UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. -- There were some emotional moments and some funny stories as Joakim Noah accepted the NBAs Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday, like this one. The Chicago Bulls centre recalled a grueling workout with coach Tom Thibodeau. "I told Thibs, If we werent winning games, I would really, really hate you," he said. "And he said, Trust me, Jo, I feel the same way about you." Noah laughed. So did Thibodeau. With their drive and desire, those two are in many ways a perfect match. And when it came to this years award, it was no contest. Noah got 100 of a possible 125 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters and wound up with 555 points. Indianas Roy Hibbert (166 points, eight first-place votes) and the Los Angeles Clippers DeAndre Jordan (121 points, eight first-place votes) came in second and third, respectively. "This is very humbling to be in this situation right now," Noah said as his famous father Yannick, his mom, his sisters and brother all watched from the front row. He told coach Tom Thibodeau: "Without your system, this wouldnt be possible." The only other Bulls player to win the award was Michael Jordan in 1988. Besides joining the greatest player in franchise history, Noahs name gets added to an impressive list of centres to take the honour. It includes stars such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, David Robinson, Dwight Howard. And now, Noah. The recognition comes after Noah helped Chicago win 48 games and earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite losing Derrick Rose to a season-ending knee injury and trading away Luol Deng. The Bulls won more games than any other Eastern Conference team after New Years Eve before stumbling in the post-season opener against Washington. Game 2 is Tuesday, another test for a team and a player who have passed their share. Noah had some issues with teammates and coaches after he was drafted out of Florida in 2007. But theres little question who the teams most valuable player was this season. When the Bulls looked like they might fall apart, Noah kept them together. The irony is the defensive player award comes at a time when hes getting as much praise for his ability on offence, a weakness his first few years in the league. Noah averaged career highs of 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Hes a focal point on offence and one of the leagues best passing big men, with the ball often being funneled through him. He also remains their anchor on defence with his ability to cover ground and rotate onto smaller players in pick-and-roll situations creates havoc for opponents. He averaged 1.5 blocks. "Its been really fun for all of his to watch him and his game evolve and grow over the years," general manager Gar Forman said. "Hes a competitor. Hes passionate. Hes intelligent and hes a leader. But along with that, what Joakim probably is is the best teammate that Ive had a chance to witness in the 16 years that Ive been with the Chicago Bulls." The recognition comes at a difficult time for Noah, whose youth basketball mentor and second father figure Tyrone Green recently died. He dedicated the award to him, recalled sleeping on his couch in the summer as a teenager and forgoing trips with his mom and sister to work on his game. Green believed he could make Noah into an NBA player even if his own father had doubts. "We were watching a game," said Yannick Noah, the former tennis star. "(Joakim) was 15 or 16 years old. Mr. Green told me, Ill get him there, well get him there. I said, Where are you gonna get him -- to the next tournament or the ABCD camp or something? And he said, No, were gonna get him there to the NBA, and I never believed that." Why not? "He was too skinny, couldnt shoot," Yannick Noah said. "He couldnt jump, couldnt do a lot of things. The only thing I knew he had was his drive." Look where it got him. Bill Hamid Jersey . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. Graham Zusi Jersey . Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros. http://www.usasoccerauthority.com/jesse-gonzalez-usa-jersey/. - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club. Sebastian Lletget Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Justin Morrow Jersey .Brazil midfielder Ricardo Goulart scored the winner in the 50th minute to give the defending champion a four-point advantage in the standings over second-place Sao Paulo, which beat rival Palmeiras 2-0. NEW YORK -- Curtis Granderson envisioned a bunch of big hits when he signed with the New York Mets. Providing even one proved elusive, until Friday night. The slumping Granderson grounded an RBI single to cap an improbable two-run rally with two outs in the ninth inning that sent the Mets past the Miami Marlins 4-3. "Anytime you get a chance to win and jump up and down with your teammates, its a good thing," Granderson said. Granderson was 0 for 4 when he stepped to the plate with the scoreboard showing his batting average at .130. Not quite what anyone expected for a former All-Star fresh off a $60 million, four-year contract. "Im not there yet, but Im getting closer," Granderson said. After Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Garrett Jones hit back-to-back home runs in the Miami eighth for a 3-2 lead, the Mets stung Marlins closer Steve Cishek and won for the fifth time in six games. Cishek (1-1) had converted a team-record 33 straight save chances -- the longest active streak in the majors -- before Lucas Duda led off the ninth with a soft single and moved up on a sacrifice. Left fielder Christian Yelich made a nice running catch on pinch-hitter Bobby Abreus liner for the second out. Omar Quintanilla followed with a single down the line and Yelich slipped on the dirt as he got ready to throw home, letting Duda score standing up. "It wouldve been a tough play," Yelich said. "But if I had stayed on my feet, I was going home." Pinch-hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled to put runners at second and third. Granderson then grounded his game-winner past Jones at first base. "Ill be up a while," the sidearming Cishek said. "Its never a good feeling." "Its no excuse for me to come in and not get the job done," he said. "I just didnt have my good command, leaving pitches down the middle." Granderson had a game-winning sacrifiice fly in the 14th inning Sunday against Atlanta.dddddddddddd "Hes a great hitter," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "Just because he hasnt gotten a whole lot of hits to this point doesnt mean hes not a great hitter." Redmond felt confident Cishek would close out the Mets. "Hes been so good," Redmond said. "I always anticipate hes going to get out of it. And tonight, he didnt." "You just see the momentum starting to roll their way and we couldnt stop it," he said. Jeurys Familia (1-2) pitched a scoreless inning for his first big league win. Yelichs hitting streak ended at 17 games, and the Marlins fell to 1-9 on the road. Saltalamacchia homered to left-centre off reliever Gonzalez Germen, and Jones followed with a drive off the right-field foul pole. The Mets hadnt allowed any home runs since last Saturday, a span of 57 innings. Young starters Zack Wheeler and Henderson Alvarez both pitched well. Wheeler, a month before he turns 24, struck out 10 in six innings. He gave up four singles and walked three in six innings. Wheeler showed off his repertoire when he fanned the side in the third, all on swinging strike three -- he got Alvarez on a fastball, Yelich on a changeup and Marcell Ozuna on a curve. A week past his 24th birthday, Alvarez gave up two runs in six innings. In his previous start, he pitched a two-hit shutout against Seattle. David Wright hit an RBI single and scored on Daniel Murphys double in the third to put the Mets ahead 2-0. Ozuna hit an RBI single in the fifth that made it 2-1. NOTES: Marlins RHP Kevin Slowey (0-0, 4.15 ERA) is set to start Saturday night against RHP Jenrry Mejia (3-0, 1.99). ... Cishek had converted his first four save chances this season. ... In the last 11 games, no Mets starter has allowed more than three runs. ... Murphy stole third, and has been safe on his last 26 tries. 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