RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Paralympic Games are in the home stretch, having overcome budget problems to stage a highly successful competition that has seen higher-than-expected attendance and a slew of record-setting performances.About 4,350 athletes are competing, each with unique differences that have to be classified. Lines have to be drawn to group similar impairments, or impairments that yield similar results. There are 10 impairment groups based on physical, visual and intellectual criteria. But the 22 Paralympic sports adjust the groups to suit their individual events, swelling the classifications to hundreds.The games needed a bailout from Brazils government of almost $80 million to make it to the starting line. Only 200,000 tickets had been sold a few weeks before the opening ceremony Aug. 7, but officials said demand picked up and they had sold nearly their goal of 2.4 million. That is partly a result of the price for many tickets, only 10 Brazilian reals ($3) -- an enticing offer in a country that is mired in its worst recession in decades.The Paralympics are more than a benign version of the Olympics. In fact, a few performances have been better than the Olympics.The top four runners in the mens 1,500-meter Sunday -- in the T13 class for visually impaired -- all had better times than the Olympic champion in last months Rio Olympics, American Matthew Centrowitz. Abdellatif Baka of Algeria won in 3 minutes, 48.28 seconds. Centrowitz ran 3:50.00 in an admittedly slow, tactical race. Ethiopias Tamiru Demisse in second, Kenyas Henry Kirwa at third and Algerias Fouad Baka in fourth also beat Centrowitzs time.In many countries, Paralympians get significantly less support than Olympians. The U.S. Olympic Committee awards athletes $25,000 for a gold medal. American Paralympic athletes get $5,000.One sport at the Paralympics that doesnt appear in any form at the Olympics is goalball, in which athletes with visual impairments wear masks to completely block their vision. The athletes try to throw or roll the ball past the end line with opposing defenders trying to block the ball. The ball contains a bell so the athletes are able to react to the shot. Air Max 95 Günstig Kaufen .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. Air Max 95 Dames . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. http://www.airmax95schweiz.ch/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Air Max 95 Schweiz . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1. Air Max 95 Günstig .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. L.A. Clippers?forward Paul Pierce announced Monday via The Players Tribune that he will return for his 19th season, then retire.This is it, my final season, Pierce said. Its time to move on from the game of basketball. Just like any difficult decision, I think youve got to be at peace with yourself. Im at peace with retiring, but Ive got one more ride left. One more season. One more opportunity.Pierce, who turns 39 in October, said he felt uncertainty about coming back for 2016-17 because of the grind of another NBA offseason. But upon contemplating the Clippers first-round playoff loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, he said unfinished business pulled him back to Los Angeles for another title run.I think why not give it one more shot, especially the way we went out of the playoffs, the injuries, Pierce said at Clippers media day Monday. Obviously, youve got to be good, youve got to be lucky, but I just want to just give it one more shot.Like I said, to win a championship here for the Los Angeles Clippers would be monumental, and if I can be a part of that, thats something I thought about, and thats something that drove me from August, starting in August on.Clippers coach Doc Rivers addressed Pierces decision to make this season his last as an NBA player.Paul has meant a lot to me, obviously, said Rivers, who won an NBA title with Pierce in Boston in 2008. When you win a title with someone, just like him and KG [Kevin Garnett] and the whole group, youre connected with that person, those people for the rest of your lives, and you should be.Earlier this month, Rivers said Pierce was on the fence about returning for another season but that he believed Pierce has something left in the tank.Pierce played the first 15 seasons of his career in Boston, nine of them forr Rivers.ddddddddddddRivers recruited Pierce to Los Angeles last season as a veteran presence with knowledge of how to win an NBA championship, hoping he would be the final piece to push the Clippers over the top. But injuries to All-Stars?Blake Griffin and Chris Paul led to a first-round postseason exit.Paul is not going to be in a lot of highlights, but when you watch how he played, and fundamentally how well he played, I think thats actually what kids should really watch, is how he did it without using his athleticism that he actually has, Rivers said.Pierce has averaged 20.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in his career. After his Boston tenure, he spent one season with the Brooklyn Nets, another with the Washington Wizards and last year with the Clippers. He averaged 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last season.With the Clippers, in the city where I grew up, I feel like I have that opportunity on a great team,?Pierce wrote Monday. Were hungry. We want to win a championship.After 18 NBA years, its hard to believe Ill be playing in each arena for the last time. So Im going to enjoy every practice, every bus ride, every team dinner, every time running out through the tunnel. Im going to do my part to give us a shot at the ultimate goal.Pierce was the No. 10 pick out of Kansas in the 1998 NBA draft. The 10-time All-Star is currently 16th on the NBA all-time scoring list with 26,316 points.Ive been in the NBA 18 years, but Ive been playing basketball, like, 30 years, Pierce said Monday. Its hard to walk away from that, but like most homes, you get that 30-year mortgage. Ive paid it off, so its time to ride off into the sunset. ' ' '