sival. ... Pittsburgh hosts Carolina on Tuesday, while Chicago

BOSTON - Rajon Rondo wanted to avoid rush-hour city traffic so he met at the Boston Celtics suburban practice facility with the man who traded him. Air Jordan 1 Retro .I shared with him how much I appreciated all he had done for us, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of that Thursday night farewell.All that wasnt enough for Ainge to keep the star point guard who could have left as a free agent after the season. Or to reject a Dallas Mavericks offer that gave Ainge more assets to continue shaping the young roster into a contender.There was definite uncertainty into what may happen this summer, Ainge said before Friday nights game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, So that was a big factor.The Celtics traded Rondo, 28, and rookie forward Dwight Powell on Thursday night for point guard Jameer Nelson, centre Brandan Wright, forward Jae Crowder, two draft picks and a $12.9 million trade exception. The three new Celtics were in town Friday night but not active against the Timberwolves.One night after meeting with Ainge in Waltham, Rondo attended a news conference with his new team which should be more competitive in the tough Western Conference.He should be enthusiastic about the opportunity hes going to, Ainge said. It makes me feel a little better. We have to do whats best for the Celtics. It is, at the same time, a great opportunity for him.Evan Turner started in his place at point guard. The Celtics also have second-year pro Phil Pressey and rookie Marcus Smart, a first-round pick, to play that spot. But Smart has been slowed by a series of injuries and is not at full strength despite being in uniform Friday night.Trading the mercurial Rondo was difficult, Ainge said. I loved watching Rajon. I loved visiting with him. Our one-on-one conversations were fun, entertaining, frustrating sometimes, always a surprise. The guy was a very unique person.In his last talk with Rondo, coach Brad Stevens said he told the four-time All-Star and current NBA assists leader, Thanks for everything youve done. Youve left a great legacy.Obtained by Ainge in a draft day trade after Phoenix chose him in the first round in 2006, Rondo was a member of the Celtics championship team in his second season with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. But the Celtics began a long-term rebuilding project last season when Stevens succeeded Doc Rivers, who left to coach the Los Angeles Clippers.They went into Friday nights game with a 9-14 record.Rondo missed the first half of last season after reconstructive knee surgery then broke a finger on his left hand but played in the opener less than five weeks later.We clearly gave up the best player in this deal and thats not philosophically what wed like to do, Ainge said.But Stevens rejected the notion that Rondo didnt want to stay with the Celtics or that the trade was part of an effort to get a poorer record and a better draft choice.We are building every single night to be the best that we can be, he said. Tonight, tomorrow, the next night. Thats never going to stop.He also said Nelson, Wright and Crowder all could contribute to the team.Ainge said the trade was not a backward step in the rebuilding process since it provided a trade exception and two draft picks that could be included in deals. Over the next six years, the Celtics have 10 first-round picks and the possibility of two more.We have a lot of (salary) cap space this summer, he said, which the Celtics have never had.They also have two forwards who can become free agents after the season, leading scorer Jeff Green and backup Brandon Bass.Might they be traded as well?Lets take a deep breath and enjoy the holidays and lets let these (new) guys play, see how everybody fits in, Ainge said to laughter. Were not actively pursuing anything at this minute. Air Jordan 1 Outlet .com) - Manchester City will face a steep test in the Champions League knockout stage as the English champions were drawn with Barcelona on Monday. Air Jordan 1 Discount . -- Canadian ski cross star Marielle Thompson accomplished two goals in one race Saturday. https://www.cheapairjordan1outlet.com/ . - Urijah (The California Kid) Faber finds himself in an unaccustomed position Saturday night at UFC 175 — on the preliminary card.PITTSBURGH -- The reeling Chicago Blackhawks took another hard hit. The Pittsburgh Penguins appear to be coming together at just the right time. Sidney Crosby scored two goals in the final five minutes, helping the Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the injury-riddled Blackhawks on Sunday night. "I thought this was one of our most physical games of the year," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "We saw it from the beginning of the game until the end." The biggest hit came in the second period. Already playing without Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks lost captain Jonathan Toews to an upper-body injury when he was drilled by Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik. Toews was holding his left arm on the bench before heading down the runway for good in the second. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville didnt believe the injury to Toews was serious, characterizing it as day to day. "Well get a better assessment tomorrow," Quenneville said. James Neal and Lee Stempniak also scored for the Penguins, who won their second straight and snapped a three-game home losing streak. Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 saves in his 36th victory of the season. Orpiks hit on Toews occurred with 6:30 remaining in the middle period. The two were going for a loose puck. "It was a big hit," Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. "You could tell he was trying to hit him hard. He knew who he was hitting. Its tough when you see your captain get hit like that." Quenneville said he needed to see a replay of Orpiks hit. Bylsma said he only saw the hit live, and believed it was clean. Orpik agreed. "Theres no penalty, so I dont know," Orpik said. "I think that hit happens 10 times a game." Its been a rough stretch for injuries for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who will be without star forward Kane for the rest of the regular season because of a lower-body injury. Bryan Bickell is out with an upper-body injury but is expected to return soon. Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa played with Orpik with the Penguins during their run to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. "(Orpik) is a heavy hitter," Hossa said. "Thats his game. Its never easy to play against him. Sometimes hes on the borderline, but I know him as a fair guy and thats how I remember him." The injury to Toews galvanized the Blackhawks, who dominated play in the third period. But Fleury held up just fine. Crosby capped a 2-on-1 rush for Pittsburgh at 15:09 of the third, sending a wrist sshot over the shoulder of Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford. Air Jordan 1 From China. He added an empty-netter with 1:16 left for his 36th goal and league-leading 99th point of the season. "Obviously, they were coming and they put a lot of pressure on us," Crosby said. "They started to take a few more risks and we were able to capitalize." Sheldon Brookbank scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost three straight in regulation for the first time since February 2012. The Penguins and Blackhawks started the month at a snowy Soldier Field, part of the NHL Stadium Series. Chicago cruised to a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh on March 1 in the beginning of a rough month for each team. "We remember that snowy night in Chicago," Bylsma said. "They took it to us pretty good. We wanted to respond in this game and I think we did." The Blackhawks and Penguins began the day with identical near-.500 March records and one win in each of their last four games. Injuries to top forwards have played a role; Chicago played its sixth in a row without Kane, while former NHL MVP Evgeni Malkin missed his fourth straight for Pittsburgh. Both are expected to return for the post-season. Chicago added another big name to the list after the loss of Toews. "Weve played 11 games in 19 days, its a busy stretch of the year," Quenneville said. "There have been some stretches in the last three games that have showed that maybe this team needs a break." Chicago carried the play early, Andrew Shaw hitting a post less than two minutes into the game. But Pittsburgh scored twice in 21 seconds, taking an early 2-0 lead. Neal snapped a wrist shot past Crawford on a 2-on-1 and Stempniak got behind Johnny Oduya after a lead pass from Matt Niskanen and beat Crawford between the pads. Neal has 10 points in his last nine games against Chicago. Pittsburgh had a chance to add to its lead in the second period, but came up short on two power-play opportunities. Brookbank then delivered for the Blackhawks, cutting the deficit in half when he blasted a slap shot from the point behind Fleury. NOTES: Chicago last visited Pittsburgh in December 2011. ... Pittsburgh native Brandon Saad played his first game in his hometown. ... Joe Vitale and Simon Despres were scratched for the Penguins. ... Chicago scratched David Rundblad, Jeremy Morin, Matt Carey and Michal Rozsival. ... Pittsburgh hosts Carolina on Tuesday, while Chicago is home to Minnesota on Thursday. ' ' '