Fragen und Antworten » , and the race has onl

MILWAUKEE -- Every shot Caron Butler made helped dull the pain of a recent root canal. Ending a nine-game losing streak? That gave the Milwaukee Bucks veteran forward a reason to smile. Butler scored 30 points two days after major dental work and the Bucks rallied from 13 points down in the third quarter for a 104-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. "I dont have that much energy," Butler said with a smile. "Im going to go home, go to sleep. Just relax." A well-deserved break after shooting 12 of 21 and leading the charge by the Bucks bench in the fourth quarter. All on his bobblehead night, too. Butler was questionable for the game because he was still getting over his trip to the dentist. "I wasnt feeling good yesterday, feeling extremely weak," he said. Coach Larry Drew "believed in me tonight and gave me an opportunity. Thats why it was even more special." Brandon Knight added 16 points against the team that traded him in the off-season, while backup centre Miroslav Raduljica added eight points and eight rebounds. He was part of the reserve corps -- with Khris Middleton (10 points) and Luke Ridnour (eight points) -- that helped close the gap. The Bucks trailed 76-63 in the third quarter, largely due to Brandon Jennings, who finished with 30 points for Detroit. But Butler provided a boost with his jumper in the fourth and the Bucks held on late. Josh Smith missed two foul shots with about 5 seconds left and Rodney Stuckey missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer. "Its important we keep the attitude and intensity. I think we got a little comfortable, but we cant let that happen," Jennings said. "No matter what their record is, thats an NBA team over there. At 8-33, the Bucks have the worst record in the NBA, but received a sorely needed confidence boost at the midpoint of the season. "I told our guys after the game, its nice to get off that losing streak. Lets enjoy the moment, remember what this feels like tomorrow," Drew said. "By no stretch of the imagination is losing fun." Knight, who was traded for Jennings, also had nine assists and six rebounds, while Ersan Ilyasova added 12 points. Greg Monroe added 18 points for Detroit and Stuckey finished 23. The last few minutes found Jennings and Knight guarding each other on the perimeter. Jennings blocked Knight with about 7 seconds left, but Smith missed the two foul shots at the other end. The Pistons had one last chance after a contested possession was ruled in favour of Detroit. Stuckeys 3-point attempt from the corner sailed harmlessly into the side of the glass. "We made a few bad decisions on both ends of the floor, but I gave up a lot of offensive rebounds so I have to slap myself on the wrist for that," said centre Andre Drummond, who finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. A game after going scoreless against the Clippers, Jennings shot 11 of 23 against the team that drafted him in the first round in 2009. Facing off against Knight at one point in the third quarter, Jennings hit a deep 3 to give Detroit a 76-63 lead, then turned to the crowd and pointed his index finger to his forehead. The Bucks started chipping away. With the shot clock winding down at the end of the third quarter, Butler hit a long 3 to get Milwaukee within 84-81. "That was definitely a momentum-changer. If we get that rebound and secure that ball, we go into the fourth up seven or eight points," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. Just another highlight from a memorable game for Butler. His play off the bench was especially important given the Bucks were without starting centre Larry Sanders and veteran guard O.J. Mayo due to illness. As for Butlers bobblehead doll, the likeness was close enough. "It looks like my cousin," he said, "but itll do, we are related." NOTES: The Pistons, the NBAs top offensive rebounding team coming into the night at 14.4 per game, were outrebounded on the offensive glass, 12-9 ... Milwaukee G Luke Ridnour wore a sleeve around the right wrist he sprained on Saturday against the Spurs. ... Milwaukee used its 19th different starting lineup in its 41st game this season. Emre Can Jersey . So far, so good: Gonzalez has allowed one run through 12 innings this season. His second start came Tuesday night, when he gave up only three singles over six innings to lead the Nationals to a 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins. Claudio Marchisio Jersey . There, I saw a teenaged boy with tears in his eyes, being consoled by strength and conditioning coach Randy Lee. http://www.juventusfcpro.com/Kids-Blaise-Matuidi-Jersey/ . - Roger Federer squandered a big lead and lost to No. Gonzalo Higuain Jersey . No surprise there. Kershaw, who also earned the title after throwing his first career no-hitter in June, had a 1. Sami Khedira Jersey . Chris Heisey followed with a two-run triple and Billy Hamilton added an RBI double, all but sealing Cincinnatis fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. Brandon Phillips, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth for the Reds before pinch-hitter Buster Posey tied it with an RBI double off hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom half. REIMS, France -- Vincenzo Nibali is growing comfortable in his yellow jersey. Hes not taking the Tour de France lead for granted, though. Despite the stunning departure of reigning champion Chris Froome in a crash the day before, the Italian says hes "afraid" of two-time champ Alberto Contador, and senses other contenders are looking for opportunities to strip him of cyclings most coveted jersey. Nibali took another, if small, step on Thursday toward the Tour crown by maintaining his lead as the pack arrived in Reims -- whose famed Cathedral hosted many French coronations -- in a drizzly and crash-marred sixth stage won by German sprint specialist Andre Greipel. Nibali, who has won cyclings two other Grand tours -- the Spanish Vuelta and Italian Giro -- made it five straight days in the yellow shirt that he hopes to take home when the race ends on the Champs-Elysees on July 27. Its still very early, though, and the race has only had one real climbing day so far: Far tougher up-and-down days are ahead this weekend in the Vosges mountains, in the Alps in week two, and the Pyrenees in week three. But Nibali says he is "calm" and feeling good physically, his Astana team is the best-performing squad so far, and several rival teams have been losing riders to crashes. "Im still afraid of Contador," said Nibali, adding that he expects the Spaniard and other yellow jersey aspirants to attack when the race enters the eastern Vosges range on Saturday -- culminating with a tough uphill finish in Mondays Stage 10. "Its true that you can lose a lot of energy defending the yellow jersey, but Ive been riding well," Nibali said through a translator. "Its a heavy task to wear it ... (but) to have the jersey could be a little advantage in the coming stages. Well take it day by day." Contador, a day after losing about 2 1/2 minutes to Nibali on a muddy ride over cobblestones, was dealt another setback on Thursday: His Saxo-Tinkoff teammate Jesus Hernandez, who was expected to help him up the climbs, dropped out after a crash that left him dazed on the roadside. Richie Porte, who inherited the leadership of Team Sky after Froome quit, also lost a teammate. Spanish veteran Xabier Zandio was taken to hospital with a suspected broken rib and severe back injury from a group spill with about 79 kilometres left. Thee race medical report listed a total of 14 riders with varying injuries from "two big crashes.dddddddddddd" "It was such a stressful day -- horrible actually," Porte said, crediting support from his team. "The guys were around me all day, and while we lost Xabi Zandio to the crash, the rest of us kept out of trouble and we live to fight another day." Greipel, the Germany champion, collected his sixth career Tour stage win ahead of Norways Alexander Kristoff in second and Frances Samuel Dumoulin in third over the 194-kilometre (120-mile) ride. Greipels job got easier after countryman Marcel Kittel, who has dominated the sprints this year, got a late flat. "I had really good punch today, I am really happy," said Greipel, a Lotto Belisol rider who turns 32 next Wednesday. "Of course Im not looking at Kittel. I dont need to hide. I am still one of the fastest in the bunch. "There was a lot of pressure on us, on my shoulders. Its a big relief for us." The top of the standings didnt change, as most of the contenders for victory in the three-week race trailed close behind the muscular Greipel. He was not a challenger for the overall title; like many sprinters, he does not fare well on the climbs that are crucial to winning in Paris. Hes 37 1/2 minutes behind Nibali. Overall, Nibali has a two-second lead over Danish teammate Jakob Fuglsang. Peter Sagan of Slovakia was third, 44 seconds back. Porte, an Australian, was another 70 seconds back in eighth place. American Andrew Talansky, who won the Criterium du Dauphine in June, was ninth, 2:05 behind Nibali. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde was 10th, 2:11 back, and Contador was in 18th, 2:37 behind. Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., was tied for 86th in the stage and 132nd overall, 33:35 off the lead. Christian Meier, also from Langley, was tied for 145th in the stage and was 154th overall, 38:45 back. With the Tour giving a nod to 100 years since the start of World War I, French President Francois Hollande honoured the fallen and took a ride with race director Christian Prudhomme on Thursday. The Tour chief led a ceremony honouring 1909 winner Francois Faber, one of three winners of early Tours who died in the war. Stage 7 on Friday will be the Tours second longest, another mostly flat 234.5-kilometre (146-mile) trek from Epernay to Nancy. 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