both striking and as soon as the fight hits the mat. Joe L

PHILADELPHIA - Suddenly, the 76ers arent everyones punching bag.Michael Carter-Williams hit a running layup with 9.9 seconds left to lift Philadelphia to a 93-92 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.Tony Wroten had 20 points to lead Philadelphia, which won its second straight game for just the second time this season. Its the 76ers third victory in the last four games. They won for the second time at home and are 7-12 since beginning the season 0-17.We try to stay pretty grounded and understand what were all about and what our purpose is, Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. (The 0-17 start) does seem a while ago. Whether what weve done lately has erased that stat, that fact from peoples minds, I dont know.David West tallied a season-high 28 points for the Pacers but came up short on a 13-footer at the buzzer that wouldve won it for Indiana. West had put the Pacers in front with a fadeaway 12-footer with 17.6 seconds left.But Carter-Williams sent Philadelphia to the win with his layup eight seconds later. He also had nine assistsWeve been able to stop teams and guard teams, but they have some good guards and we just couldnt stop their penetration, West said. Carter-Williams made a heck of a play.Carter-Williams, last seasons Rookie of the Year, avoided Pacers 7-foot-2 centre Roy Hibbert on the winning basket.I knew I couldnt go over the top because hes a pretty good shot-blocker, so I went underneath and I was able to get it off, Carter-Williams said.West had a chance to win it but was defended well by Luc Mbah a Moute on the final possession.They didnt bite on the pick-and-roll, so it turned into a one-on-one at the top of the key, West said. He just guarded it well and I wasnt able to get any separation.Robert Covington added 16 points for Philadelphia.Theyre shooting the ball better and theyre just growing, Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. You can see theyre putting in the work. Coach Brown is doing a great job with them and theyre improving, both in their play and their confidence.Wroten made two highlight-reel passes in the fourth quarter, setting up JaKarr Sampson for an alley-oop dunk with 9:38 remaining and then bouncing the ball off the backboard for K.J. McDaniels breakaway jam.We just play together, man, Wroten said. We play hard, regardless, and we never give up.The jam gave Philadelphia an 84-77 advantage, matching its largest lead, with 7:28 left. But the Pacers scored 11 of the next 14 to go up 88-87 with just under 2 minutes, as Philadelphia missed nine straight shots.Wrotens layup put the 76ers back in front, 89-88 with 1:29 to play before Hibberts putback with 41 seconds remaining made it 90-89 Pacers.The 76ers used a 12-3 run over the first five minutes of the third quarter to take a 53-52 lead. The Pacers struggled from the field in the quarter but stayed close thanks to free-throw shooting. Indiana made nine straight attempts from the stripe during one stretch.Indiana entered one game behind Miami for the final playoff spot after winning eight of 14.Were just going to have to make it up somewhere, West said. We had gained some momentum over the last week and felt like we were playing some pretty solid basketball. We felt like this was an opportunity to keep it going. They just outplayed us down the stretch.C.J. Miles left with 42.1 seconds left in the first quarter with a left eye abrasion and didnt return. Miles was under the basket when Wroten accidentally hit him in the eye while following through on a layup attempt.BLOCK PARTYPhiladelphia tied a season-high with 12 blocks.TIP-INSPacers: George Hill (strained left groin) missed his sixth straight game. ... The Pacers have won (9 of their last 11) regular-season meetings against Philadelphia, including a 103-91 win in Indiana on Oct. 29.76ers: Little League star Mone Davis of Philadelphias Taney Dragons sat courtside and threw T-shirts to the crowd during one break in the first half. ... Former Sixers big man Darryl Dawkins also was in attendance.UP NEXT76ers host Atlanta on Monday night.Indiana hosts Minnesota on Tuesday night. Nike Air Max Uk Sale Outlet . - The width of Alec Martinezs shin guard was the difference between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks in their playoff series opener. Nike Air Max Cheap Uk Online . - On the night Dirk Nowitzki overtook Dominique Wilkins on the career scoring list, Brandan Wright was a human highlight film all by himself. http://www.ukairmax.com/. -- Louisville backup quarterback Reggie Bonnafon ran for two touchdowns and passed for another and the No. Cheap Nike Air Max Uk Store . Right-hander Ricky Nolasco and the Twins agreed to terms on a free-agent contract Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. Nike Air Max Discount Uk . -- Its been 21 years since Joe Gibbs Racing celebrated its only Daytona 500 victory.The Sleep Train Arena plays host to UFC on FOX 9 on Saturday night which features a main event title fight and some key match ups in the bantamweight division. As always Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head with our preview and picks. Last week at UFC Fight Night 33, my #TeamLynch (6 correct picks) slightly edged out #TeamJC (5 correct picks). Let us know which side youre on! Use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Also feel free to leave you opinions in the comment section below. Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez (Flyweight Championship) James Lynch TSN.ca (@LynchOnSports) In a rematch from their tightly contested encounter back at UFC 152 in Toronto, flyweight champ Johnson looks to make his third defense of his title when he battles Team Alpha male fighter Benavidez. Since winning the inaugural title at that same event back in September of 2012, "Mighty Mouse" has dispatched TUF 14 winner John Dodson and John Moraga to push his winning streak to four-straight. The 29-year old Benavidez has had an equally impressive run, racking up three-straight wins, including two spectacular knockouts. Clearly since the addition of striking coach Duane Ludwig to the Team Alpha Male camp, Benavidezs striking has looked impressive. Johnson earned his first submission victory in three years during his last fight and also trains with a prestigious camp at AMC Pankration. Traditionally, rematches tend to play out much differently than the first fight, but in this case its tough to say which 125lb fighter has improved more. Both are decorated wrestlers and while you could give the edge on the mat to Johnson, Benavidez has the better striking game. Its a coin flip and with that Im going to take California favorite Benavidez for the victory via split decision. Benavidez via split decision Jordan Cieciwa TSN 1290 (@FitCityJordan) UFC 152 had us treated to a great fight at flyweight when Demetrious Johnson squared off against Joseph Benavidez. Johnson won the fight, but fans have been looking forward to this rematch since Johnson successfully defended his title twice. Johnson won a unanimous decision against John Dodson, and arm barred John Moraga with less than two minutes in the 5th round. If he goes to sleep on Benavidez or tries to take this one to the "deep water" of the championship rounds, hes not keeping his title. Benavidez is going to be looking to finish this fight. This is a great fight for the 125lb category. I see this going to Benavidez way. His improvements in striking will allow him to set the pace in this fight. Benavidez via unanimous decision Urijah Faber vs. Michael McDonald Lynch Much like the main event, an equally competitive matchup takes place in the 135lb division as former WEC featherweight champ Faber battles fellow California native, McDonald. Since losing his inaugural bantamweight title fight to Renan Barao back at UFC 149, "The California Kid" has won three straight over Ivan Menjivar, Scott Jorgensen and most recently Yuri Alcantara. At 34-years of age, this may very well be his last run at UFC gold and we very well could see a passing of the guard on Saturday night. McDonald meanwhile made history earlier this year becoming the youngest fighter to compete for a UFC title in his loss to Renan Barao back at UFC on FUEL 7. Despite the loss, the 22-year old responded well in his next fight, handing Brad Pickett his first stoppage loss in the UFC. No doubt Faber has fought tougher competition during his 35-fight career, but McDonald has just two blemishes (one being to Barao) in his 18-fight career. The Oakdale MMA pupil has more power, but the Team Alpha male captain has more in his arsenal to win this fight with his wrestling and ground game. Its doubtful either fighter will earn a stoppage and if thats the case, Im giving the nod to the experienced Faber. Faber via unanimous decision Jordan Urijah Faber always brings the fight and not too many people have been able to beat him. In fact, he seems to only lose to champions. Michael McDonald does the same thing. He hasnt lost to anyone other than Renan Barao for about five years. So it brings up the question. Does the veteran show the new comer the ropes? Or does the young up start show the MMA world that he learned a thing or two since losing to the champ, then coming back to choke out a top contender in Brad Pickett. Im going with the young blood in this one. Michael McDonald has looked fantastic in all his outings..dddddddddddd He will need to bring the best fight of his career, but I think it is in him. If McDonald uses his two-inch height advantage hell be able to keep Faber far enough back that he should be able to defend the take down. Well know in the first two minutes if Im right. If McDonald gets his first sprawl, hell be able to compete and win. McDonald via unanimous decision Nik Lentz vs. Chad Mendes Lynch Yet another Team Alpha male pupil competes on the main card as 15-1 Mendes battles fellow NCAA Division I wrestler Lentz. Since losing to current champ Jose Aldo last January, the 28-year old Mendes has amassed four consecutive knockout victories, including a third round TKO over Clay Guida in his last bout. It was the first time through Guidas 44-fight career that he had been stopped due to strikes. Meanwhile for Lentz, since his drop to featherweight he has remained undefeated, racking up wins over Eiji Mitsuoka, Diego Nunes and Hacran Dias. Much of Lentz success has been due to his work with top health/fitness guru Mike Dolce. Initially slated to fight Dennis Bermudez back at UFC Fight Night 31, the 29-year old will take a huge step up in competition when he squares off with Mendes. Everything Lentz can do, "Money" can do better and while this should be a competitive bout, its Mendes fight to lose. Expect the first round to be a wrestling clinic for both fighters, but come the second round, the 28-year old will find his range and knockout "The Carney" to earn a featherweight title shot. Mendes via second round knockout Jordan UFC on Fox 9 could be called UFC Alpha Male. This is the first of the fights for team Alpha Male that I see being a clear cut pick. Chad Mendes is so dominant at 145lbs that I can see him knocking out a veteran like Nik Lentz. Lentz is a big featherweight, and he made the cut thanks to one of the best in the business Mike Dolce. That size doesnt usually change Mendes fight plan. Watch for him to push the pace and use all his strength to control the fight. The pace will be set to a level that will have Lentz make a mistake, Mendes will capitalize with a heavy right hand. Once on the ground, Mendes should end this with a flurry. Mendes via second round TKO Mac Danzig vs. Joe Lauzon Lynch A pair of lightweights on two-fight losing streaks open up the main card Saturday night, as TUF 6 winner Danzig battles jiu-jitsu ace Lauzon. With the UFC looking to do additional roster cuts into the New Year, the loser of this bout could very well find themselves on the unemployment line. The PRIDE veteran Danzig is coming off a second round knockout loss to Melvin Guillard, and hasnt earned a victory inside the octagon since April of 2012. Lauzon looked impressive in his "Fight of the Year" victory over Jamie Varner in August 2012, but since then has looked flat in back to back decision losses to Jim Miller and Michael Johnson. For Danzig, his last notable win was back in 2008 against Mark Bocek and since then, has only beat fighters who are no longer on the UFC roster. Lauzon is younger and has shown flashes of greatness in his wins over Jamie Varner and Melvin Guillard. No doubt it will be a close fight, but I expect the former IT Professional to emerge victorious on Saturday. Lauzon via third round submission. Jordan How did this get on a free card? This has the potential to be one of those great scraps. Mac Danzig is one of those fun to watch tough fighters with a lot of skill in both striking and as soon as the fight hits the mat. Joe Lauzon has shown us over the years how to utilize Jujitsu in the UFC. Hes ground game is second to none. With that said, both this fighters have been resting on their laurels. They have looked impressive at times, but not consistently. We all know the potential is there for them to be great. My hope is that Dana Whites famous pre-event speech gets them amped. For those that dont know, White is famous for reminding fighters that their job is never guaranteed and anytime they want, he can find a fighter to replace them. If they dont want to get fired, they need to prove it that night. Im choosing grit on this night. Danzig via unanimous decision Undercard Picks: Lynch: McGee, Barboza, Green, Jorgensen, Stout JC: McGee, Barboza, Healy, Jorgensen, McKenzie Also be sure to tune into the "Weigh-In" on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg every Saturday as myself, Jordan and "Big Marv" Timog go toe to toe discussing the hottest topics in MMA. ' ' '