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In his weekly column, Sky Sports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague reflects on the competitiveness of La Liga after the top two slip up, what happened in Atletico Madrids shock defeat and Reals best performance of the season...La Liga as competitive as any, Barcelona are just extraordinarily goodA lot of people think the Spanish league is not competitive because they see the likes of Barcelona nine points ahead of Atletico Madrid, and 10 points ahead of Real Madrid. The problem is that if Barcelona were in the Premier League there would be that difference or even more, and it would be the same in the German league or the Italian league as well. We are seeing something extraordinary from Barcelona. It hasnt been seen before, certainly not this consistency at this level for that long. However, when you see a team like Villarreal, who are fourth in the table, doing well in Europe, in fact the top six teams in La Liga are still in Europe, that should kill any suggestion the league is not competitive.Sporting Gijons energy was too much for over-confident Atletico Celebrations for Sporting Gijon after surprise win over Atletico Madrid In the last 15 years the difference between top and bottom in England and Spain is shorter. That may surprise some but it is the case. These kind of games like the one between Villarreal, who only made one change from the game against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, and Barcelona where the visitors went 2-0 up before being pegged back to 2-2, suggests the teams in Spain are very sophisticated. Tactically they work very hard without the ball, they run a lot, they are more aggressive than people think, but what makes them difference is the variation of what they do with the ball.People say that doesnt happen in La Liga but it happens more than you think, and Sporting Gijon were proof of it. Atletico were too conservative after scoring the first goal. They were partly tired and they thought they had the job done, and Sporting with their youth, exuberance and the fans managed to turn it around. Atletico Madrids hopes of winning La Liga were dealt a huge blow as they were beaten 2-1 by Sporting Gijon Real Madrid produced best performance of the season, thanks to the reformation of their deadly front three Real Madrids Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale celebrate It was interesting to see what happened at the Bernabeu. It was the best Real Madrid of the season. They had the BBC [Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo] up front and that has only happened 11 times this season in the league. Imagine if Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar had only joined forces 11 times this season, we may be seeing a story!It feels like a good point in the season for Real. Everybody is fit and they are all playing well, especially Karim Benzema, Keylor Navas and Casemiro. It is a more balanced team and that is what Rafael Benitez was working towards, but he had everyone working against him. Ronaldo fluffed his lines as he tried to extend Real Madrids lead against Sevilla from the penalty spot Zinedine Zidane has found the same need to balance the team with Casemiro, the same need to get rid of Isco and James Rodriguez from his line-up and what you saw against Sevilla is the team he is going to use more often with Sergio Ramos and Pepe, who were absent at the weekend, at the back.They are too far away to win the league, but they seem to have been lifted by the fact Wolfsburg is the next team they have to face in the Champions League. It probably means they will be in the semi-finals and then they are getting closer and closer to glory. Karim Benzema scored a stunning volley as Real Madrid opened the scoring against Sevilla When that happens it seems everyone has shaken off their injury problems and are ready for battle. Real Madrid certainly looked that way against a Sevilla side that could have got something from the match at the Bernabeu, if Kevin Gameiro had scored the penalty they had missed, and then there was the disallowed goal that should have counted after Gameiro fired past Navas.However, Real also had decisions go against them with Gareth Bale also have a goal wrongly chalked off. Sevilla caused Real problems for a while but the home side were playing at a very high level with key performances from Benzema, Navas, Casemiro and also Marcelo, who makes the team tick. For me he is as important as any forward in the team.Also See:Real win as Bale makes historyBarca throw away lead to drawZidane ready for El ClasicoGuillem BalagueFake Jerseys From China . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. Fake Jerseys Cheap . 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Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week.OKLAHOMA CITY -- A few weeks ago, Michael Jordan helped induct Russell Westbrook into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and called himself a fan of the Thunder guards game.Now, Westbrook has accomplished something no one has since Jordan -- he became the first player with five consecutive triple-doubles since Jordan had seven straight in 1989. Westbrook had 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists on Sunday night, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 101-92.The Thunder have won all five games during Westbrooks triple-double stretch, and 26 of 28 the past two years when he gets one. Westbrook said he doesnt worry about the numbers.I just play, honestly, he said. I dont want to get in a conversation of if Im going to do it every night. I just go out and compete at a high level every night, like Ive been doing since Ive been in the NBA.Westbrook is still averaging a triple-double for the season with averages of 31.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 11.3 assists through 21 games. It was his 10th triple-double of the season and the 47th of his career.Hes more concerned with the fact that the Thunder have recovered from a rough stretch and improved to 13-8.I just like to win, brother, he said. Honestly, thats the most important part. Making sure my guys are good, and making sure everybodys happy with their games, and making sure we win the game.Enes Kanter had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Victor Oladipo added 15 points for the Thunder.Anthony Davis, the NBAs leading scorer, had 37 points and 15 rebounds for the Pelicans.Buddy Hield, who led nearby Oklahoma to the Final Four last season, scored 16 points in his first game back in the state. The last time he had played in Oklahoma, he scored 36 points to help the Sooners beat VCU and advance to the Sweet 16. In this game, he made 6 of 12 shots and 4 of 7 3-pointers.I havent felt like that in a long time, Hield said. Its so great to get back in there and get a rhythm and see the ball go through the net. Ive been struggling the last couple games, but I feel more confident.Oklahoma City led 49-41 at halftime. Westbrook had 12 points, nine reboundds and six assists at the break, and Davis kept the Pelicans in it with 24 points and 10 rebounds.ddddddddddddWestbrook threw down a vicious right-handed jam on a drive down the middle in the third quarter that gave Oklahoma City a 57-47 lead. He clinched the triple-double on an assist to Kanter for a dunk with 2:14 left in the third quarter. The Thunder took a 78-66 lead into the fourth quarter.Hield drained a 3-pointer to cut Oklahoma Citys lead to four with just under two minutes to go, but Westbrooks 3 with 51.3 seconds to go bumped the Thunders lead back to 99-92.We were still right there, and given the opportunity, Russells going to make a big play, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. The big 3-pointer that he made was probably the difference in the game,TIP-INSPelicans: G Jrue Holiday started for just the third time this season. He missed the first 12 games while his wife, former U.S. womens national team soccer player Lauren Holiday, recovered from surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. ... The Pelicans shot just 36.7 percent from the field.Thunder: Made 14 of 15 2-point shots and missed all nine of their 3-pointers in the first quarter. ... C Steven Adams sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and did not return. ... The Thunder missed all 15 3-point attempts in the first half, then made 6 of 13 in the second. ... Westbrook leads active players in career triple-doubles.HAPPY BIRTHDAYThunder forward Andre Roberson scored 13 points on his 25th birthday. He made 6 of 8 shots and fell two points short of his career high.WELCOME BACKHield got a standing ovation when he checked in late in the first half.I have so much respect I have to pay to Oklahoma, he said. This is home to me. Every time I come back, they embrace me well, like the warm welcome they gave me. I had a lot of jitters.UP NEXTPelicans: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.Thunder: Play at the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP . ' ' '