ATLANTA -- The Hawks are discovering that strong defence makes winning possible, even against quality opponents, after Al Horfords season-ending injury. Bradley Chubb Jersey . Kyle Korver scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Atlanta fought off Houstons late comeback to beat the Rockets 83-80 on Friday night. Paul Millsap also had 20 points for Atlanta, which earned its second straight impressive home win following a victory over Indiana on Wednesday night. The two victories were important following a three-game losing streak and Horfords torn right pectoral muscle in late December. "Its a real good win for us because it really shows we played some good teams and we actually played some good defence," Millsap said. "It started with the defence and if we continue to keep that up, well be fine." James Harden led the Rockets with 25 points. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Houston coach Kevin McHale said his players "were just stuck in the mud offensively." Aaron Brooks had 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, and Jeremy Lin added 11 for Houston. "I think they took the game in the second half with how hard they played on defence," Lin said. The Hawks overcame Houstons 11-0 run to start the game. The Rockets then battled back from an eight-point deficit with another 11-0 run to regain the lead at 76-73. Korvers 3-pointer tied the game. Following a basket by Harden, DeMarre Carrolls 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 79-78 lead. The Hawks didnt trail again. "I think the group is really starting to trust each other defensively," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "The competitiveness that theyre putting out there, it starts on the defensive end of the court. ... Its just good to see that trust being built up." The strong defensive effort came against one of the highest-scoring teams in the NBA. Entering the game, the Rockets ranked third in the league with their average of 105.8 points. Harden, who had seven assists and five turnovers, was unable to extend his streak of three straight games with at least 37 points. "Guys just couldnt get into a rhythm," he said. "Guys were just sluggish tonight, including myself." It was a disappointing start to Houstons four-game road trip. "We talked about it before the game," Harden said. "We just came out flat." With Atlanta leading 79-78, Korver made two free throws to push Atlantas lead to three points. Following a timeout, Harden drove toward the basket and passed to Lin, whose foot was on the 3-point line as he sank a jumper with 6.5 seconds left, cutting the Hawks lead to 81-80. The Rockets quickly fouled Korver, who made both free throws. Houston couldnt get off an attempt at a last-second 3. The Hawks matched their season low for first-half points but trailed only 41-39 at the break. Official reviews confirmed Atlantas first basket and last shot from the field in the half came after the clock expired. Millsaps layup, which initially was approved for a 2-all tie, was disallowed when the review showed it came after the 24-second clock expired. Jeff Teagues layup at the end of the half, which would have tied the game, came after time expired. Korver made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions midway through the third period for the first tie at 57-all. Millsaps driving basket gave Atlanta its first lead at 61-59, and the Hawks stretched the lead to 73-65 with 8:32 remaining. Mistakes by the Hawks, including a 24-second violation, a missed layup by Pero Antic and a turnover by Millsap, helped the Rockets close the gap. Brooks 3-pointer cut Atlantas lead to 73-72. Harden made two of three free throws with 3:50 remaining to give Houston its first lead of the period at 74-73. Rockets forward Chandler Parsons missed his second straight game with a sore right knee. Ronnie Brewer was the fill-in starter. Korver extended his NBA record of consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer to 106 when he made his first of four 3s with 9:03 left in the first half. NOTES: NBA great Julius Erving had a front-row seat. ... Howard, an Atlanta native, purchased 35 tickets for the game. ... The Hawks 10 first-quarter points set a season low for any quarter and was the low allowed by the Rockets in any quarter. ... Houston C Omer Asik (right thigh, knee) missed his 18th straight game. ... F Greg Smith (sprained right knee) returned and had four points after missing the Rockets previous game. Custom Denver Broncos Jerseys . The United States clinched the final berth into the Ford Worlds, March 28-April 6 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, on Saturday in Blaine, Minn. Case Keenum Jersey . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Marquette-King-Jersey/ . - For a general manager who preaches building through the draft, Reggie McKenzie has struggled to find impact players his first two years in Oakland.MONACO, Monaco - The IOC approved a wide-ranging reform package Monday, including a more affordable bidding process, creation of an Olympic television channel and a more flexible sports program that could bring baseball and softball into the 2020 Tokyo Games.The IOC also approved the rewording of non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation — a move that followed the controversy over Russias law against gay propaganda ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.The International Olympic Committee voted in favour of the new rules on the opening day of a special session to adopt President Thomas Bachs 40-point Olympic Agenda 2020 program, the biggest changes in the IOC in decades.All the recommendations were approved unanimously in one day, rather than the scheduled 1 1/2 days.This Olympic Agenda 2020 is like a jigsaw puzzle, Bach told the delegates. Now that you have approved all the recommendations, you can see the whole picture of this puzzle. ... It was a very important day for the IOC and the Olympic movement.The IOC abolished the cap of 28 sports for the Summer Games to move to an events-based system that would allow new competitions to come in, while keeping to about 10,500 athletes and 310 medal events.Host cities will also be allowed to propose the inclusion of one or more additional events for their games.The new rules clear the way for Tokyo organizers to request that baseball and softball be included in the 2020 Games. Both sports, dropped after the 2008 Beijing Games, are highly popular in Japan.Today, there is excitement circulating around the baseball and softball world and there is great hope that our athletes will now have a real opportunity ... to play for their country, aiming to win an Olympic gold medal, said Riccardo Fraccari, president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation.Other sports like squash and karate are also hopeful of joining the Tokyo program. In addition, new disciplines and events within existing sports could also be considered. Some events may need to be dropped to make room for new ones.This is a major breakthrough, senior Canadian member Dick Pound said. We were at a dead-end situation with 28 sports. This provides the flexibility we need.The new bidding process, meanwhile, is aimed at making the system cheaaper and more flexible to attract future candidates — including the option of holding events outside the host city or country. Isaac Yiadom Jersey. The votes came at a time when many countries have been scared off by the costs of hosting the Olympics, including the reported $51 billion associated with the Sochi Games. Several cities withdrew from the bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics, leaving only Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the running.The new system makes the process more of an invitation and allows prospective candidates to discuss their plans in advance with the IOC to tailor games to their own needs — and keep them affordable.In the most radical change, cities will be allowed to hold events outside the host city or country. This opens the door to joint bids by cities, neighbouring countries or regions.IOC vice-president John Coates said holding events outside the host country would only be considered in exceptional circumstances. He said the idea would have to be raised in the early phase of bidding and would need approval from the IOC executive board.The compactness of the bid is always important, Coates said. But the compactness of the games has to be weighed up with the cost benefit of being able to use existing venues rather than build new venues.The IOC backed the launch of a digital channel — possibly as early as next year — to promote Olympic sports between the games and engage with young viewers. The channel will feature material from the IOCs archives, transmit some international sports competitions and offer a promotional platform for bid cities.This is really a historical step, Bach said.The IOC said the channel — to be run by the Madrid-based Olympic Broadcasting Services — will cost $600 million to operate over the first seven years, with the goal of breaking even in the first decade.The new Principle 6 clause says the Olympics should be free of discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.This is a pivotal moment for equality in sport, said Andre Banks, executive director and co-founder of internal gay rights group All Out.___Follow Stephen Wilson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevewilsonap Cheap Baltimore Orioles Gear Cheap Boston Red Sox Gear Cheap New York Yankees Gear Cheap Tampa Bay Rays Gear Cheap Toronto Blue Jays Gear Cheap Chicago Cubs Gear Cheap Milwaukee Brewers Gear Cheap Pittsburgh Pirates Gear Cheap Cincinnati Reds Gear Cheap St. Louis Cardinals Gear Cheap Arizona Diamondbacks Gear Cheap Colorado Rockies Gear Cheap Los Angeles Dodgers Gear Cheap San Diego Padres Gear Cheap San Francisco Giants Gear ' ' '