra eager to see who would wind up where after the draft was pushed back from late April because the theatre was unavailable. "Its been a long time. It just kicked in at the end there, man, Ive been drafted," he said. Clowney, 21, brings size, speed and power to a lineup that already has 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. His diligence had been questioned after he slipped from 13 sacks to just three in 2013. Critics said he was protecting himself from injury in his junior year before declaring early for the draft. He is the first defensive player taken first overall since Houston selected another end, Mario Williams, in 2006. Williams now is with Buffalo. Houston also made the top pick in its first season, 2002, taking quarterback David Carr. He never lived up to that billing; the Texans hope Clowney has more of an impact. Tackle Greg Robinson, whose blocking helped high-powered Auburn make the national championship game last season, went second to St. Louis. The Rams owned the pick as the final payment for a 2012 trade with Waashington that allowed the Redskins to draft quarterback Robert Griffin III.dddddddddddd St. Louis is concerned about the health of starting left tackle Jake Long, who is coming off knee surgery. The first quarterback to go went to Jacksonville in the third slot, but it wasnt Johnny Football. Blake Bortles of Central Florida, whose stock shot up last season and in subsequent workouts. At 6-5, 232, Bortles drew comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger because of his combination of size and mobility. Jacksonville missed the last time it took a QB in the first round, Blaine Gabbert in 2011. The Jaguars gave up on the inconsistent Gabbert, who struggled to read defences and was benched for journeyman Chad Henne. Gabbert is now a backup in San Francisco. "Hes a down-to-earth guy, a self-made guy, a blue-collar guy and he wants to be the best he can be," said Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell, who added a word of caution: "He just needs a little bit of time." Seeing a chance to grab playmaking receiver Sammy Watkins of Clemson, Buffalo swapped spots with Cleveland, also sending a first- and fourth-round selection next year to move up from ninth to fourth. "Dynamic playmaker, and thats what this game is all about," Bills GM Doug Whaley said of Watkins. "Hes automatically going to make our quarterback (EJ Manuel) better." Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews, the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, went to Atlanta with the sixth overall pick. The Falcons leaked so badly on the offensive line in 2013 as they plummeted from NFC South champion to 4-12 that Matt Ryan was sacked 44 times. Another Aggies star was chosen next, receiver Mike Evans to Tampa Bay. The 6-4, 231-pound Evans is durable, versatile -- and quite emotional. He also couldnt hold back the tears when Goodell called his name. The crowd thought Manziel might go eighth when Cleveland traded up one spot to get Minnesotas pick. So when the Browns took cornerback Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State, there was a loud groan from the fans. Gilbert smiled wryly as he shook Goodells hand. Minnesota grabbed UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, Detroit selected North Carolinas Eric Ebron, by far the best tight end in this crop, and Tennessee filled a need on the offensive line with Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan. Finally, a local team was on the clock and the audience approved lustily when the Giants chose LSU receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham was followed by Pitt DT Aaron Donald to St. Louis, Virginia Tech CB Kyle Fuller to Chicago, Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier to Ohio State, Notre Dame G Zack Martin to Dallas, Alabama LB C.J. Mosley to Baltimore and, as fans chanted "J-E-T-S," Louisville safety Calvin Pryor is New York-bound. Minnesota finished off the opening round by trading with Seattle to select Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater, the third quarterback taken. Bridgewater was an early entrant into the draft, but already had graduated. ' ' '