Rockets closed the gap to 70-68 late in the third quarter when Howard

Jacksonville Jaguars fan Hamish Shilliday took the spotlight to make two of the teams sixth round picks in the NFL Draft. Shilliday had Londons Tower Bridge as his back drop as he announced University of Montana defensive end Tyrone Holmes as the teams opening sixth round selection.The 29-year-old, from Birmingham, had been due to announce Jacksonvilles fifth round pick, but the franchise traded it on Friday to move up in the second round and select linebacker Myles Jack. It was absolutely brilliant to play my part in the Draft, he said. I will obviously be keeping a close eye on Holmes career and when he goes on to become a superstar Ill be able to say it was me who introduced him to the NFL - that would be incredible.I didnt really have any nerves to be honest. It was just really exciting to be involved and I had a fantastic time with the Jaguars team and cant thank them enough for the opportunity.Ive been a fan of the Jags for such a long time. I think the Draft picks by the team this year have been brilliant and I cant wait to see them come and play in London in October.Shilliday was joined by defensive tackle Michael Bennett to make the pick, or picks as it turned out, with Bennett having been selected from London in last years Draft when it was the first time a pick announcement had been made outside the United States.Bennett was on hand to join in with the naming of Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen with the 26th pick in the sixth round.He said: It is a lot less stressful being on the other side this year around. Waiting for that phone to ring was one of the most nerve racking experiences of my life but the feeling when I was selected was the best.It is great to be here in London, where it all began for me, and its fantastic to be able to include our fans in the UK in occasions like this. They are just an awesome part of the Jaguars so I hope by including them in things like this they will keep doing what theyre doing. Also See: Boehringer makes history Smith and Jack selected Goff to the Rams Tunsil admits to mistake Cheap Under Armour Shoes Australia . "Right now were kind of looking at him at the end of the rotation right now," said pitching coach Pete Walker. "Not indicative of how hes doing or how hes feeling. Its just, it seems like the spot we want him right now. Under Armour Shoes Australia Sale . Of all the names out there who could realistically be dealt by Wednesdays deadline, Ryan Kesler remains No. 1 on the most desired list. And while were not sure if theyre any closer to a deal, we now have a defined price. http://www.wholesaleunderarmouraustralia.com/ . - The Mavericks built a 12-point lead with 2:50 to play, gave away all but two points of it, and still managed to hang on. Under Armour Australia Sale . How foolishly wrong I was. Forget the now inherent corruption and back handed favours that plague the beautiful game. Goal Line Technology? Youre having a laugh. As for them penalty cheating bandits, footballs lawmakers upend them by awarding the penalty to the opponent each time a player attempts to con the referee into awarding ghost penalties. Under Armour Shoes Australia .That means, of course, that John Wall beat the Spurs for the first time ever — within weeks of his first wins in head-to-head games against nemeses Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. PORTLAND, Ore. -- LaMarcus Aldridges big night against the Houston Rockets wasnt about the stats, the All-Star votes or the fans chanting "MVP! MVP!" "This was a we needed a win night for me," said Aldridge, who had 31 points and a career-high 25 rebounds in the Trail Blazers 111-104 victory Thursday. For Aldridge, it was important that Portland (19-4) come away with a win after losing to the Rockets earlier this season -- a rare blip for the Western Conference leaders. It was the first time in franchise history that a Blazers player scored 30 or more points with 25 or more rebounds. "Im blessed," Aldridge said. "(But) I felt tonight, it was needed." Dwight Howard had 32 points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets, who beat the Blazers 116-101 on Nov. 5. That was one of just two losses at home this season for Portland. The Trail Blazers led by 10 early in the fourth quarter, but Chandler Parsons hit a 3-pointer to narrow it to 93-88 with 7:07 left. Houston closed to 97-95 after James Harden made a layup and a free throw with 4:45 to go. Nicolas Batums 3-pointer pushed Portlands lead to 102-95 before Wesley Matthews layup and free throw made it 108-96 with 2:04 left and all but put the game out of reach for the Rockets. "They made some big plays down the stretch," Howard said. "It seemed like every time we would close the gap, they came down and got a great shot. This was big for them." Blazers centre Robin Lopez added 16 points and 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season, a career high. Portland was coming off a 105-94 victory in Utah on Monday. The Blazers have scored 100 or more points in 10 consecutive games. Houston had won two straight, including a 98-88 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. The Rockets (15-7) were without Omer Asik, who missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right thigh. Houston did get back guard Jeremy Lin, who missed the previous six games with a sprained right knee. Rockets coach Kevin McHale was not with the team bbecause of the death of his mother.dddddddddddd Her funeral is scheduled for Friday in Minnesota. Assistant coach Kelvin Sampson ran the club against the Blazers. "Portland is obviously really good, and theyre really good in this gym," Sampson said. "They are playing with a lot of confidence right now." Neither side was able to get in front by more than five points in the first half. Portland held a 21-20 lead after the opening quarter. Aldridge was just 1 for 7 from the floor but he had nine rebounds. Houston went ahead 32-28 on Parsons layup and Howards hook shot, and the Rockets led 44-43 at halftime. Neither team shot well, with Portland at 32 per cent and Houston at 36 per cent. The Rockets had just five first-half assists. The Blazers opened the second half with an 11-3 run capped by Matthews 3-pointer to take a 54-47 lead. Portland stretched the lead to 59-49 on Lopezs dunk and free throw. Aldridge got rolling with 11 points and eight rebounds. The Rockets closed the gap to 70-68 late in the third quarter when Howard hit a pair of free throws and dunked. Omri Casspi tied it at 70 on free throws with 2 minutes left. The game was tied going into the fourth quarter, but Portland scored 10 unanswered points to go up 86-76. "I think we go into games with a certain level of confidence, but, at the same time, we realize that were playing hard and our success is because were playing hard," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "Our record is what it is, but its not easy. You have to compete every night." NOTES: Aldridge has four 20-20 games, making him the fourth Blazers player with that many. He is the only NBA player with two this season. ... Houstons Terrence Jones went to Portlands Jefferson High School. ... It was the opener of a three-game road trip for the Rockets. ... The Blazers embark on a four-game trip starting at Philadelphia on Saturday. ... Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas threw mini footballs into the crowd to promote Portlands new Arena League team, which begins play next season. ' ' '