COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Jacob Van scored 23 points on 7-for-9 shooting and had eight assists, and Trevor Lyons chipped in 15 points and six rebounds as Air Force defeated Jacksonville 86-68 Monday night.Hayden Graham made back-to-back 3s to put the Falcons up 11-8 with 13:59 left before halftime to give them a lead they would never surrender.Jacksonvilles Tanner Rubio made a 3 to pull the Dolphins to within six points before Air Force used a 7-0 run to make it 31-18 with 4:44 left before the break. The Falcons led 40-26 at halftime.Frank Tooheys 3-point play and another 3 from Van put Air Force up 63-40 with 9:35 to play. Graham scored 13 for Air Force making all three of his 3-point attempts. Air Force (2-0) shot 10 for 17 (58.8 percent) from 3-point range.J.R. Holder led Jacksonville with 15 points, Devin Harris added 14 and Andris Misters had 10 off the bench for Jacksonville (1-1). Ante Rebic Dres .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. Dres Filip Bradaric . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. http://www.dresovihrvatskereprezentacije.com/dresovi-nikola-kalinic.html Dres Dominik Livakovic . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. Dres Tin Jedvaj . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. PHILADELPHIA -- As the years and months dwindle down to precious weeks and days for Ryan Howard in Philadelphia, the signs are trending in a positive direction. Howard is hitting the ball with enough gusto to think he might have a spot on a major league roster somewhere in 2017. The mere suggestion would have seemed ludicrous in late June, when Howard was underwater to the tune of a .140 batting average and a .531 OPS.Phillies fans might even be getting sentimental on him as the end draws near. Last weekend, on Jim Thome Wall of Fame Night at Citizens Bank Park, the crowd summoned Howard from the dugout for a curtain call in response to a grand slam against the Colorado Rockies.Viewed in this context, the latest news out of Major League Baseball was just another item to check off the box in Howards farewell-to-Philly valedictory.At noon Friday, the commissioners office cleared Howard and Washingtons Ryan Zimmerman of any wrongdoing in MLBs investigation of an Al Jazeera report on performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Both players were absolved of any violations of MLBs drug program, and they released statements saying theyre looking forward to a resolution of their ongoing litigation against Al Jazeera.As the Phillies prepared to play St. Louis on Friday, Howard expressed a sense of relief over baseballs decision.Im just glad its behind me, Howard said. Thats about it. The process is the process. Im glad its behind me and I can move forward and just focus on playing baseball.The MLB investigation was just another obstacle in a trying season for Howard. Boos abounded during his early struggles, and he hit rock-bottom in early June when a miscreant fan threw a beer bottle in his direction. A few days later, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told Howard that Tommy Joseph was the teams new starting first baseman and Howard would have to adjust to coming off the bench.Howard had two ways to go: He could wallow in self-pity and become a negative force, or continue to plug away and maintain a positive attitude in a clubhouse filled with young players. Howards conscious choice to take the high road was a reflection of his character and professionalism.In June, Howard appeared at Citizens Bank Park with his wife, Krystle, for a childrens book reading before a game. A month later, he opened up a 7,500-square-foot youth training center in Philadelphia tthrough his foundation.dddddddddddd His underwhelming stats and the injuries show that Howard hasnt lived up to his $125 million contract by any stretch of the imagination. But hes never brought his baggage into the clubhouse or lost sight of the responsibilities that come along with being a longtime star athlete in a community.Its been a tough year, and Im sure its weighed on him a lot, said Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp. Its the last year of his contract, and Im sure there were many things going through his mind with the way he was treated here by the fans. But he handled it with nothing but professionalism and stayed with it. To see him bust out of it and kill it for the past month, its been fun to watch.This is the Ryan Howard everybody saw when he was winning (the MVP) and hitting 50 home runs a year. This is the Ryan Howard they grew to love, and they stayed with him for the most part. He hit some rough patches. Thats part of the game. But he never got out of being Ryan. For all the stuff hes gone through off the field, youd never know.The numbers, even in a small sample size, are startling. In August, entering Fridays game, Howard is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with a .968 slugging percentage and a 1.422 OPS. With his recent hot streak, he moved into a tie with Carlton Fisk for 75th place on MLBs career list with 376 home runs. Next up: Norm Cash and Jeff Kent at 377.As the Phillies play out the string en route to their fourth straight sub-.500 season, its only natural to wonder if an American League team in need of a power bat off the bench might consider trading for Howard in August. He wont have any trouble clearing waivers, so thats one potential impediment out of the way. .If he keeps hitting like hes hitting, somebodys going to want him, Mackanin said. Im happy for him. I didnt like telling Howie hes not going to play as much. Its not fun doing that kind of thing. But the bottom line is, I pull for him. Hes a great guy. Id like to see him succeed and go on to play as long as hed like to play.Barring a surprise of cosmic magnitude, Ryan Howard wont be back in Philadelphia in 2017, but at least he has a chance to go out on positive terms. There will be a few more standing ovations before he says goodbye. Stitched Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store Wholesale Authentic Jerseys China NFL Hoodies Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys ' ' '