and Thompson combined to make 11-of-14 from distance and they finished with 31 points and 26 points, respectively.Phoenixs offense wasnt able to keep up with the explosion that it couldnt contain on d

Free agent Luol Deng has agreed to a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers that is worth $72 million, a source confirmed to ESPNs Chris Broussard on Saturday.The agreement was first reported by The Vertical.After struggling to find consistency and a comfortable role through much of his two seasons in Miami, Deng blossomed when he shifted from small forward to power forward with All-Star Chris Bosh lost in February for the second time to treat blood clots.Deng, 31, averaged 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 28 games after the All-Star break, when he shot 48.4 percent from the field in 31.4 minutes. Dengs versatility on both ends of the court was vital in the Heats transition to an up-tempo pace over the second half of the season and fueled their push to the second round of the playoffs.He was getting more space and room to run and cut and be himself, Heat president Pat Riley said of Deng, a 12-year veteran who spent his first nine seasons with Chicago. Hes a great leader. We love him. Hes a high-character guy. I consider him one of our core people.The Lakers also have agreed to deals with Jordan Clarkson (four years, $50 million) and center Timofey Mozgov (four years, $64 million) and have made qualifying offers to Tarik Black and Marcelo Huertas. The deal cannot be signed until July 7.Deng earned $10.1 million last season in the final year of a two-year deal in Miami. But with limited salary-cap space and retaining Dwyane Wade?a clear priority after keeping?Hassan Whiteside, bringing back Deng appeared to be a huge challenge for the Heat entering free agency.Information from ESPNs Michael Wallace was used in this report.Stitched Orioles Jerseys . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Baltimore Orioles Gear . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. https://www.cheaporioles.com/ .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Baltimore Orioles Pro Shop . PAUL, Minn. Baltimore Orioles Shirts . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday.SALT LAKE CITY -- No one should be surprised if Gordon Hayward ends up on an NBA all-star roster in February. Like a skilled gamer, Hayward has unlocked a new level and powered up.Hayward has made a habit of taking over games for the Utah Jazz on offense. His latest victim? The Los Angeles Lakers. Hayward torched the Lakers for 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting in Utahs 107-102 victory on Monday night.Such a performance is not out of the ordinary. Hayward has averaged 31.7 points per game over Utahs last three home games while shooting 52 percent from the field. Jazz coach Quin Snyder points to an expansion of Haywards postgame as a reason behind him taking another step forward as a scorer.He added a comfort level in the post that, I think, is still going to improve, Snyder said following the teams 105-98 win over Denver on Saturday. Hes shooting off screens, so hes able to score multiple ways when someone takes something away.Haywards ability to attack a defense in so many different ways has transformed Utah (13-9) into a better offensive team this season. The Jazz have occasional stretches where they are paralyzed by long-term scoring droughts. Still, it is no longer a defining characteristic that it had been at times over the past few seasons.With Hayward setting the tone, his teammates feel like they can get more than enough going on offense to complement their stout defense.He makes everything click, guard Rodney Hood said. His aggressiveness in going to the basket, knocking down shots, passing the bball.dddddddddddd He does a lot for our team. We feed off that.Stopping Hayward represents the latest challenge for a beleaguered Phoenix Suns defense. Phoenix (6-14) hit a low point during a 138-109 loss to Golden State on Saturday. The Warriors shot 66.7 percent from 3-point range (14 of 21) over four quarters. It represented their highest percentage since shooting 68.8 percent at Cleveland on Jan. 29, 2013.Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson led the way in torching the Suns from the perimeter. Curry and Thompson combined to make 11-of-14 from distance and they finished with 31 points and 26 points, respectively.Phoenixs offense wasnt able to keep up with the explosion that it couldnt contain on defense.Offensively, we were stagnant, guard Devin Booker said. We werent moving the ball well, and thats what happens when you play good teams. They played good team defense.The Suns will need more from both sides of the ball in Salt Lake City. They have allowed 121.7 points per game over their last three games. Phoenix will also need big games from Booker and Eric Bledsoe against a Jazz backcourt that has played without injured George Hill over the last three games. Bledsoe is averaging 19.3 points for the Suns, while Booker is scoring 19.2 points per contest.Utah swept Phoenix a season ago, winning all four games between the two teams for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. ' ' '