DALLAS - Rajon Rondo wants another ring and another parade and knew it probably wasnt happening anytime soon with the rebuilding Celtics. Anderson Varejao Jersey .When he was on his way to Dallas with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban as the centerpiece of a five-player trade, championship talk dominated the conversation.The deal sends the four-time All-Star point guard from the fringe of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference with Boston to solidly in the mix in the tougher West, where the Mavericks were showing signs of returning to title contention but looking like they might be missing a piece.In their view, that piece comes in the form of the NBAs assists leader with a reputation as a solid defender and rebounder. In other words, one of the leagues few triple-double threats.To be a contender right away, theres a goal that you have in mind and Im dying to get a ring again, Rondo said at his introductory news conference Friday. I want another parade.The ninth-year player got his first with the Celtics in 2008, and now Rondo is joining 2011 champs Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler as part of the nucleus of a Dallas team trying to win another title.Rondo and centre Dwight Powell were acquired Thursday for centre Brandan Wright, forward Jae Crowder, point guard Jameer Nelson, a first-round draft pick in 2015 and a second-round choice in 2016.Long the subject of trade rumours, Rondo was in his second season of a full rebuilding mode in Boston following the departures of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. He also missed parts of two seasons to have reconstructive knee surgery.Well, its been about seven years now and Ive been in trade rumours, said Rondo, who has career averages of 11 points, 8.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Bound to happen.The news came in a phone call from Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, a former teammate of Dallas coach Rick Carlisle. Rondo said they talked for about 45 minutes after the deal was settled and it was no hard feelings.I believe its a great legacy I leave behind, said Rondo, who was the 21st overall pick out of Kentucky by Phoenix in 2006 and shipped to Boston in a draft-day deal. I cant remember one bad time I had in Boston as far as where I got negative feedback from fans, no matter the first year we lost 18 straight or the following year we won a championship.For Mavericks fans, the trade is reminiscent of a 2008 deal that brought point guard Jason Kidd back to Dallas. It took a coaching change and several seasons, but the deal eventually paid off with a title.Rondo joins a coach in Carlisle who has dealt with several makeovers of the roster since winning the franchises only title, and Carlisle is more than happy to tweak again.I view Rondo as an extremely resourceful guy with a lot of ability, Carlisle said. Hes a guy that loves winning. Well figure it out. Id rather be charged with the task of figuring it out with guys of that competitiveness and ability level.Carlisle said simplicity would be part of the formula, and Nowitzki has a pretty simple solution.Find me a lot on the offensive end and hell be OK, the 36-year-old said with a smile.The biggest question is how Rondo will mesh with backcourt mate Monta Ellis, who has flourished as a playmaker with the ball in his hands but now has someone next to him with a similar style.At times Im going to have the ball, Rondo said. At times hes going to have the ball and I have to learn how to play alongside Monta. Ill pick up his game really fast.Owner Mark Cuban envisions them playing together a long time. While Ainge was in Boston saying he traded Rondo because he didnt want to risk losing him for nothing in free agency this summer, Cuban said he intended to keep what he called a young core of Rondo, Ellis and Chandler Parsons.Obviously, we wouldnt give up picks if we didnt think it was long term, Cuban said. Were past the days of rent-a-player. We want him to be here for a long time and we want to earn his desire to stay here.Winning championships is the surest way.___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler href="https://www.cheapcavaliers.com/312q-campy-russell-jersey-cavaliers.html" target="_blank">Campy Russell Jersey .Y. - Urijah Faber walked out on a Madison Square Garden stage in a Wes Welker jersey, the UFCs fun nod to that other "super" show this weekend. Daniel Gibson Jersey . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor.(SportsNetwork.com) - A lot of people love heading south this time of year but for the Miami Dolphins, a trip due south in the AFC East standings has been anything but fun. A 3-0 start for the Dolphins is now all but forgotten as Joe Philbins team returns home in an attempt to halt an ugly four-game skid against the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals on Halloween Night. Miami hasnt tasted victory since Sept. 22 just as the Bengals have gotten red-hot, winning four straight to take a 2 1/2-game lead over Baltimore in their division. The Dolphins thought they had solved their problems early on in Foxborough last Sunday but the game turned out to be a tale of two halves, as New England rebounded to completely dominate things after intermission en route to a 27-17 victory over Miami at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots managed a meager 59 yards in the first 30 minutes and trailed by 14, then scored 24 unanswered points -- highlighted by a pair of touchdowns in a span of less than two minutes that tied the game. "We dug a big hole for ourselves at halftime. We really havent played good in the third quarter all year but we did today," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We got it from all three phases of the game. We had contributions from everyone in the second half." Tom Brady struggled through his worst first half in 10 years and finished with just 116 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-22 passing but New England overcame that to beat Miami for the seventh straight time. Ryan Tannehill threw for 192 yards with a pair of touchdowns and a pair of interceptions for the Dolphins, who are now 2 1/2 games in back of the Pats in the AFC East. A trio of turnovers and two missed Caleb Sturgis field goals -- one that hit an upright and another that was blocked -- in the second half led to disaster for Miami. "They clearly deserved to win the game, they played better than we did," said Philbin. "We didnt play well in the second half. We didnt make stops, we turned the ball over." The Bengals, on the other hand, kept rolling on Sunday thanks to a breakout performance from second-year receiver Marvin Jones. Jones caught a franchise record four touchdown passes in Cincinnatis 49-9 rout of the New York Jets at Paul Brown Stadium. "Hes had the potential since hes been here," QB Andy Dalton said when talking about Jones. "I think hes just comfortable with everything that were doing and everything that were asking him to do." Dalton threw for 325 yards and five scores on 19-of-30 throws in just three quarters. He found Jones eight times for 122 yards, while A.J. Green added 115 yards on just three catches. "We knew we were going to have to take some shots," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals defense also took back two Geno Smith interceptions for touchdowns. "That was ugly, to say the least," said Jets coach Rex Ryan. "Were fortunate it only counts for one loss because you get your butt kicked like that, youre fortunate thats all it is." Miami leads its overall series with the Bengals by a significant 15-5 margin, with the Dolphins winning the last two contests. The most recent meeting was a 17-13 Miami victory on Oct. 7, 2012 in Paul Brown Stadium. The Dolphins are also a perfect 5-0 when playing on Halloween. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Dalton and the Bengals have been firing on all cylinders recently, piling up 103 points in their last three games. Over that span, the third-year signal caller has thrown for at least 325 yards in each contest and tossed 11 TD passses, becoming the first Bengal ever to throw that many in a three-game stretch. Eric Snow Jersey. "This is where I want to be," said Dalton. "This is how I want to be playing." Its not all about offense with Cincinnati, though. In fact the Bengals defense remains the strength of the team led by All-Pro interior lineman Geno Atkins. Cincys D is currently ranked eighth in the NFL, allowing 322.5 yards per game and its even better in scoring defense, coming in at No. 5 by giving up only 18 points per contest. That shapes up as trouble for Miamis young quarterback Tannehill, who has plenty of talent but remains a very inconsistent player from down to down never mind game to game. Tannehill can wow you with the big play (hes thrown five TD passes over the prior two games) but also make the game-changing mistake (seven of his nine interceptions have come during the Dolphins current skid). He has been particularly ineffective in the guts of a game, amassing an awful 60.9 fourth- quarter passer rating, something that has contributed mightily to the fact that Miami has been outscored 67-24 in the second half of their losing streak. Apologists for Tannehill point to his shaky offensive line, which has allowed the Texas A&M product to be sacked a league-high 32 times. The Dolphins tried to address that issue by trading for veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie before the New England game and the former Vikings and Ravens starter did prove to be a significant upgrade on short notice. Miami will also get a bit of a break with the absence of Bengals middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, who will not play in Thursdays game after spraining his left knee against the Jets. The fifth-year pro is expected to miss multiple weeks. Cincinnati will also be without a few other defensive contributors. Cornerback Leon Hall (torn Achilles) and safety Taylor Mays (shoulder) were each placed on injured reserve in the last couple of days, while backup tackle Devon Still has also been ruled out due to an elbow injury. Miamis offense will also be hampered by the season-ending knee injury receiver Brandon Gibson suffered against the Patriots and the fact that former left tackle Jonathan Martin reportedly went AWOL this week, something the Dolphins have labeled as an undisclosed illness. Despite all of Miamis problems, however, Lewis is still worried on a short week. "Weve got to be the best team Thursday night, plain and simple," the Cincinnati coach said. "Its us and the Dolphins and, weve got to be the best team. Theres no other challenge. We knew the schedule. Thats the way it is. Theres no ifs, ands or buts about it. You come, be ready to go." Philbin, meanwhile, is staying positive in an effort to get his team back in the win column. "I have a lot of faith in our guys," he said. "I believe in them. I think well get this thing right and fixed. We have to do it quickly; this is a good team coming in here on Thursday night." OVERALL ANALYSIS The Dolphins current four-game hiccup is their worst since a seven-game slide to open the 2011 season while Cincinnati is coming off its most lopsided victory in Lewis 11-year tenure. "Obviously we arent at an all-time high right now," Tannehill said. "But weve got to get back on track. Thats the only option we have with a short week." Its also an unlikely option. These are teams heading in polar opposite directions and expect that to continue on "Thursday Night Football." Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Bengals 27, Dolphins 20 ' ' '
