CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Al Jefferson is happy he didnt make the All-Star game. Kemba Walker said it might be a huge blessing for the Charlotte Bobcats that the big man got a few days off to rest his 29-year-old legs for the stretch run, particularly with four games in five nights coming out of the break. "Im glad he didnt make it either," Walker said with a laugh. "Hes fresh now. And you dont have to make the All-Star game to be an All-Star. I know hes a great player and unguardable in the post." Jefferson dominated the Pistons for the third time this season Wednesday night, and Walker played his best game since returning from an ankle injury to lead the Bobcats to back-to-back wins over Detroit, 116-98. Jefferson scored 29 points, while Walker had 24 points and a career-high 16 assists. The win gives the Bobcats (25-30) a sweep of the season three-game series and a 2 1/2-game lead over the Pistons in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "We had a bad reputation around this league for a long time, at least since Ive been here," Walker said. "Coach (Steve Clifford) has done a great job of changing the culture. We just want to win. We dont want to be those Bobcats where guys come in here and beat us up every night." The 6-foot-10, 289-pound Jefferson, who had 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in Tuesdays 108-96 win at Detroit, went 12 of 20 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. He has scored at least 20 points in 16 of the last 18 games and barely missed his seventh 30-point game in the last 10 games. Jefferson said the Bobcats (25-30) are playing their best basketball of the season as they gear up for the stretch run and a shot at the franchises second career playoff appearance. "We have been a top 10 on defence all year," Jefferson said. "But now our offence is picking up and were learning how to play with each other." Frustration seems to be setting in for the Pistons, who have lost nine of 14. Brandon Jennings had 20 points for Detroit before being ejected from the game with 1:13 left after picking up his second technical foul for arguing a call. Jennings did not speak to the media after the game. "We definitely have to do a better job as a team of keeping our composure, especially in tough games like this," teammate Greg Monroe said. "Down the stretch these games mean a lot. You know, keeping a level head and playing hard, as a team is something were going to have to do." Coach John Loyer said its not too late to regroup. "Its two games," Loyer said. "Granted its two that we wanted to get, two we needed to get, but we didnt get them. You move on. You figure out your next plan and you just try to go win the next game." Josh McRoberts chipped in with 15 points for the Bobcats and Ramon Sessions had 10 points and 10 assists off the bench. But its Jefferson who is setting the tone. "We are just getting acclimated to Al," Walker said. "It took a little while but we know how to play with him and play off him. He makes all the right plays. All we have to do is get him the basketball in the right spots all we have to do is make shots." The Bobcats led by six at halftime, but opened the second half with a 17-3 tear to take a 70-50 lead behind 3-pointers from Walker, McRoberts and Gerald Henderson. The Pistons got within nine in the fourth quarter, but McRoberts buried a pair of 3-pointers and Walker hit a jumper to put the Bobcats safely ahead. Loyer stressed before the game the importance of starting fast, but Monroe and Josh Smith combined to miss their first 14 shots. Meanwhile the Bobcats got off to a fast start for the second straight night, hitting 7 of 9 shots to start the game and build a double-digit first quarter lead. Cody Zeller brought immediate energy and production off the bench for the Bobcats with a career-high three blocked shots. NOTES: Former South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end and top NFL draft prospect Jadeveon Clowney attended the game. ... Charlotte had lost five straight games at home to Detroit prior to Wednesday night. ... The more aggressive Bobcats dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Pistons 49-31. Nike Free Cheap Online . Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Nike Free On Sale . He spent the rest of the game making up for lost playing time. Green scored a career-high 36 points, including eight in overtime, and the Phoenix Suns beat Denver 112-107 on Tuesday night to hand the Nuggets their fifth consecutive loss. http://www.nikefreecheapaustralia.com/. Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. Cheap Nike Free Shoes .Y. - Phil Varone was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Rochester Americans edged the Toronto Marlies 3-2 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. Nike Free Sale Australia . DArnaud hit one of three doubles for the Mets as they took a 4-0 lead in the first. Then the catchers seventh home run of the season broke the game open in the fifth. The 41-year-old Colon (10-8) retired the first 20 batters in his last outing Wednesday against Seattle, eventually allowing two runs on three hits in 7 1-3 innings in a 3-2 win.ALBANY, N.Y. -- Any chance the St. Johns IceCaps had of stealing a second American Hockey League road playoff victory was ruined by penalties. The Albany Devils were awarded nine power-play opportunities Saturday night and cashed in three of them to defeat the IceCaps 4-2. After the IceCaps 2-1 victory Friday night, the best-of-five series is tied at one game apiece as the teams move to St. Johns, N.L., for the remaining games. "We have to stay more disciplined," said defenceman Brenden Kichton, who scored both St. Johns goals. "Youre not going to win hockey games when youre in the box, but we to have credit them. They did a good job on their power play. They got three goals out of it, and thats not how we play to win." The IceCaps, who allowed the Devils only two power-play chances in Game 1, still got out of Albany with a split. "Its a five-game series here, as everybody says, and we were able to get the one game in here," St. Johns coach Keith McCambridge said. "We would have really liked to get this game. Well have a chance to refocus here and get ourselves back in the right direction for Wednesday." The Devils, buoyed by the largest home crowd at 8,026 in Albanys 21-year AHL history, made their potential path to the next round a little more negotiable. A loss would have forced Albany to sweep three games at St. Johns in order to advance. "Going into that building and having to win all three would definitely be pretty tough," Devils coach Rick Kowalsky saiid.dddddddddddd "We said before, you cant sit here and talk about a must win. We talked about individually and as a team trying to be better than we were last night and realizing that I felt we grew as a team just in that short 60 minutes." Stefan Matteau, Mattias Tedenby and Scott Timmins had Albanys power-play goals. Kelly Zajac assisted on two of them, winning face-offs both times on the St. Johns half of the ice. Tedenby snapped a 2-2 tie at 8:08 of the second. Zajac won a draw just outside the IceCaps blue-line and skated in a 2-on-1 with Tedenby, who took the pass and beat St. Johns goaltender Michael Hutchinson from in close. Timmins got an insurance goal with 9:59 remaining in the third. "We would have liked not to be on the short end of the penalties for a good majority of the night," McCambridge said. "Weve got to make sure we are in control. Weve got to make sure we realize where we are in the game and try to keep it 5-on-5." St. Johns had only four power-play opportunities. Kichton first goal bounced in off the skate of Devils defenceman Jon Merrill. He also converted on a power play early in the second period, capitalizing when Albany defenceman Seth Helgeson fell at the blue-line. Keith Kinkaid, who gave up a soft goal with 23.1 seconds remaining Friday night, got his first professional victory in goal. Both he and Hutchinson made 30 saves. "There were a lot of opportunities tonight," Kichton said, "and we didnt cash in on those." ' ' '