re military insignia and patriotic symbols. Heat President Pat Riley founded the program to honor returning soldiers in 2006, and the franchise has been active with several veterans programs since

Margins of victory are often small in sport but Saturdays defeat to Australia was particularly tough on Scotland.Had Greig Laidlaw directed his second-half conversion a fraction to the left, or Stuart Hogg got to the rampaging Tevita Kuridrani half a yard quicker then a 10th Test win over the Wallabies would have been theirs.Following the match, Vern Cotter lamented that his side had not got the rub of the green at crucial moments, and Scotland were certainly penalised more readily than their visitors.But as the team and its supporters turn their attention towards the visit of Argentina next weekend, they will do so in optimistic mood. There was plenty on show at Murrayfield to suggest that Cotters final season in charge could yet prove to be a fruitful one.The quartet of players making their first international starts all acquitted themselves well, and in Huw Jones Scotland may just have unearthed a star in the making.Ahead of his first appearance at Murrayfield Jones had been required to serenade his teammates with a song. He picked R Kellys Ignition (Remix), and in terms of his impact on the game it proved a prophetic choice.Cheered on by my dad Bill, mum Hillary -- yes, really -- and sister Rhiannon, the Edinburgh-born, England-raised and South Africa-based centre personified Scotlands all-action approach as his two first-half tries helped secure a 17-10 half-time lead.Jones had also supplied a crucial interception and would be in the right place at the right time for his side again in the second half as he diverted Israel Folaus offload away from danger.It was little surprise when the 22-year-old was named man of the match. Its obviously unbelievable and a great feeling, he said of his debut.I thought that personally I had a fairly good game, but its a team game at the end of the day.Jones might not have enjoyed finishing on the losing side but his performance will have given the Murrayfield faithful reason to dream.His link-up play with fly-half Finn Russell for Scotlands first try, darting onto the playmakers chip ahead just before Wallabies fullback Folau could snuff out the danger, was particularly impressive.Watching at full speed it was easy to dismiss the move as an opportunistic kick-and-chase, but according to Jones that would be doing Scotland a disservice.We had that plan, he explained. Weve done that a couple of times this week [in training] and it worked every time.Whether it would do so again having been shown to the world is another matter, but it is encouraging for Scottish rugby that the players are coming up with these moves in the first place.During his reign as Scotland coach, Cotter has not been afraid to let the likes of Russell and Hogg trust their instincts. It was a feature of their performance against Australia too, as the Wallabies appeared shocked by how willing their hosts were to run the ball at them.Cotter is not short of midfield options, highlighted by the fact that Mark Bennett, Matt Scott and Duncan Taylor were not in Saturdays match day 23.Instead Jones lined up alongside Alex Dunbar, and with the help of the 17-cap Glasgow player he proved he belongs in such company. Its nice to have senior guys around you, guys who have played a few Tests, he said.They definitely do help you trough the game. Quite tough to hear them on the field at times, when the crowd starts roaring but they definitely help.Cotter said after the game that he believed Jones fed off the energy of his teammates, and it is also true that he would not have been able to showcase his talent without the platform set for him and his back line colleagues by Scotlands forwards.Wallabies captain Stephen Moore admitted his side had been given a bit of grief at the breakdown, an assertion borne out by their high number of turnovers conceded.Ryan Wilsons early injury forced Cotters hand, but the back row of John Barclay, Hamish Watson and John Hardie worked tirelessly.Barclay in particular appeared to be a one-man wrecking ball, with one steal leading to a complaint from Michael Hooper to referee John Lacey.The inference was that foul play must have played a part, but Lacey let Hooper know that Barclay had done nothing the Wallabies own No. 6 David Pocock hadnt been doing. High praise indeed.In the end it wasnt enough to stop a record crowd for this fixture trudging back into Edinburgh in disappointment. But they had been given reason to hope that an even better performance might ignite against the Pumas next Saturday.Its obviously another big one, Jones said of Argentina. Theyre a physical team, a good team, so more of the same. We need to be better. USWNT Jerseys China . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. USWNT Pro Shop .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/ . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. USWNT Jerseys 2021 .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. USWNT Gear . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Even without another scoring outburst from Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder easily handled Miami.Westbrook had just 14 points -- 19 below his season average entering the game -- but the Thunder still beat the Heat 97-85 on Monday night.Enes Kanter had 24 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 10 of 12 in 21 minutes off the bench. Victor OIadipo scored 17 and rookie Domantas Sabonis had a season-high 15 points to go with 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City.Westbrook finished with 11 assists, and his control of the action helped the Thunder build a 22-point lead after three quarters. He didnt play in the fourth.Hes always looking for his teammates, Kanter said. Hes looking to score, but he knows that hes going to get double-teamed, triple-teamed. They cannot guard him. Theres no one guy in the league that can guard him 1-on-1. Hes making himself better, and hes making everybody else better on the team.Oklahoma City improved to 6-1, the best seven-game start for the franchise since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.Miamis Hassan Whiteside, who entered averaging 20 points and 14.2 rebounds, finished with five points on 1-for-9 shooting and 12 rebounds.Westbrook said Thunder center Steven Adams played well against Whiteside.Steven did a good job of buckling down, using his size, using his ability to be able to use his body and his strength to match, Westbrook said.James Johnson led the Heat with 18 points. Miami shot just 36.9 percent from the field.You have to give them credit defensively, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Theyve shown this year theyre long, theyre athletic, they make multiple efforts.The Thunder led 55-47 at halftime, despite Westbrooks 2-for-10 shooting.The Heat chopped their deficit down to four before Westbrook went off. He converted a three-point play, a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer to spark a 20-0 run that put the game out of reach.Hes a great player, so hes going to have his fingerprints on the game one way or another, Spoelstra said. Its a matter of time, and you have to find a way as competitors to overcome all of that, and we didnt.---TIP-IINSHeat: Former Thunder player Dion Waiters was cheered loudly during pregame introductions.dddddddddddd He scored two points on 1-for-9 shooting. ... Whiteside had no points or rebounds in the first quarter. ... Double technicals were called on Kanter and Miamis Josh Richardson in the third quarter after an altercation. Heat C Willie Reed was called for a flagrant foul on Kanter late in the third quarter.Thunder: Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said before the game that reserve point guard Cameron Payne is healing from his broken right foot, but there remains no timetable for his return. ... Adams banged his right thumb in the first quarter, but returned to play with it wrapped.HEAT UNIFORMSThe Heat wore patches bearing the names of deceased military members on the front of their uniforms for the first time, a tribute that will continue for four more games. The Home Strong uniforms -- which have been worn before, without the soldier-name patches -- feature military insignia and patriotic symbols. Heat President Pat Riley founded the program to honor returning soldiers in 2006, and the franchise has been active with several veterans programs since. Its just a very small part that we can play in this, to let them know that their lives did have significance, Spoelstra said.QUOTABLEWestbrook on Sabonis performance: I was very, very happy for Domas. He stayed aggressive all night long. He missed some shots early, but he stayed consistent.STAT LINESThe Thunder held Miami to 7-for-24 shooting in the third quarter to take an 83-61 lead at the end of the period.UP NEXTHeat: Miami hosts former teammate Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Wade won three NBA titles with Miami. That will be a special moment, Spoelstra said. It means a lot to all of us, including myself. We know how to compartmentalize.Thunder: Faces one of the best teams in the East on Wednesday night when they host the Toronto Raptors.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP ' ' '