HOUSTON -- This is how Dwight Howard plays when hes healthy. [url=https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/?tag=custom-milwaukee-bre wers-nike-jerseys]Custom Milwaukee Brewers Nike Jerseys[/url] . Howard had 17 points and a career-high-tying 26 rebounds in his Houston debut, James Harden added 21 po

HOUSTON -- This is how Dwight Howard plays when hes healthy. Custom Milwaukee Brewers Nike Jerseys . Howard had 17 points and a career-high-tying 26 rebounds in his Houston debut, James Harden added 21 points and the Rockets cruised to a 96-83 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. Howard spurned the Lakers to sign an $88 million deal with Houston, joining Harden and a team that made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2009. He said he rushed back too quickly from off-season back surgery last year and never felt quite right in his one disappointing season with Los Angeles. He believes hes returned to form since arriving in Houston and on Wednesday night he showed it. When asked if he could have had a game like this last season, he chuckled. "Physically, I doubt it," he said. "Not the way I did tonight." He said there were times last season that he just couldnt do things he was used to doing. "My mind was at the ball, but my body was still on the other side," he said. "I couldnt do it. Im a lot healthier than I was last season." It was the 63rd 20-plus rebound game of his career, but he was hoping for more. "I really was trying to get 30," he said. "I said coming in tonight that I wanted to get 30 rebounds. I was upset that I didnt do it, but Ill try the next game." The Rockets led by four points in the fourth quarter before using a 14-4 run to extend the lead to 86-72 with about 3 1/2 minutes left. Harden tossed an alley-oop to Howard for a dunk during that span. The crowd roared as Howard pointed and smiled at his new teammate. "He was amazing," Harden said. "Running the floor, rebounding the basketball ... and finishing the basketball. You know, doing what he does. Hes a game changer." Another dunk by Howard, this one a two-handed slam, capped the spurt. Howard didnt want to talk too much about how big this first game was after his off-season talk of joining the Rockets to help them win championships. "I didnt want to put any pressure on myself," he said. "I just wanted to go out there and play and have fun and get back to being who I am as a player. I think when you focus too much on that and what everybody else is saying thats when you dont play like you want to play." Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said dealing with both Harden and Howard was difficult. "They played to their strengths and we werent able to hold them when we needed to," he said. The Bobcats were led by Josh McRoberts, who had 15 points. Houston coach Kevin McHale stayed with the big lineup he first used late in the preseason with 7-footer Omer Asik at centre and Howard at power forward. But he switched things up and started Patrick Beverley over Jeremy Lin at point guard. Beverley injured his ribs in the second quarter and didnt return. Lin received stitches to his chin, but returned to the game. Harden was dealing with a sore wrist and back, but said hed be OK by Houstons next game on Friday. Beverley finished with five points and Lin added 16. Francisco Garcia had five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points. Al Jefferson started after missing most of the preseason with a sprained right ankle. Jefferson, who signed a three-year, $41 million deal in the off-season, had 13 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes. "I was a little rusty and I most definitely am not in game shape and I missed a lot of shots I would normally make," he said. Houston led by eight points after a putback layup by Howard early in the third quarter. Jefferson got the Bobcats going after that, scoring four points in a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 51-48. A 3-pointer by McRoberts about three minutes later got Charlotte within 57-56. But Lin answered with a 3-pointer that was the first of six straight points for Houston, which pushed the lead to 63-56. Houston led 67-61 at the end of the third quarter. Charlotte is looking to bounce back from a terrible two-year stretch where the team posted an NBA-worst 28-120 record. They added Jefferson and drafted Cody Zeller with the fourth overall pick in an attempt to bolster the lineup. Zeller had two points and four rebounds in about 15 minutes. Howard was given what at first was called a flagrant foul after what looked like a light push at the midsection of McRoberts with about two minutes remaining in the first half. McRoberts got in Howards face after the foul before teammates pulled him away. The play was reviewed and changed to a personal foul, but Howard went to the bench anyway. McRoberts made both free throws and Howard returned in the third quarter. NOTES: The Rockets picked up the third-year option on the contracts of forward Terrence Jones and forward/centre Donatas Motiejunas on Wednesday. ... Former Rockets star Tracy McGrady, who retired from the NBA this summer, watched the game from a courtside seat next to team owner Leslie Alexander and got a loud ovation when he was introduced during a timeout in the second quarter. Custom Texas Rangers Nike Jerseys . The Austrian ski federation said Morgenstern was "conscious and well responsive" and his condition would be monitored in the intensive care unit of a Salzburg hospital for the next 72 hours. The federation said it was "way too early" to judge Morgensterns chances of competing in Sochi, and that an update on his condition was not expected before Monday. Custom Chicago White Sox Nike Jerseys . -- Kyle Busch edged teammate Joey Logano at the Bristol Motor Speedway finish line Friday night to become the all-time winningest driver in Nationwide Series. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/?tag=custom-houston-astros-nike-jerseys . Virtanen opened the scoring at 6:45 of the first period, then gave Canada a two-goal lead with a power-play goal 1:03 into the second. Sweden cut the lead in half when Daniel Muzito Bagenda scored a power-play goal at 10:57 of the second.MINSK, Belarus -- Team Canadas world hockey championship is off to a rough start after a stunning 3-2 shootout loss to France. Even though it took a shootout, the defeat at Chizhovka-Arena stands out as one of Canadas more embarrassing losses in recent history at this tournament. Its just the second time Canada has lost to France, the last coming in regulation in 1995. "Its good to have adversity early, it tells your team just how hard its going to be and France played a very strong game," Canadian coach Dave Tippett said. "They capitalized on their power play and they got the extra point in the shootout, so congratulations to them." The two latest matchups between these teams at the IIHF World Hockey Championship ended in 7-2 and 9-1 victories for Canada in 2012 and 2011, respectively. Canada entered the 2014 tournament 8-1 all-time against France. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored the shootout-winner for France. Stephane Da Costa, a part-timer with the Ottawa Senators, had each of Frances regulation power-play goals. Brayden Schenn and Erik Gudbranson scored for Canada. Former NHL goaltender Cristobal Huet shined in net for France. James Reimer was saddled with the loss for Canada. "I think we made a few mistakes, but thats to be expected when youre kind of rusty and coming back and so were going to get better every game and well be better next game," said Reimer, who finished with 26 saves. Reimer was tested plenty in the early going, stopping a point-blank attempt from Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel short-handed three minutes in and turning French captain Laurent Meunier away a bit later. His best save of the first period came at the 11-minute mark on Da Costas big windup from the right faceoff circle. Da Costa broke through near the end of the period with Canadas Alex Burrows in the penalty box for tripping. After defenceman Yohann Auvitus point shot hit Reimer in the pads, the puck bounced out to thee Ottawa Senators minor-leaguer, who snapped it in at the 17:03 mark to give France a 1-0 lead. Cheap Custom Baseball Jerseys. . It didnt take long for Canada to respond. Nathan MacKinnon drew a hooking penalty on Meunier with 35.4 seconds left in the first period, then Cody Hodgson fed Schenn for a power-play goal with 16.2 left to tie it. Canada came close to taking the lead a couple of times in the second period, no closer than when Morgan Rielly got a shot off from the right faceoff circle that Huet snagged with his glove at 11:46. Turnovers by young defencemen Tyler Myers and Erik Gudbranson brought some danger for Canada, but each time Reimer was challenged he came up big. With the seconds ticking away before intermission, Reimer made a big stop on Bellemare to get through the first 39 seconds of a five-on-three penalty kill. Canada killed off the remaining 28 seconds of the five-on-three early in the second before Troy Brouwer took another slashing penalty just 11 seconds later. Gudbranson gave Canada the lead 10:42 into the third period on a goal that was confirmed by video review. Gudbransons shot from between the faceoff circles hit the left post and went in off Huet. Da Costa scored again for France at 13:35, lifting a backhander over a sprawling Reimer to ignite cheers from an anti-Canada, pro-underdog France crowd at Chizhovka-Arena. It was a power-play goal as Jason Garrison was off for slashing and came right after defenceman Braydon Coburns turnover. Tippett pointed to turnovers and penalties as the primary culprit for one of Canadas worst losses in the past decade or so. "Its how costly they are to you when youre playing a team that is just playing not to lose because every time you turn the puck over or take a penalty, theyre just waiting for that advantage," he said. "Theyre just waiting for you to make a mistake and they feel like thats when they can make up for the discrepancy, possibly, in talent." ' ' '