PHOENIX -- Goran Dragic scored 40 points, his second career high in three games, and the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-104 Friday night, snapping a three-game losing streak. Cowboys DeMarco Murray Camo Jersey . Dragic was a game-time decision because of a sore right ankle that had kept him out of Wednesdays loss at Utah, but played all but the last 10 seconds of the second half in the first 40-point game for a Phoenix player since Amare Stoudemires 44 on March 19, 2010. Anthony Davis, also a game-time decision because of a sprained left shoulder, matched his career high with 32 points for the Pelicans, who lost their sixth in a row. Markieff Morris added 18 points and twin brother Marcus 15 for Phoenix. Eric Gordon scored 21 for New Orleans. Dragic, who had expressed some doubt after the morning shootaround that he would be able to play, had a career-best 36 in the Suns loss to Houston on Sunday. He hurt his ankle in the home loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. He had 15 points in the first quarter and 13 in the fourth, surpassing 30 points in a game for the eighth time this season. Phoenix took control with a 17-1 fourth-quarter run. Dragic banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key, then sank an 18-footer to cap the outburst and put the Suns ahead 105-92 with 4:33 left. Phoenix looked to be in trouble late in the third quarter. The Pelicans used a 15-1 run to go up 77-67 on Austin Rivers two free throws with 2:59 left in the period. But Phoenix outscored the Pelicans 14-4 the rest of the quarter. Marcus Morris scored the first seven in the run, Dragic sank a 3, then made a driving layup to tie it at 81-81 entering the fourth quarter. New Orleans took a four-point lead early in the fourth and was up 91-88 on Brian Roberts driving layup with 9:47 remaining. Phoenix, though, scored the next six. Dragic scored on a drive, then Markieff Morris made consecutive layups and the Suns led 94-91 with 8:13 left. Neither team led by more than seven points in a first half bereft of defence, with the Suns up 56-54 at the break. New Orleans shot 58 per cent in the half (22 of 38), Phoenix 56 per cent (20 of 36). In the second quarter, nobody led by more than four. Al-Farouq Aminus two free throws put the Pelicans up 50-47 with 2:14 left in the half, then the Suns scored seven straight, P.J. Tuckers 3-pointer giving Phoenix a 54-50 lead 52.9 seconds before the break. Gordons layup at the buzzer was ruled no good and the call was upheld on review, preserving Phoenixs two-point edge. NOTES: New Orleans Tyreke Evans was a late arrival after getting stuck in the hotel elevator. He arrived about an hour before the opening tip. ... The Suns Leandro Barbosa missed his fourth straight game with a sprained toe. ... Phoenix avoided matching its longest losing streak of the season at four games. ... Suns G Eric Bledsoe, coming back from knee surgery, participated in 3-on-3 drills and could resume full practice next week. ... The Pelicans longest losing streak of the season is seven games. Cowboys DeMarco Murray White Jersey . -- Another race, another pole for Kurt Busch. Cowboys Dez Bryant Throwback Jersey . The 33-year-old sit-skier from Kimberley, B.C., won a gold medal in the super combined and a silver in the downhill. The gold medal was the first of Duecks career.Week 12 of the Barclays Premier League was full of controversial refereeing decisions. From Wes Browns sending off for Sunderland to Kevin Mirallas yellow card for Everton in the Merseyside derby, it wasnt a comfortable weekend to be a referee. Whenever an incident happens on the field, every fan expects the referee to make the correct decision. Yet referees dont have the benefit of slow-motion instant replays, and have only their assistant referees with whom they can consult for input. Often times, the referees view of an incident is not ideal, and can be blocked by other players. Yet they are expected to get decisions correct every time. With the benefit of instant replays, it is often much easier to make those decisions. Should Wes Brown have been sent off for Sunderland? No. Should Kevin Mirallas have been red carded for his horrible tackle on Luis Suarez? Absolutely. What makes a referees job more difficult, though, is that the vast majority of fans (and even some professional players, coaches and analysts!) do not fully understand the laws of the game. Case in point: Arsenals penalty kick in their game against Southampton. After a Tomas Rosicky corner kick was delivered into Southamptons penalty area, referee Mark Clattenburg blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. His reason was that Southampton defender Jose Fonte pulled the jersey of Arsenals Per Mertesacker. Replays showed that Fonte did indeed have a handful of Mertesackers jersey, that he impeded the German international from reaching the ball. Clattenburg was absolutely correct to award a penalty kick. Yet it didnt stop the inevitable outcry on Twitter. Fans voiced their opinions, which ranged from "Thats never a PK - referees always let that go!" to "The ball was behind Mertesackker - need to take that into account!" to "Glad to see a referee finally call that - happens all the time!" Regardless of your opinion as a fan of the beautiful game, the FIFA laws of the game are very clear on what constitutes a foul, and in particular, a direct free kick. Cowboys Dez Bryant Pink Jersey. Consider the following from FIFA: The following conditions must be met for an offence to be considered a foul:• it must be committed by a player• it must occur on the field of play• it must occur while the ball is in play Group of Four• tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball• holds an opponent• spits at an opponent• handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area) For this group of four direct free kicks fouls, the referee is concerned with whether the action occurred, not with how it was done. For fouls in this group of four, the FIFA laws of the game require the following action to be taken: • restart with a direct free kick for the opposing team where the offence occurred • exception: if the offence was committed by a defender inside his own penalty area• penalty kick for the attacking team The laws of the game are very clear. Pulling a jersey (holding an opponent) is not allowed and is punishable with a direct free kick, or a penalty kick if the offence occurs within the penalty area. Mark Clattenburg was absolutely spot on to call a penalty in Arsenals favour. Fans (as well as players, coaches and anyone else who watches the game) would do well to familiarize themselves with FIFAs laws of the game. Some of your preconceived ideas about how the game is officiated might actually turn out to be completely false. ' ' '
