Tagebuch » Dallas entered the locker room at half with a ni

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss the Paralympic spirit, a good day for King James, the future of football in Toronto and one truly ugly game at Staples Center. Bruce Arthur, The National Post: My thumb is up to the Paralympics, which began Friday in Sochi, or, more specifically to the Paralympians involved. There were calls for athlete boycotts after Russia sent troops into Ukraine the day after the Olympics ended, but an athlete boycott was a silly and callous idea; it would have no effect on the invasion except to deprive those who push the edge of human possibility from something they deserve, even in a diminished spotlight. Instead, at the opening ceremony Friday, we saw a significant political statement from Ukraine, which sent just one of its 23 athletes to march in the opening ceremony. We didnt see anything that meaningful two weeks ago; Im glad we saw it now. The Paralympics, and Paralympians, deserve whatever spotlight they get. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to LeBron James, and not for being the best player in the NBA or for the career-high 61 points he tossed up the other night. LeBron travelled last night to Cleveland, between games and against the advice of the Miami Heat, so he could be part of the ceremony that honoured his former Cavaliers teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas. LeBron played more games with Ilgauskas as a teammate than anyone else he has played with in his 11-year career and he wanted to be there for his good friend and to see him honoured. In an NBA world in which selfishness reigns supreme, King James showed another side of himself last night. A surprisingly likable side. Dave Naylor, TSN Radio: My thumb is up to the Buffalo Bills who this week pulled the plug - at least for one year - on the Bills in Toronto series. For something that once stirred rabid debate across this country, the Bills playing in Toronto turned out to be much ado about nothing. The product was lousy, the prices too high and – oh, yes - that infamous news conference. But what also became obvious was the disconnect between Torontos sports fans and somebody elses NFL team. I dont know if there will ever be another NFL game played in Toronto, but the only way it makes sense is if one of the teams playing is Toronto. Dave Hodge, TSN: It was going to be "thumbs down" to the LA Lakers for the worst game in their history - that would be Thursdays loss by 48 points to the Clippers - but really, it should be "thumbs up" to the Lakers for their contribution to the anti-tanking movement, which seeks to change the NBAs draft lottery. Theres no proof that the Lakers tanked against the Clippers, except the scoreboard, and the 18,000 eyewitnesses at Staples Center, and the open encouragement of a "Riggin for Wiggins" campaign. The NBA needs to act, and the NHL needs to follow before next season a strategy unfolds that could be known as "Lose honor, get Connor". John Wensink Avalanche Jersey . They are back to a game above .500 on the year and back to .500 on the road. It was their 10th extra time game of the year, and only the second one that did not got to a shootout. Paul Kariya Jersey . The Brad Jacobs team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., advanced to Fridays championship game with a 10-6 win over Chinas Rui Liu in the semifinal. http://www.hockeyavalanche.com/authentic-anton-lindholm-avalanche-jersey/ . It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports. Rob Ramage Avalanche Jersey . Acclaimed by world football leaders but held in contempt by many football fans. Blatter should arrive at the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo to watch host Brazil play Croatia confident that this tournament -- his fifth as president -- wont be his last leading the worlds favourite sport. Peter Forsberg Avalanche Jersey . At this point, even he isnt sure when it is going to stop. The right-hander dropped his fourth straight decision in Los Angeles 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, leaving his status very much in doubt as the Dodgers prepare for the stretch drive.Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points and Monta Ellis contributed a double-double as the Dallas Mavericks dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers, 140-106, on Friday. Ellis netted 20 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting to go along with a season-high 10 assists and help the Mavs score more than 100 points for the sixth straight game. Our goal is to play consistent every night, not only at home, but also on the road, Ellis said. Dallas, the NBAs top-scoring team, went up against the worst defense in the league and it showed, as the Mavs put up their highest point total of the season on 51-of-82 (62.2 percent) shooting -- including a blistering 18-of-35 (51.4 percent) clip from beyond the arc. Chandler Parsons deposited 21 points and J.J. Barea added 16 points off the bench for the Mavs, who have won six straight overall and four straight over LA. The Lakers shot a decent 44-for-85 (51.8 percent) from the floor, but they were no match, with Jeremy Lins 18 points leading the way. Kobe Bryant dropped in 17 points on 6-of-22 shooting as Los Angeles had its two-game winning streak snapped. Tonight is a setback, but sometimes you take a couple of steps forward before taking a step back, said Bryant.dddddddddddd Sometimes you take a step back before you can take a couple of steps forward. Tonight was a step back. Dallas entered the locker room at half with a nine-point lead, then it opened things up in the third quarter to turn the game into a rout. Ellis scored 12 points -- including three 3-pointers -- during a 14-2 run midway through the quarter that helped the Mavs extend their lead to 90-71. Although Los Angeles made 50 percent of its shots in the period, it allowed Dallas to shoot 14-of-18 from the floor and 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, trailing 110-83 entering the fourth. The Mavs lead swelled to as many as 38 in the fourth. Earlier, Dallas led by two with just over a minute to go in the first when Jae Crowder hit a 3 that started an 11-2 quarter-ending run for a 38-27 lead. The Lakers managed to trim the deficit to 68-59 at the half. Game Notes Dallas scored 20 points off 10 turnovers and had a 54-38 advantage in the paint ... The Mavs had a season-high 33 assists as a team ... Al-Farouq Aminu and Brandan Wright scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, off the bench for Dallas ... The Lakers will open up a four-game homestand against Denver on Sunday. ' ' '