NEW YORK -- Jason Kidd has a winning record for the first time in his coaching career. "Doesnt matter," he said. "It doesnt. Were playing better, thats all that matters." Better than anybody in the Eastern Conference since the new year, in fact. Joe Johnson scored 21 points, Marcus Thornton came off the bench for 20, and the Nets powered their way above .500 for the first time this season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 103-94 on Wednesday night. Deron Williams added 16 points and Paul Pierce 14 for the Nets (30-29), who have won four in a row overall and six straight at home in turning around a turbulent start. They are still only sixth in the Eastern Conference, but look capable of climbing more after following a rout of Chicago on Monday by clobbering the Grizzlies for most of this one. The matchup between two of the NBAs best teams in 2014 was a mismatch until the fourth quarter, when the Nets had already led by 30. Memphis fell to 21-9 since Jan. 1, while the Nets 20-8 record is tops among East teams. "Its not always how you start, its going to be how you finish. And I think with the way weve been playing as of late, since the All-Star break, since the turn of the new year, this is the Nets team that I envisioned from the beginning of the season," Pierce said. Jon Leuer scored 19 and Marc Gasol 18 for the Grizzlies, who were without Zach Randolph because of the flu and then turned in a sickly performance. Memphis never led and missed a chance to tie Phoenix for the Wests eighth and final playoff spot. "We look at the standings every day. I hear guys talking about who lost, who won. Just to come out with a performance like this is devastating," guard Tony Allen said. "But we cant hold our heads down. Weve got to keep pushing." Leading scorer Mike Conley missed all eight shots and had two points and six turnovers. "It was a tough night," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. "We had some guys really, really struggle tonight. Give them credit. They came out and played with a much more forceful nature, attacking us, both being physical defensively and just the mentality that, you know Were going to bring it to you." Jason Collins played 17 scoreless minutes on the day he signed his second 10-day contract. The NBAs first openly gay player got a visit in the locker room before the game from Commissioner Adam Silver, but received just polite applause when he checked in during the second quarter after getting a standing ovation Monday during his home debut. Randolph sat in front of his locker before the game with his sweatshirts hood pulled over his head, ultimately deciding he lacked the energy to play. Pierce went right at his replacement, Ed Davis, and already had eight points by the time Davis was yanked with the Grizzlies trailing 13-2. James Johnson replaced him and quickly botched a fast-break layup as Memphis missed 10 of its first 11 shots. Andray Blatches three-point play made it 26-5 with 3:30 left in the first, and Brooklyn led 54-44 at halftime. Brooklyn scored the first nine of the second half to open a 19-point lead and kept pouring it on by making six 3-pointers in the third quarter. The lead hit 87-57 on Johnsons short jumper, but the Nets had to bring starters back when the Grizzlies sliced that in half by midway in the fourth. The Nets were 10-21 after getting blown out at San Antonio on New Years Eve, threatening to become the NBAs biggest flop after building a team that would cost more than $180 million in salary and taxes. But theyve kept rolling after losing leading scorer Brook Lopez for the season, and most recently playing without Kevin Garnett for the past three because of back spasms. They picked up Thornton in a trade with Sacramento just before the trade deadline, a move that was all but ignored after they signed Collins a few days later. But hes scored 20 or more in two of his first five games with the Nets, and had 15 in the second quarter alone Wednesday. Notes: The Nets are 9-3 against West teams since Jan. 1. ... The Grizzlies Nick Calathes was chosen Wednesday as the Western Conference rookie of the month for February, when he averaged 10.7 points and 4.6 assists. ... Memphis had scored 110 in each of two previous games and was averaging 103.4 since the All-Star break. Athletics Jerseys 2020 . - While he appreciates suggestions from Packers fans of remedies for his sore left calf, Aaron Rodgers is not necessarily going to listen to the advice. Chris Bassitt Jersey . Maximilian Arnold put Wolfsburg ahead in the eighth minute, when the stationary Fallou Diagne allowed him to guide Patrick Ochs cross beyond the helpless Freiburg goalkeeper, and Ivica Olic doubled the lead three minutes later after Luiz Gustavo did well to set him up. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/. Not because it was right, but because referees werent allowed to determine it was wrong. Athletics Jerseys China .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their agreed-upon trade that sends former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to the West Coast for a pair of minor league pitching prospects. Oakland Athletics Pro Shop . A larger-than-life personality known for his intimidating style in the 18-yard box, Schmeichels career spanned some 20 years -- including a memorable tenure at Manchester United.NEW YORK -- Sean Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and drove in three runs, helping the streaking Tampa Bay Rays extend their longest winning string this year to five and handing the New York Yankees their season-worst fifth straight loss, 6-3 Wednesday. Ben Zobrist doubled twice among his three hits for the Rays, but ran into two outs. With manager Joe Maddon encouraging his team to be more aggressive on the bases, Rodriguez was thrown out trying to stretch an RBI single to the wall in right field in the fourth. The Rays won all three games at Yankee Stadium for their first road sweep since taking three in the Bronx Sept. 24-26. The Rays improved to 11 games under .500 for the first time in a month after falling 18 under on June 10. New York is below .500 at 41-42 for the first time since April 11. Brett Gardner hit a leadoff homer and an RBI single against Jake Odorizzi (4-7) and added another hit for the Yankees. New York could muster little other than Brian McCanns long ball on a sweltering day at Yankee Stadium. Humidity made the temperature feel as if it were in the high 90s. Joel Peralta tied Esteban Yans record for appearances with the Rays at 266 when he pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Brad Boxberger was perfect in the ninth for his first save. Brandon Guyer had an RBI single in the fifth. The Rays put runners on base in every inning but the second against Vidal Nuno (2-5) and three relievers. Tampa Bay scored its first run on McCanns passed ball in the third. McCann made up for it in the bottom half, homering into the short porch in right field with two outs. Despite hitting .220 coming in, McCann batted third beccause Jacoby Ellsbury was given a day off for being "kind of beat up," according to manager Joe Girardi.dddddddddddd After the Rays tied it on Rodriguezs RBI single to right in the fourth -- he was thrown out by Alfonso Soriano, a call upheld by review -- Gardner put the Yankees back on top 3-2 with a bounced single. In this back-and-forth game, the Rays immediately tied it up in the fifth on Guyers RBI single to left field. But Zobrist was thrown out by Gardner trying to score from second. Logan Forsythe led off the sixth with a single to chase Nuno. Rodriguez greeted reliever Shawn Kelley with a drive just left of Monument Park for the first two-run lead of the day. Nuno yielded four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in five-plus innings. Odorizzi was also pulled in the sixth. He gave up three runs and eight hits. It was the most runs hes allowed since being charged with four on June 5. NOTES: Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira had fluid drained from his right knee. Girardi said Teixeira had been playing with the problem for a short while. "We believe he will be in the lineup tomorrow," Girardi said. ... The Yankees commemorated the 75th anniversary of Lou Gehrigs "Luckiest Man" speech from July 4, 1939 -- the team is in Minnesota on July 4. As part of the ceremony, a video of Derek Jeter and first baseman from all 30 MLB teams reading the speech was shown on the video board. ... New York signed Venezuelan SS Diego Castillo, Baseball Americas No. 24 international prospect. ... Up next: The Yankees start an 11-game road trip in Minnesota on Thursday. The Rays face the Tigers in Detroit in the final stop of a 10-game trip. ' ' '