MADRID - Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to give Barcelona a 4-3 win at 10-man Real Madrid in an electrifying and contentious "clasico" match that kept the three-way Spanish league title race wide open. http://www.basketballapparelshop.com/Sacramento-Kings/ . The result means Atletico Madrid now tops the table, with Madrid level on points in second and Barcelona a point behind in third with nine games remaining as the title race shapes up to be the closest in years. In a game that saw three penalties, a red card and a host of missed chances, Andres Iniesta set the tone by rocketing home an early opener, only for Karim Benzemas brace to put the hosts ahead by the 24th. The teams went into the break level at 2-2 after Messi slotted in an equalizer, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to re-establish Madrids lead with a 55th-minute penalty. But Messi scored a pair of penalties after that — including the 65th-minute equalizer after Sergio Ramos was sent off — to end Madrids 31-game unbeaten run stretching back to the last "clasico" in October. Atleticos 2-0 victory at last-place Real Betis earlier on Sunday means it leads Madrid on head-to-head with the city rivals level on 70 points. Barcelona is on 69 points. The high pace of play and buzzing atmosphere inside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium left little doubt this was a "clasico" with much at stake. Messi spotted Iniestas run down the left side seven minutes in and slid a perfect ball clear into the area for him to lift into the top of goal to kickstart the memorable match. Madrid winger Angel Di Maria troubled right back Dani Alves throughout, especially when he twice set up Benzema with crosses from the left side, with the France striker nodding home the first in the 20th before controlling the second to smash a right-footed volley beyond Victor Valdes. The goalkeeper got a glove to Benzemas opener but couldnt keep it out. The strengths and philosophies of each club were apparent as Barcelona looked to set the tempo through possession while Madrid always looked dangerous when breaking on the counter. Madrids defence nodded off when Neymar and Messis hopeful combination came to fruition and the Argentina star could equalize before halftime, with Benzema left ruing a number of missed chances that could have given Madrid control. Gareth Bales speed provided problems for Barcelona down the right, but Ronaldo was equally troublesome along the left and he was tripped by Dani Alves after the break to set up the penalty for his league-leading 26th goal that put Madrid back on top. However, eplays showed the contact had taken place just outside the penalty area. But Barcelona replied when Ramos was shown a straight red for tangling with Neymar and Messi stepped to equalize again. Benzema then came off as Madrid looked to defend the draw, with Barcelona patiently coming forward and Dani Alves sending a shot off the post in the 74th. Iniesta was then taken down by Xabi Alonso and Dani Carvajal in the area to set up the 84th-minute spot kick that Messi slotted home for his 21st goal of the season. Messi climbed to No. 2 on the Spanish leagues all-time scoring list with 235 goals, passing Hugo Sanchez. He also became the leading scorer in "clasico" matches with 21 goals, bettering the mark of 18 he shared with Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano. ___ Follow Paul Logothetis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulLogoAP http://www.basketballapparelshop.com/...mian-Lillard-Jersey/ . It sure looked as if it was going to be a long night for the Houston Rockets. Then everything changed in the third quarter. http://www.basketballapparelshop.com/...Vince-Carter-Jersey/ . Who are some of the funniest teammates youve played with? Hartnell was pretty funny. Matt Greene, when I was in L.A. he was really funny it was comical. DENVER -- Randy Foyes first season in Denver got off to a slow start. Its suddenly on the upswing. Foye scored a season-high 23 points, connecting on seven 3-pointers, and the Nuggets routed the Boston Celtics 129-98 on Tuesday night for their third straight win after an eight-game losing streak. "Even when I was missing shots, I just constantly said, This is not me," said Foye, who converted 8 of 17 shots from the field, including 7 of 12 from 3-point range. That was a big improvement from an overall conversion rate of 35 per cent from the field in his previous 14 games. "I knew the only way I could get through something like that is you put the effort forward and thats what I continued to do," Foye said. "I just knew I was going to fight through it, and tonight I felt like my old self." Teammate Ty Lawson sensed Foye was on the verge of an offensive breakthrough. "I told him, Youre getting wide open shots. All youve got to do is set your feet and knock em down," Lawson said. "Thats what hes been working on, getting his shot right. Hes been showing improvement and now hes making everybody better. And for us to win like we want to win, he has to knock down shots." Lawson and Kenneth Faried followed Foyes lead. Faried had 21 points and 13 rebounds and Lawson added 19 points and 13 assists for the Nuggets, who sent the Celtics to their fifth loss in a row and reversed a 106-98 loss at Boston on Dec. 6. The Nuggets returned to .500 (17-17) with the victory, though the team said after the game that Wilson Chandler was day to day after straining his left groin late in the third quarter. "I think it was motivation from the last game," Lawson said. "They jumped on us 39-15, something crazy, in the first quarter last time. We wanted to make a point that youre not going to just do that to us and get away with it and thats what we did. Foye was making shots, and spreading their defence out and Faried and J.J (Hickson) were taking care of things down low." Jerryd Bayless, acquired earlier in the day by Boston as part of a three team trade that also involved Memphis and Oklahoma, had 6 points in 25 minutes in his Celtics debut. Jeff Green led Boston with 17 points. Brandon Bass had 15 and Avery Bradley 12 but the 31-point loss stood out as the Celtics worst defeat in the all-time series with the Nuggets. http://www.basketballapparelshop.com/...vin-Williams-Jersey/. "Tonights just not good enough. Its not good enough," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "Were going to have to play really well to beat these teams on the road. Everybodys going to have to play close to an A game, and thats everybody. Today was disappointing." Both teams lost a key figure to ejection during a testy third quarter, when the Nuggets led by as many 32 points, their biggest lead of the night. Bostons Jared Sullinger was tossed with 8:43 left in the third quarter after he picked up two flagrant fouls within 23 seconds of each other. Nuggets coach Brian Shaw drew two technicals in succession and was ejected with 2:43 left in the third quarter by referee Rodney Mott for arguing with him over a call during a timeout. Faried, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov all had dunks off alley-oop passes in the third quarter, and Faried converted a three-point play with 4:21 left in the period to put the Nuggets up by 32 points, their biggest lead of the night. Boston never led at any point in the game. "We didnt get back on defence. We gave up a lot of dunks and uncontested layups. Were not playing hard enough," Bostons Jordan Crawford said. The Nuggets built a 68-45 lead in the first half, closing the second quarter with a 10-run that included a 3-pointer by Foye and back-to-back dunks off the fastbreak by Faried and J.J. Hickson. Denver made 10 of its 3-pointers in registering a season-high in first-half scoring, including four by Foye. NOTES: The Nuggets said Chandler would undergo a precautionary MRI scan Wednesday because the groin strain occurred on the same side as a previous hip surgery. ... Andre Miller remains on personal leave from the Nuggets and the team has given no indication on when or if hell rejoin the club. Miller has been away from the team since a verbal clash with coach Brian Shaw during a New Years Day loss to Philadelphia over his lack of playing time. ... Foye has scored in double figures in each of his last six games. ... Boston gave up season highs in points to an opponent in consecutive games. The previous high came two days ago when Oklahoma City scored 119. ... The Celtics have lost nine of their last 10 games against the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '