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The New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets will meet Friday in the first game of a back-to-back, home-and-home set.The Knicks (7-7) host the Hornets (8-6) at Madison Square Garden before the two teams hook up again in Charlotte on Saturday.The teams are going in opposite directions. New York has won four of its last five games. The Hornets have dropped three in a row after Wednesdays 119-114 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Eight Hornets scored in double figures. Nicolas Batum and Frank Kaminsky scored 13 each, Marco Belinelli scored 12, Spencer Hawes scored 11, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams and Roy Hibbert scored 10 each.Walker played in his 378th game for Charlotte, passing Larry Johnson for eighth in franchise history. Walker is on track to play in 400 games with the franchise this season and would be only the fourth player to play in 400 games for Charlotte.The Hornets committed a season-high 16 turnovers against the Spurs, including two crucial turnovers in the final minute on inbounds plays. They came into the game leading the NBA in fewest turnovers.They made the plays and we didnt at the end, Batum said. They made big shots. They are the Spurs. They have been there before. They know how to handle those situations. We tried to stay in the game, back and forth, it was a big battle. We played better than we have been playing, for sure.Kristaps Porzingis is having an All-Star type season with the Knicks. The 7-3 Latvian is averaging 21 points on 50.2 percent shooting, 39 percent from beyond the arc and 7.3 rebounds.I didnt add 1,000 moves, Porzingis told the New York Post. Its just that Im more calm when Im in the post when I get the ball and I turn around and nobody can really get to my shot.Im realizing how long I am and how long I am and how difficult it is to block my shot.Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek has been favoring a small lineup recently that puts Porzingis at center, Carmelo Anthony at power forward and three guards -- Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee and either Brandon Jennings or Justin Holiday.The Knicks have found a solution to their recent shortcomings at point guard. Rose has been effective accelerating to the net and working the pick-and-roll and Jennings has provided a spark off the bench. He contributed 11 assists for the second time this season in New Yorks 107-103 win over Portland on Tuesday.Brandon (Jennings) doesnt have to score to have an impact on the game, noted Hornacek. His activity, he gets the energy going for the group he is out there with.I cant say enough about a guy who comes off the bench to get 11 assists. Hydro Flask Kaffe . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Hydro Flask Vattenflaska . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. http://www.hydroflasksverige.se/ . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Sverige . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Hydro Flask 24 Oz Sverige . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. CHICAGO -- The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot to accomplish if they want to return to Chicago in two weeks for a rematch of last years NL Division Series. They would have to qualify for one of the wild-card spots, then win the single-elimination playoff game.If they do, the Cardinals may be the one club that wont be fazed by Wrigley Field and the Cubs.Yadier Molina drove in four runs, Stephen Piscotty homered and the Cardinals improved their standing in the NL wild-card race by getting to Jason Hammel early in a 10-4 rout of Chicago on Saturday.Randal Grichuk added three RBI and Jhonny Peralta had three hits and scored three runs for the Cardinals, who stopped a two-game skid and are a half-game behind New York and San Francisco for the two NL wild-card spots.Its been a difficult year for us, up and down, but we got a good win and a lot of base hits, said Molina, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Hopefully, we can continue it.Hammel (15-10) allowed six runs and six hits while getting just seven outs, hurting his bid for a postseason rotation spot. A day after clinching the NLs best record, the Cubs were denied their 99th win and a record 57th at Wrigley Field.Dexter Fowler finished a home run shy of the cycle, Ben Zobrist had a two-run triple and Willson Contreras homered in the ninth for the Cubs, who are 3-6 at home against St. Louis and 53-17 against other teams.Theyre obviously the best team in the league, Molina said. We respect that. But at the same time we come here thinking about winning.Alex Reyes (4-1) needed 115 pitches to get through five innings. But the rookie settled down after a tough start and allowed three runs and six hits with six strikeouts.Hours after Fridays win, the Cubs clinched home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs when Washington lost to Pittsburgh. Manager Joe Maddon was watching on TV and declared it another checkmark for their season.They remained two wins shy of another goal -- 100 wins -- thanks to Hammels struggles.The right-handers solid previous outing renewed talk he could supplant John Lackey as the No. 4 playoff starter. But Hammel saw his ERA risse from 3.dddddddddddd56 to 3.83 after Maddons early hook.Molina had a two-run double and Grichuk a two-run single in the first. An inning later, Piscotty crushed Hammels slider 450 feet onto Waveland Avenue for a solo homer. Hammel was lifted after giving up two more hits in the third.Molina added a two-run single for his third hit in a three-run seventh against Hector Rondon. Piscottys third hit in the eighth off Rob Zastryzny scored another run.Reyes had his 11 1/3-inning scoreless streak snapped in Chicagos two-run first, and Fowlers RBI double an inning later made it 5-3. But Reyes allowed just two hits over his final three innings.When you have 71 pitches after three (innings), you typically got a lot more on you than the three runs they had, Cardinals manager Mike Mathney said. He just did a nice job of managing the innings.Maddon cleared his bench in the late innings as Chicagos four-game winning streak ended. The Cubs fell to 9-9 against St. Louis.They would be very tough, Maddon said of a potential playoff matchup. Theyre very good offensively. They can match up out of the bullpen. They do a lot of things.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: Mathney said LF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) was pretty sore a day after his first live batting practice session. Hell see a hand specialist Monday before being cleared to hit again. . SS Aledmys Diaz (arm fatigue) started after a day off. . Kolten Wong (shoulder) didnt start after an outfield spill Friday.Cubs: LF Jorge Soler (right side soreness) started for the first time since Sept. 16. . RHP Pedro Strop (knee, groin) reported no pain a day after his first appearance since Aug. 10.SCHEDULE CHANGEMaddon pushed his bullpen game to Thursday in Pittsburgh. Kyle Hendricks, Lackey and Jake Arrieta will start the first three games against the Pirates.UP NEXTLHP Jon Lester (18-4, 2.36 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez (15-8, 3.16) in Chicagos regular-season home finale Sunday night. Lester is 8-0 with a 1.05 ERA in his last 10 starts. ' ' '