me when France led 4-0. But the Nordic newcomers recovered the resolve that has seen them charm and captivate the continent over the last month.

MIAMI -- Winning consecutive games at home for the first time all season isnt exactly something to celebrate, particularly when the season is nearly two months old.For the Miami Heat, its a start.Hassan Whiteside had 26 points and 22 rebounds, and the Heat clamped down defensively to beat the Indiana Pacers 95-89 on Wednesday night. Miami held the Pacers to 37 percent shooting and outrebounded them 58-38.Guess thats what you can expect with a Heat-Pacers game, regardless of who the faces are, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. It was good for us to grind out another one.No, this wasnt one of those playoff battles with the Pacers that featured LeBron James and Dwyane Wade almost always finding a way for the Heat in recent years. This time, it was the likes of Tyler Johnson and James Johnson coming up big, combining for 29 points off the bench -- and Whiteside simply controlling the paint during his 34 minutes.I try to lead by example, Whiteside said.Paul George scored 22 for the Pacers, who were hoping for a season-best third straight win and instead managed just 10 points in the fourth quarter. CJ Miles added 15 for Indiana.This is a game that we should have won, George said. Its frustrating. ... We played OK. We just didnt finish well.Neither team led by more than seven, and the Heat got to that margin after James Johnson found Goran Dragic for a layup and a 92-85 lead with 3:35 left.They needed to hang on desperately from there.Miami didnt score again until there were 12.9 seconds left, when Josh Richardson sealed the win with a dunk that put the Heat up five after Indiana didnt foul. The Pacers missed three 3-point tries that would have tied the game in the final 2 minutes, one by George and the last two by Myles Turner.The Pacers shot 5 for 18 in the fourth. They went scoreless over a 7-minute stretch in the second half, and Miami took the lead for good during that drought.They basically muscled us and broke our offensive execution, Pacers coach Nate McMillan said.TIP-INSPacers: Monta Ellis (right groin strain) was sidelined again, and Rodney Stuckey played through a bruised left knee. ... This was the start of Indianas sixth of 17 back-to-backs this season. ... George has played 19 games at Miami, including playoffs. Indianas record in those games is 2-17.Heat: It was the fourth time Whiteside reached 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game, the second this season. ... Justise Winslow returned from a 16-game absence due to a sore left wrist and scored two points in 21 minutes. ... Dragic missed his first seven shots before connecting on a pull-up for his first basket early in the third quarter. He shot 4 for 15. ... Dion Waiters (groin) missed his 10th consecutive game.`CANES VISITMiamis womens basketball team -- No. 13 in this weeks AP Top 25 -- was at the game, along with coach Katie Meier. For some, it was their first time at a Heat game. They were so excited, said Meier, whose team next plays Friday at Florida International.FREE THROWSIndiana came into the night as the leagues fourth-best team at the foul line, Miami as the very worst. The Pacers went 14 for 17, the Heat 14 for 25.UP NEXTPacers: Visit New Orleans on Thursday, the second game in a three-game, four-day trip.Heat: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, the third game on this six-game homestand. Paul Kariya Jersey . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. Anaheim Ducks Jerseys . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. http://www.authenticduckspro.com/Giovanni-fiore-ducks-jersey/ . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Ryan Miller Ducks Jersey . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Josh Manson Ducks Jersey .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. SAINT-DENIS, France -- The Icelandic thunderclap roar proved no match for the sheer talent of France as the hosts finally showed their title credentials at the European Championship on Sunday.A crushing 5-2 victory lined up a semifinal with Germany as France displayed the attacking ruthlessness that had been missing in its previous four games at the tournament.We have a lot of desire to get our own back for what happened at the World Cup, France striker Olivier Giroud said of the quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Germany two years ago.Was it only six weeks ago Giroud was being jeered by his own supporters?When Giroud cupped his ears to the crowd after scoring his second goal on Sunday, the striker seemed to revel in silencing his critics.And yet only national unity is on the mind of Giroud as France prepares for its first tournament semifinal in a decade on Thursday.I am delighted for the players as they deserve this, and for these fans who have been behind us for months, the Arsenal striker said magnanimously through a translator. To be able to offer them something to make them smile and feel happy.And yet Iceland left the Stade de France far from browbeaten.An embarrassing exit was on the cards at halftime when France led 4-0. But the Nordic newcomers recovered the resolve that has seen them charm and captivate the continent over the last month.Two second-half goals allowed the smallest nation to ever qualify for a major tournament to leave with their heads held high.We didnt handle it well mentally (in the first half), joint-coach Lars Lagerback said. But we showed in the second half it wasnt something physical in the team, we reloaded.The night began with rain descending on the field and the Viking slow capping ritual, with its Huh chant, booming around the stadium from the Iceland fans.France wasnt going to have its home stadium to itself and Gylfi Sigurdsson even had the games first shot although it was easily saved by France captain Hugo Lloris.But inspirational chants and a strong team ethic only take a team so far. This was a night of French superiority; when stature and skill of the hosts was too mighty to curb.The Iceland defense was breached with ease in the 12th minutee when Blaise Matuidi lofted over a high pass into the path of the advancing Giroud, who clinically shot through the legs of goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson.ddddddddddddThen, Paul Pogba soared above Jon Dadi Bodvarsson to meet Antoine Griezmanns corner and send a powerful header into the top corner in the 20th.Pogbas leap was matched almost immediately by one from French President Francois Hollande in the VIP seats.Worse was to come for the Icelanders with quick-fire goals inside two minutes before halftime.Moussa Sissokos cross was headed down by Giroud and Griezmann knocked the ball into the path to Dimitri Payet, who drilled a low shot in the corner of the net.The fourth goal saw Giroud and Griezmann combine again. Griezmann raced onto Girouds flick-on before dinking a shot over the advancing Halldorsson.Payet went over to kiss the left boot of Griezmann, the teams top scorer with four goals at Euro 2016.However, just like its raucous fans, Iceland wasnt done.Gylfi Sigurdsson whipped in a cross and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson slid past Samuel Umtiti, the Barcelona-bound defender making his France debut, to poke the ball over the line in the 56th.Would it be the start of an astonishing comeback? No.The four-goal cushion was restored by Giroud within three minutes, connecting with Payets free kick to glance a header into the net.I felt really good physically right from the start, Giroud said. We are used to making bad starts ... but we were very clinical, which is nice from a personal perspective.But Iceland had the final say on the night, with Birkir Bjarnason evading Patrice Evra to head Lloris.Iceland didnt give up at any stage, Giroud said. They were a very valiant and determined side who kept on going until the end.And its fans remained chanting in their seats long after the final whistle, taking in the surroundings.It was an unforgettable tournament debut by Iceland, drawing against Poland before eliminating England -- an achievement that will be remembered along with the feats of the new European champion, to be crowned back at the Stade de France next Sunday. ' ' '