KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The last 10 days could not have gone much worse for the Kansas City Chiefs.Beginning with a humiliating loss to Oakland, a team that had lost 16 consecutive games, and ending with the sobering news that popular and talented safety Eric Berry could have lymphoma, it has been a period marked by frustration, anxiety and uncertainty.Its been a tough week for us. Its a lot going on, running back Jamaal Charles said, but at the same time, we have to start getting focused. We have a big game this week.The Chiefs (7-4) welcome the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (8-3) to Arrowhead Stadium.The game Sunday night between two bitter rivals has a little more riding on it this time around. After Kansas City lost a competitive game in Denver in Week 2, the beleaguered team needs a victory over Peyton Manning and Co. if it wants any shot at winning the division.Were playing at home, a great environment to be playing a division team — we know we got to win this game, Charles said. This game is a go-out-there-and-get-it win. We know we have a tough challenge with a Hall of Famer and a great defence coming to town. I think were up for that challenge this week. We control our own destiny right now.So do the Broncos. Not only would a victory give them a stranglehold on the West, it would allow them to keep within striking distance of New England for the AFCs best record.They have the same goals that we have. Its really about who wants it more, Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. Well have our hands full.Its not as if the Broncos havent had to overcome their own adversity lately.After losing Montee Ball to a groin injury and Ronnie Hillman to a foot issue, they have leaned on second-year, third-string running back C.J. Anderson to balance the offence.Tight end Julius Thomas remained limited in practice this week after hurting his ankle Nov. 16 against St. Louis. Linebacker Brandon Marshall could be sidelined with a concussion, leaving a rotating cast of characters to take over his job. And then theres placekicker, where they signed veteran Connor Barth this week to replace first-year pro Brandon McManus.This team has good flexibility, Manning said, and I think that is important when you have a 16-game season for a player to be able to move to a different spot; to be able to run different types of plays and different types of formations and win games different types of ways. I think that is important for any team and I feel this team can do that.Still, can they do it in a hostile environment? The Broncos are unbeaten in six games at home, but theyre just 2-3 on the road, including a stunning loss to St. Louis a couple of weeks ago.That crowd can cause communication problems for teams, Manning said, and so that is what you have to home in on all week, whether its practicing with the crowd noise and really being on top of the game plan. You need to protect the ball, certainly, like in any game, but especially on the road and try to be good in the red zone, try to really fight crazy there.There are plenty of subplots to the game, too, including a few players with personal stakes in the outcome. Here are a few more things to keep an eye on:BIG VICK: Chiefs defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was released by Denver in August. Even though hes been limited with a calf injury this week, he vowed to be on the field against his old team. Im rolling Sunday, he said. You cant stop me out of this one.HEAVY HEART: Charles is dedicating the game to two teenagers who drowned in a Missouri farm pond last weekend. He recalled this week meeting one of them at training camp a few of years ago.ABOUT ARROWHEAD: Sure, it can be an intimidating place, and the Broncos were terrible there once upon a time. But they have not lost in Kansas City since 2010. I think weve won every game weve been there since Ive been here, Denver coach John Fox said.STOPPING PEYTON: The Chiefs have yet to allow a 300-yard passer this season — not Tom Brady, Philip Rivers or Manning, who had 242 yards passing against them in September. The key thing with him is you get him to third down and youve got to win enough to get off the field, Chiefs defensive co-ordinator Bob Sutton said, because hes going to complete passes.REINFORCEMENTS: The Chiefs signed Jason Avant last week to bolster one of the NFLs worst wide receiver corps. Avant played for Kansas City coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia and should be up to speed in time to play Sunday. I know I can play, said Avant, who was released by Carolina. If you ever see me play, Im a very competitive person. I like to prove those people right that acquired me.___AP NFL websites:
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Harold Carmichael Jersey . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.MIAMI -- LeBron James was even more efficient than usual, which says plenty. Dwayne Wade attacked early, distributed late and capped his night with a pair of cartwheels. Yep, its going pretty good for the Miami Heat these days. James scored 35 points on only 14 shots, Wade added 21 points and 12 assists and the Heat won their seventh straight game, beating the Phoenix Suns 107-92 on Monday night. "The 12 assists was all my teammates, catching the ball, finishing," Wade said after his highest assist total since March 22, 2010. "And the cartwheels were all me." The cartwheels -- a nod to Wades youngest son Zion, who does his gymnast act all over the familys home these days -- were pre-planned, the latest "video bomb" where the Heat find a way to disrupt someones postgame on-court interview. Its about the only way James can be thrown off at this point. He made 11 of 14 shots from the field, shot 11 for 11 from the foul line for the second time in a week -- after doing that or better only four times in his first 10 NBA seasons -- and capped his night with a trio of fadeaway jumpers that left him wondering why the Suns werent double-teaming him. "Im in a very, very comfortable position right now with my game," said James, whos shooting 61 per cent this season and became the first player this season to score more than 30 points while taking less than 15 shots. Ray Allen scored 17 points and Chris Andersen added an 11-point, seven-rebound night for the Heat, who have won 10 of 11 since their 1-2 start. Channing Frye led a balanced attack with 16 points for the Suns, who have dropped five of their last seven. Goran Dragic scored 14, Marcus Morris had 13, Markieff Morris and Gerald Green each added 12 and PJ Tucker finished with 10 for Phoenix. "We were playing pretty decently for a while," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We just couldnt make any shots. The third game of a fourth night might have started to get us. We were open and we couldnt make them. ... To beat this team -- theyre a great team -- you have to make those shots." Coming into Monday, they and the Suns were the only NBA teams who hadnt been handed a double-digit loss. Phoenix cant say that any longer, after falling to the Heat for a seventh straight time. Phoenixs six losses before Monday were by a total of 27 points, and this one was close until the early porrtion of the fourth quarter when Miami found a way to pull away -- while James was getting another extended fourth-quarter rest, something Miamis had the luxury of doing often in recent games.dddddddddddd A 22-second flurry was all it really took. Allen made a 3-pointer off an assist from Wade, Roger Mason Jr. stole the ball from Phoenixs Archie Goodwin, and Wade set Allen up for another 3 with 9:56 left. "Thats the beauty of our team," Wade said. With that, the lead was 87-73, the outcome pretty much decided. A trio of fadeaway jumpers by James late in the game -- the first two swishing, the third one rattling off the rim a bit before falling -- helped keep the Suns at bay. Both teams were without their starting point guards. Mario Chalmers (strained hip flexor) was held out by Miami, and Eric Bledsoe (sore left shin) missed his fifth straight game for the Suns. There was minimal separation between the teams in the opening 24 minutes, with a 3-pointer by James with 0.6 seconds left before the break serving as the difference as Miami took a 50-47 lead into halftime. Miamis lead was only 73-71 with 2:35 left in the third quarter when Marcus Morris took a pass from Markieff Morris and made a 3-pointer. For whatever reason, thats when the Heat found their best groove. James scored the first four points of what became a quick 8-0 run for the Heat, giving Miami an 81-71 lead. And that little burst was enough; the Suns werent within eight points the rest of the way. "We fought," Frye said. "Theyre a veteran team -- theyve been playing together for three, four years now, some of them longer than that. They know where theyre supposed to be. They know what plays work. And they have a couple of closers there at the end." NOTES: Andy Garcia, Macklemore and Flo Rida were in attendance. ... Hornacek and Heat broadcaster John Crotty were teammates in Utah, chatting a bit before the game. ... Wade, handicapping which Heat player will eat the most food at the Thanksgiving dinner the team will share at James home outside of Cleveland on Thursday: "Greg Oden." Wade said Joel Anthony used to be the front-runner in that department. ... Suns G Dionte Christmas once had a 29-point game on the Heat home court -- for Temple, in the 2009 NCAA tournament, his last college game; the Owls held James Harden to nine that day but lost to Arizona State. ' ' '
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