Counter Strike » while striker Karim Benzema extended hi

NEW YORK -- Jason Kidd has a winning record for the first time in his coaching career. "Doesnt matter," he said. "It doesnt. Were playing better, thats all that matters." Better than anybody in the Eastern Conference since the new year, in fact. Joe Johnson scored 21 points, Marcus Thornton came off the bench for 20, and the Nets powered their way above .500 for the first time this season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 103-94 on Wednesday night. Deron Williams added 16 points and Paul Pierce 14 for the Nets (30-29), who have won four in a row overall and six straight at home in turning around a turbulent start. They are still only sixth in the Eastern Conference, but look capable of climbing more after following a rout of Chicago on Monday by clobbering the Grizzlies for most of this one. The matchup between two of the NBAs best teams in 2014 was a mismatch until the fourth quarter, when the Nets had already led by 30. Memphis fell to 21-9 since Jan. 1, while the Nets 20-8 record is tops among East teams. "Its not always how you start, its going to be how you finish. And I think with the way weve been playing as of late, since the All-Star break, since the turn of the new year, this is the Nets team that I envisioned from the beginning of the season," Pierce said. Jon Leuer scored 19 and Marc Gasol 18 for the Grizzlies, who were without Zach Randolph because of the flu and then turned in a sickly performance. Memphis never led and missed a chance to tie Phoenix for the Wests eighth and final playoff spot. "We look at the standings every day. I hear guys talking about who lost, who won. Just to come out with a performance like this is devastating," guard Tony Allen said. "But we cant hold our heads down. Weve got to keep pushing." Leading scorer Mike Conley missed all eight shots and had two points and six turnovers. "It was a tough night," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. "We had some guys really, really struggle tonight. Give them credit. They came out and played with a much more forceful nature, attacking us, both being physical defensively and just the mentality that, you know Were going to bring it to you." Jason Collins played 17 scoreless minutes on the day he signed his second 10-day contract. The NBAs first openly gay player got a visit in the locker room before the game from Commissioner Adam Silver, but received just polite applause when he checked in during the second quarter after getting a standing ovation Monday during his home debut. Randolph sat in front of his locker before the game with his sweatshirts hood pulled over his head, ultimately deciding he lacked the energy to play. Pierce went right at his replacement, Ed Davis, and already had eight points by the time Davis was yanked with the Grizzlies trailing 13-2. James Johnson replaced him and quickly botched a fast-break layup as Memphis missed 10 of its first 11 shots. Andray Blatches three-point play made it 26-5 with 3:30 left in the first, and Brooklyn led 54-44 at halftime. Brooklyn scored the first nine of the second half to open a 19-point lead and kept pouring it on by making six 3-pointers in the third quarter. The lead hit 87-57 on Johnsons short jumper, but the Nets had to bring starters back when the Grizzlies sliced that in half by midway in the fourth. The Nets were 10-21 after getting blown out at San Antonio on New Years Eve, threatening to become the NBAs biggest flop after building a team that would cost more than $180 million in salary and taxes. But theyve kept rolling after losing leading scorer Brook Lopez for the season, and most recently playing without Kevin Garnett for the past three because of back spasms. They picked up Thornton in a trade with Sacramento just before the trade deadline, a move that was all but ignored after they signed Collins a few days later. But hes scored 20 or more in two of his first five games with the Nets, and had 15 in the second quarter alone Wednesday. Notes: The Nets are 9-3 against West teams since Jan. 1. ... The Grizzlies Nick Calathes was chosen Wednesday as the Western Conference rookie of the month for February, when he averaged 10.7 points and 4.6 assists. ... Memphis had scored 110 in each of two previous games and was averaging 103.4 since the All-Star break. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Cheap New York Rangers Jerseys . More importantly, he is trying to show his young teammates the Colorado are still post-season contenders. He hopes winning a series at home was a fresh start. http://www.cheapnewyorkrangersjerseys.com/.com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No. Cheap Rangers Jerseys . -- The Sacramento Kings and guard Jimmer Fredette have completed a buyout of his contract, clearing the way for the former BYU sensation to become a free agent. Wholesale Rangers Jerseys . The Canadian Luge Association officially named seven athletes to the 2014 Olympic team Tuesday. Edney, will lead teenagers John Fennell and Mitchel Malyk into their first Games in mens singles. Tristan Walker and Justin Snith will represent Canada in doubles, while Gough, will be joined by Kimberley McRae in womens singles.BRUSSELS, Belgium -- France ended a three-game losing streak on Wednesday by drawing 0-0 with Belgium in a friendly, while striker Karim Benzema extended his goal drought for the national team to 1,155 minutes. Belgium bossed the midfield and created the better chances but lacked the finishing touch despite an inspired Kevin De Bruyne. Eric Abidal was playing his first match for France since recovering from a liver transplant last year while Geoffrey Kondogbia was making his France debut. France will face Georgia and Belarus in World Cup qualifiers next month while Belgium will visit Scotland. "I would have preferred to win, even though we lost our previous matches," France coach Didier Deschamps told TF1 television. "We didnt win this match, but we didnt lose either. The match that we will have to win is the one in Georgia in September." In six matches this year, France has four losses, one draw and just one victory. By contrast, Belgium won its five previous games. Benzema had the first scoring chance of the match in the 11th minute with an effort from a tight angle stopped by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. But Belgium looked the better team, spurred by an attack that had a strong Chelsea flavour with Romelu Lukaku up front and Eden Hazard and De Bruyne on the wings. Laurent Koscielny twice saved France with timely tackles. The Arsenal centre back beat Lukaku to the ball in the 16th to clear a teasing cross from De Bruyne before intercepting a through ball from De Bruyne for Hazard in the 24th. Koscielny teamed up with Abidal in the heart of the France defence. The Monaco centre back played the entire match and showed poise despite Belgiums pressure. Belgium is 10th in the FIFA rankings while France has slipped to 23rd. The gap clearly showed on the pitch. Hazard cut inside to fire a low drive straight into Hugo Lloris arms in the 21st while De Bruyne took advantage of a poor clearance from Koscielny in the 37th but missed the target from close range. FFranck Ribery led Bayern Munich to the Champions League title last May and proved Frances most potent threat.dddddddddddd The France winger outpaced Marouane Fellaini to square the ball back for Benzema in the 43rd but Vincent Kompany rushed back to clear Riberys low cross. On the stroke of halftime, Ribery set up Benzema, whose curling shot sailed over the bar. The Real Madrid striker also failed to catch the frame from five yards in the 59th and was denied by Courtois in the 66th as his international goal drought continued. Kondogbia shone last month as a member of the France team that won the Under-20 World Cup. But on Wednesday he struggled in midfield for his first cap. One of his turnovers led to a dangerous Belgian counterattack in the fifth minute. Kondogbia nearly made amends in the 30th as Courtois punched a corner into the path of the Sevilla midfielder, whose volley deflected off Toby Alderweirelds head. Belgium stepped up the pressure in the second half. But fullback Sebastien Pocognoli in the 49th, Fellaini in the 62nd, and substitute Kevin Mirallas in the 73rd all missed the target. De Bruyne tormented the France defence, slipping the ball to Lukaku in the 59th but the Chelsea forward could not make contact with the ball, four yards from the goal line. Lloris helped France salvage a draw by saving an angled shot from Lukaku in the 53rd and parrying a powerful strike from De Bruyne in the 68th. Samir Nasri came off the bench in the 63rd to replace Dimitri Payet. That was Nasris first appearance for France since serving a three-game ban for insulting a journalist in an expletive-laced tirade following a 2-0 loss to Spain at the 2012 European Championship. France had the last chance of the match. Olivier Giroud, who replaced Benzema, pounced on a loose ball in the 85th but sent his volley over the bar from 15 yards. In World Cup qualifying, Belgium leads Group A, three points ahead of Croatia, whereas France trails Spain by one point in Group I. ' ' '