left, giving the Buckeyes a one-point lead, but Clemson and Boyd w

ORLANDO, Fla. -- When Magic coach Jacque Vaughn was asked about his teams noticeable win discrepancy this season in games at home versus on the road, he likened their home floor to feeling like a "fluffed pillow" for his young team. It found that warm embrace again, this time at the expense of a team fighting for its playoff positioning. Tobias Harris had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Orlando beat the Portland Trail Blazers 95-85 on Tuesday night to stop a nine-game losing streak. Nik Vucevic added 22 points and 10 boards for the Magic, who led by just eight at the half but used scoring spurts in the third and fourth quarters to put the game away. Victor Oladipo had 13 points and six assists. Orlando improved to 16-18 at home, compared to 4-34 on the road. "When you play on the road its a lot different," Harris said. "Their crowd gives them energy just like our crowd does. We know we have to get better on the road, but were playing good at home and tonight was a good win for us." The Magic earned their fifth victory against a Western Conference team, but just their third over one that entered the night in position to make the playoffs. Orlando previously posted wins against the Clippers and Thunder in the Amway Center. The Magic also matched their win total for all of last season with nine games remaining. "I was really pleased with the mental focus that we had from the beginning of the game, to come out and not use being on the West Coast as an excuse," Vaughn said. "It was impressive to hold that team to 85 points." Robin Lopez led Portland with 20 points and 13 rebounds. The Blazers, who entered the night in fifth place in the West, have lost three straight. They were without forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who missed his seventh consecutive game with a lower back contusion. After getting blown out at Charlotte on Saturday, the Blazers rebounded and showed lots of fight in nearly upending defending champion Miami on Monday night. They didnt seem to have anything left at times against Orlando, which went right at Portlands front line. The Magic outscored the Blazers 46-44 in the paint. Portland coach Terry Stotts said before the game that the tight playoff race in the West dictated a need to "accumulate wins where we can get them." He acknowledged afterward that they missed one of those opportunities against the Magic. "This is a very, extremely disappointing loss and in fact it was a game we needed to have," Stotts said. "Weve got 10 games left. Theres got to be a sense of urgency every game. Playoff race is tight. Wed like to look forward, but weve got four teams that are right on our heels, and every game has a new sense of urgency." The Magic closed the third quarter on an 11-2 run and increased their lead to 19 in the opening minutes of the fourth. Harris was the most active player for Orlando in the final quarter, scoring eight points. The Blazers were finally able to string together some baskets and cut the lead down to 11 points on a 3-pointer by Wesley Matthews with 2:31 to play. But the Magic were able to close out the game from the foul line. Orlando took an eight-point lead into halftime after shooting 50 per cent from the field in the first half. Vucevic led the scoring effort with 14 points. The Magic also had 10 assists on their 21 baskets, including four from Oladipo. Lopez scored 10 first-half points for Portland, which shot just 40 per cent from the field. The Blazers also struggled from the foul line, connecting on only 2 of their 12 attempts. The victory aside, Vaughn said there wont be any heavy focus on wins or losses for his team the rest of the way. "Have not mentioned one time what our record is to the team," he said. "What I do mention to those guys, and (will) when we practice on Thursday, is lets come to work and get better. Thats how well continue to judge each other and continue to push each other." NOTES: Orlando improved to 5-24 against the Western Conference. ... The Magic honoured Grant Hill between the first and second quarter as part of their "Legends Nights" season-long series to honour former players as part of the teams 25th anniversary season celebration. Fake NBA Jerseys . Mickelson shot a 2-under 70 after opening with a 77 -- his worst score of the season -- on TPC San Antonios AT&T Oaks Course. Lefty was 11 strokes behind leader Steven Bowditch, the Australian who had a 67 to reach 8-under 136. Stitched NBA Jerseys . James Erskine said Tuesday that Thorpe was "quite sick" in a Sydney hospital but dismissed media reports the swimmer might lose the use of his left arm. "Hes not in the intensive care," Erskine said. https://www.nbachinajerseys.us/ . Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone dismissed Tuesdays massive anti-government protest in Manama as "a lot of kids having a go at the police." "I dont think its anything serious at all," Ecclestone was quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday. NBA Jerseys China .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers. Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic . Gonzalez participated in his final game on Sunday, Atlantas 21-20 defeat at the hands of the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, having posted four catches for 46 yards.MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Clemsons players lobbed oranges at their delirious fans, while coach Dabo Swinney lobbed a not-so-subtle jab at the Tigers in-state rival. And in the middle of the celebration, Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins beamed after giving the Tigers a night to savour -- one 32 years in the making. Boyd threw for 378 yards and five touchdowns, Watkins had a record-setting night with 16 catches for 227 yards on what likely was his collegiate finale and No. 12 Clemson rallied to beat No. 7 Ohio State 40-35 on Friday in the Orange Bowl, a game the Tigers lost by 37 points just two years ago. "We are Orange Bowl champs again," Swinney said. "Hey, listen: Two years ago we got our butts kicked on this field. And it has been a journey to get back. Were 22-4 since that night. And we are the first team from the state of South Carolina to ever win a BCS game." Nope, beating the Buckeyes wasnt enough. Clemson had to make sure the rival Gamecocks took notice as well. "That was a lot of fun, man," Swinney said. "That was a lot of fun." It surely didnt feel that fun after Boyd was intercepted with 1:27 left near midfield, with Ohio State needing a touchdown to take the lead. But Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller -- who was shaken up in the fourth quarter, saying afterward he had a cracked rib and a shoulder issue -- was picked off two plays later, and the Tigers ran out the clock. Boyds 5-yard pass to Stanton Seckinger with 6:16 remaining put the Tigers (11-2) ahead to stay, despite allowing 20 unanswered points in wasting an early 11-point lead. Watkins caught two scoring passes, plus became Clemsons career receptions leader and set an Orange Bowl record for yardage. Martavis Bryant caught two more TD passes for the Tigers, who posted consecutive 11-win seasons for the first time in school history. "Its a very special night," Boyd said. "Just the significance of this game, not for me particularly, not for this team particularly, but for this university ... I couldnt pick a better way to go out as a senior." Miller threw for 234 yards and Carlos Hyde ran for 113 more for Ohio State (12-2), which led 29-20 in the second half but wound up losing its second straight game -- after having won each of its previous 24 underr coach Urban Meyer, whose record in Bowl Championship Series games fell to 4-1.dddddddddddd Corey Brown had 116 yards receiving for the Buckeyes. "Its going to sting for a while, probably a long while because we didnt finish," Meyer said. "It was right there." Ohio State wound up allowing 115 points in the seasons final three games. The Buckeyes gave up exactly that many in the seasons first six games. "Were not a championship-calibredefence right now," Meyer said. The Buckeyes had a 29-20 lead in the third after Hyde picked up 31 yards on 4th-and-inches, then went airborne to break the plane of the goal line on the next play. "I felt like the offence was starting to get clicking at that point," Hyde said. "I thought we could make it happen." Then the mistakes started coming in bunches for Ohio State. A fumbled punt return and an interception led to touchdown grabs by Watkins and Bryant, putting the Tigers up entering the fourth. Hyde caught a 14-yard scoring pass from Miller with 11:35 left, giving the Buckeyes a one-point lead, but Clemson and Boyd went on one last scoring march to give the Tigers the BCS win theyve been seeking for years. Boyd finished with 505 all-purpose yards, outgaining Ohio State by 78 yards himself. "What a legacy," Swinney said. "He put an exclamation point on it tonight." When Clemson played in the Orange Bowl two years ago, the Tigers gave up 21 points in the final 2:29 of the first half, letting a close game get blown wide open on the way to a 70-33 loss to West Virginia. This time, the game didnt get away. Boyds 3-yard touchdown pass to Bryant had Ohio State facing a 20-9 deficit, but two scores in a 3 1/2-minute span gave the Buckeyes a 22-20 halftime lead. Clemson left Jeff Heuerman wide open down the middle for a 57-yard touchdown pass from Miller, making it a one-score game. And on a drive aided by a 15-yard penalty against Clemsons Darius Robinson, Miller ran in from 3 yards with 12 seconds left to give the Buckeyes their first lead. But the game changed again, and in the end, Boyd and the Tigers were standing tall. "It just means were one step closer to our ultimate goal," Swinney said, "and thats to be the best in the country." ' ' '