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Cristiano Ronaldo put his enormous talent on display with a hat trick in World Cup qualifying, and the reward may be the Ballon dOr after a voting deadline extension on Wednesday improved his chances of beating out Lionel Messi for the honour. Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. 29. FIFA said it was reopening the deadline due to the low number of responses received by last Fridays original deadline, and invited voters to switch their preference. Ronaldo became the favourite on Wednesday to beat Messi and Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery for the world player of the year award, which will be presented on Jan. 13. Portuguese and Spanish sports dailies splashed Ronaldos photo across their front pages on Wednesday, when FIFA president Sepp Blatter expressed his congratulations to Ronaldo in a tweet reading "fantastic performance." Ronaldo has scored 13 goals in six games since Blatter said last month that he preferred Messi, an Argentine who plays for Barcelona. Ronaldo has scored 32 goals in all competitions this season. "Every year I show what Im about. Ive scored 40 or 50 goals a season and thats not enough for everyone. Im not obsessed with the (Ballon dOr)," Ronaldo said Tuesday. "I did my job as I have been doing all season. I dont have to answer to anybody. I do my talking on the field." Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008, has watched as Messi has won the award the last four years. But Messi has the edge in trophies over Ronaldo after Barcelona won the Spanish league last season. Ribery helped Bayern win a treble of Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League titles. Blatters slight -- when he said Ronaldo spent more time at the hairdresser and compared his on-field personality to that of a commander -- has seemed to energize the player, who also equaled Pauleta as Portugals record scorer with 47 goals. At the Friends Arena in Sweden, Portuguese fans carried a banner reading "Commander Ronaldo" in response to Blatters comments, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic also appeared to applaud Ronaldos heroics. Ronaldos scoring run comes with Messi sidelined by injury and unable to add to his own collection of awe-inspiring goals. Messi is expected to be out until the end of December because of a hamstring injury. The Barcelona forward said his left leg was pain-free on Wednesday as he collected his third Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in Europes domestic leagues last season. Messi, who has scored 14 goals in 16 games this season, was not asked about Ronaldos performance or his Ballon dOr prospects during the presentation, when questions were not allowed. Ronaldo will take the field again Saturday when Madrid plays Almeria. Cheap Jerseys Paypal . - Hitting was supposed to be the Pittsburgh Pirates weakness coming into the season yet they lead the major leagues in home runs through the first 16 games of the season. Cheapest Jerseys . FLIP SAUNDERS (Timberwolves): Im not the least bit surprised that he appointed himself as head coach after his search concluded. http://www.stitchedcheapnfljerseyschina.com/ .Y. - DeMarre Carroll felt as though he couldnt miss in the second quarter as he outscored the Brooklyn Nets 14-13 all by himself. NFL Jerseys China Supply . -- Joe Thornton scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:39 left in regulation to help the San Jose Sharks overcome a two-goal deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on Thursday night. NFL Jerseys Factory . With the Rangers already leading 2-0, Carey Price was taken down early in the second period of New Yorks 7-2 pounding of the Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on Saturday afternoon. PORTLAND, Ore. -- After Portland had withstood a late barrage from the Indiana Pacers and Paul George, the Trail Blazers gathered at midcourt and raised their hands together. It might be early in the season, but this was a statement win for the Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points and 10 rebounds and Portland downed Indiana 106-102 Monday night, snapping the Pacers seven-game winning streak. Damian Lillard added 26. "It was a tough one, and we knew it was going to be a tough one going in," Lillard said. "Theyre a good team, they only had one loss. But were a good team too, and we wanted to prove that." Paul George had a career-high 43 points for Pacers (16-2), who own the NBAs best record. The Blazers pulled in front early in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers kept it close and George hit consecutive 3-pointers that narrowed it to 98-96 with 1:37 left. Lillard answered with a 3-pointer and Nicolas Batum made a pair of free throws for the Blazers before George hit another 3-pointer that got Indiana within 103-99 with 21 seconds to go. Lillard hit free throws and George made yet another 3 with 10 seconds left to make it 105-102, but the Pacers couldnt get closer. Portland (15-3) is off to its best start since the 1998-99 season. "I really wanted to get this win," said George, one of just four Indiana players to score 43 or more points in a game since 2000. "I was trying to will us into the game." Both teams were playing the second of a back-to-back. The Blazers beat the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 114-108, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Lakers at the Staples Center. The Pacers (16-2) were coming off a 105-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday to open a five-game road trip. "Theyre a great offensive team and they made big shots all game long," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said of Portland. "Hopefully thats what its going to take to beat this team -- making impossible shot after impossible shot." Earlier Monday, the NBA named Vogel the Eastern Conference coach of the month for November. Portlands Terry Stotts was named coach of the month for the Western Conference. The Pacers went 15-1 in November and opened the season with a nine-game winning streak for the best start in franchise history. TThe Blazers went 13-3 under Stotts to start the season, including an 11-game winning streak.dddddddddddd While Stotts acknowledged it was a big win, he stopped short of the whole "statement" thing. "We played the most complete game from beginning to end: Execution, effort, mental focus. All of those things," he said. "But I dont believe you play statement games in December. George had a 14-foot jumper that gave the Pacers an early 20-11 lead, but the Blazers hung close through the first half. Mo Williams, who helped Portland keep up with seven points, had three fouls and was sent to the bench. The Blazers finished out the first half with a 9-3 run to get within 46-45 at the break. Aldridges dunk pulled Portland within 59-54 midway through the third quarter, but George answered with an 18-foot jumper on the other end for Indiana. Orlando Johnsons 3-pointer extended the lead to 64-56 and it looked as if the Pacers were pulling away. But Aldridge hit a flat 20-foot jumper and made a free throw and Joel Freeland dunked to even it at 70. Lillard hit a 3-pointer and the Blazers took a 75-72 lead, their first of the game. Portland went up 86-78 on Wesley Matthews 3-pointer to make it 86-78. Matthews was asked afterward what the win meant: "That were a pretty damn good team," he replied. It was Aldridges 14th game this season with 20 or more points. The two-time All-Star has eight double-doubles this season. "Theyre good," Aldridge said. "I just had one of those nights." NOTES: It was Portland guard Lillards 100th career game. He is third NBA player ever to start his first 100 games. ... Among those at the game was Portland native Galen Rupp, who won the silver in the 10,000 metres at the London Olympics. ... Former Blazers coach Nate McMillan is an assistant to Vogel in Indiana. ... It was just the second time Indiana had given up 100 points this season. ... The Blazers are 8-0 this season against Eastern Conference teams. ... Indianas David West reached his 11,000th career point in the second quarter. West, a 10-year veteran, finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. ... George Hill matched his career high with 11 assists. ... Pacers starter Lance Stephenson fouled out with just under 5 minutes left. ' ' '