spreading the word! Were happy to count you amongst th

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Avery Bradley said his goal coming into the season was to expand his game.So far, so good.Bradley had 31 points on a career-high eight 3-pointers and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 104-98 Saturday night.Bradley was 8 of 11 from beyond the arc as the Celtics shot 75 percent from the field in the fourth quarter to pull away.Bradley is averaging 21.3 points and nearly nine rebounds through three games this season.Thats my mindset this year -- Im trying to rebound, pass the ball and make plays for others, Bradley said. I work on my game every single summer and know Im trying to put it in the game.Isaiah Thomas had 24 points and seven assists and Al Horford added 14 points for the Celtics, who trailed by one entering the fourth quarter.Boston finished 15 of 31 from 3-point range, while the Hornets were just 9 of 32.Coach Brad Stevens left Bradley in the game with the second team to start the fourth quarter and the strategy paid off. Bradley was 5 of 7 from the field in the final 12 minutes and made all three 3-point attempts.Weve been starting or playing early in those quarters -- the second or fourth -- either Isaiah or Avery to try to keep one of our guards in with the second unit, Stevens said. I did think he was gassed at about the seven-minute mark. Thats why we took him back out for a couple of minutes.Hornets coach Steve Cliffford said Bradley was terrific.Especially in the stretch where they got a little bit of cushion (in the fourth quarter) which ended up being the difference in the game, Clifford said. Theyre a good team and they played well. You can see why people are saying theyll be top two or three in the East.Walker led the Hornets in their home opener with 29 points, while Frank Kaminsky had 11 points and four rebounds in his first regular season action.The Hornets spent most of the game trying to claw even with the Celtics after falling behind early. They finally took the lead on a 7-foot jumper by Nicolas Batum on the final possession of the third quarter. But the lead was short-lived as Bradley started to heat up in the fourth quarter and the Celtics built a 93-79 lead.TIP-INS:Celtics: G Marcus Smart is making progress from his left ankle sprain, but Stevens said hes not sure if Smart will play Wednesday vs. Chicago. I anticipate that hell at least go through some of Mondays practice, but I dont know if hell be live, Stevens said. ... Amir Johnson received a flagrant 1 foul when he elbowed Cody Zeller in the head on a post-up move.Hornets: Owner Michael Jordan took in the teams home opener from the end of the bench. ... C Roy Hibbert, who has had a strong start to the season, missed the game with soreness in his right knee. ... G Jeremy Lamb left the game in the second quarter with a strained left hamstring and did not return. ... The Hornets took 22 free throws in the first half; Boston just two.TOO MANY TURNOVERS:Stevens wasnt real happy with his teams 13 turnovers that led to 13 points for the Hornets.Theyre one of the best teams in the NBA at packing the paint, Stevens said. We tried to thread the needle a little bit too much.POOR DEFENSE:Clifford didnt like his teams effort on defense, particularly in the second half where they allowed 60 points.When you play defense, theres a way you do it. You have the right stance, you have the right talk, you have the right organization, Clifford said. That gives you a chance. When guys start making their own stuff up, youve got no shot against a good team. And thats what happened tonight.UP NEXT:Celtics: Host Chicago on Wednesday before heading on the road to face LeBron James and Cavaliers on Thursday.Hornets: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday, part of five home games during a six-game stretch. Atlanta Falcons Jerseys 2018 . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Brett Favre Jersey . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. http://www.cheapfalconsjerseysauthentic.com/ . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Wholesale Atlanta Falcons Jerseys . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Steve Bartkowski Jersey . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. STILLWATER, Okla. -- Jordan Burtons Thanksgiving feast last week resembled most any other.His plate included dressing with cranberry sauce, corn, green beans, mashed potatoes and, of course, yams.But the Oklahoma State senior outside linebacker omitted the cornerstone of the Thanksgiving meal: the turkey.Since the summer, Burton has been a pescatarian and doesnt eat any land-walking animals.The decision can be traced to a lingering ankle injury. Burton hurt his ankle in Week 6 last season but played on the bad leg. He skipped spring practice before finally having surgery over the summer.After the surgery, Burton was trying to find any edge that would help him recover in time for his final college season. After reading about Arizona Cardinals all-pro safety Tyrann Mathieu going vegan to help overcome a knee injury, Burton opted to change his diet, which had previously included up to five Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches a week.I figured going vegan would probably be a little too hard, probably a little too expensive for a college kid, Burton said. So I tried pescatarian -- and its been working pretty good.Not only did Burton return remarkably in time for Oklahoma States opener against Southeastern Louisiana, he has delivered another banner season for the 10th-ranked Cowboys, who travel to No. 8 Oklahoma on Saturday in a showdown that will determine the Big 12 title.Appearing in all but one game this season, Burton, who was an AP All-Big 12 selection last year, is fifth on the Cowboys with 55 tackles. He also has four tackles for loss and two interceptions.I could feel the change with the diet alone, without even running, Burton said. I was getting in shape before I started to have to run. The third and fourth quarter last year, Id be gassed. Now I feel fresh.In the beginning, Burton kept his dietary decision to himself. He didnt know how his friends or teammates would react. But once they found out, not only did they not give him flak, they went to him for nutritional advice. That was especially true after watching him make a rapid recovery from the ankle injury while trimming his body fat from 13.4 to 8.4 or so percent.Among those who went to him for advice was defensive tackle Vincent Taylor, who wanted to lose belly fat, and safety Kenneth Edison-McGruder, who had difficulty getting his weight down. Sometimes, when Burton cooks, he makes extra for Edison-McGruder, who is now at his goal weight.I have people all the time ask me, Hey, Im trying to lose weight, or trying to maintain this weight, or trying to feel better in the fourth quarter, what are you eating? Burton said. Ive had people hit me up on Twitter, asking what Ive been eating, socccer players asking.ddddddddddddIn the team dining room, Oklahoma State nutritionist Charles Hewitt has tried to cater to Burtons dietary restrictions, offering a seafood item with almost every meal. Hewitt says because of Burton, he has seen other members of the team pay more attention to what they put in their bodies.He sets an example, as an older team member, that values that aspect of his performance, Hewitt said. Other guys have seen him make that a priority, that hes not going to eat fried chicken, he not going to eat steak.Burton said becoming a pescatarian wasnt as difficult as he thought it might be. Before giving up chicken, he had already cut out pork and beef. He still goes to Chick-fil-A, only for a snack, ordering a salad with nuts, berries and ranch dressing.To keep his weight up, Burton eats four or five times daily, including oatmeal and pancakes for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly or tuna sandwiches for lunch, and fish, rice and broccoli for dinner. Burton also loves and chugs chocolate milk throughout the day for extra calories.Originally, Burton didnt give up eating land-walking animals for moral reasons. But once PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) learned of Burtons decision through a video he did with the university, they sent a letter praising his choice.Were big fans of yours, the letter read. We were so thrilled to hear you talk about your switch to a plant-based diet and happy that its working so well for you. Thanks for being a friend to the animals, and for spreading the word! Were happy to count you amongst the outstanding athletes who recognize that plant-power is the way to go.According to PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange, PETA wanted to send Burton a gift basket full of vegan options. But then they learned that would constitute an NCAA violation.Jordan is setting a wonderful example, Lange said. Because of the status of some of these football players, where so many younger football players look up to them, theres a domino effect. They see how quickly they recover, how theyre so strong and so lean, because of what theyre eating. Other athletes are going to want to follow suit.Burton has come to appreciate the moral side of being a practicing pescatarian. Once PETA sent him the letter and followed him on Twitter, he followed them back.Ive watched their videos, Burton said. I feel more connected, more so now, to the moral aspect of not killing animals on top of the nutritional aspect.It only reinforced why I was doing it -- and gave me another reason to do it. ' ' '