Vince Carter Passes Larry Bird On Career Scoring List As Mavericks Put Away Kings 123-100 (VIDEO)

DALLAS -- Move over, Larry Legend. Vinsanity still has a few special moments in him.

Vince Carter scored 26 points to pass Larry Bird on the NBA's career scoring list, and the Dallas Mavericks headed into the All-Star break with a 123-100 victory against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Carter earned his nickname with circus dunks but can't quite rattle the rim like he used to. He's more dangerous these days from one of the places where Bird did plenty of damage: the 3-point line.

The 14-year veteran turned aside a Sacramento rally in the third quarter by going 5 of 7 from long range and scoring 17 of Dallas' last 21 points in the period. He ended the night with 21,796 career points for 29th on the all-time list, five ahead of Bird.

"There were open shots and I was shooting them to make them. I wasn't shooting to get attention," said Carter, who also became the 11th NBA player with at least 1,600 3-pointers. "I've talked to Larry before. He is a legend and one of the greatest to play the game."

Tyreke Evans scored 23 for the Kings, who lost their 18th straight regular season game in Dallas dating back almost 10 years.

The 3-pointer that pushed Carter past Bird came from a couple of feet behind the line with 2.9 seconds left in the third quarter and gave Dallas a 92-77 lead.

"It seems like every night, one of our guys is breaking a record," said Shawn Marion, one year shy of Carter in NBA experience. "It's cool what we've accomplished in this league. And we got a `W.' All that stacked on top of each other is good."

Carter was 6 of 9 from beyond the arc, and the Mavericks made six straight from long range spanning the third and fourth quarters. Dallas finished 13 of 34 from 3-point range.

"It speaks to how well he's taken care of himself and longevity," said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, who played with Bird in Boston. "You don't pass Larry Bird on the scoring list unless you've been in it a long time."

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 17 points, including a 3-pointer to put Dallas ahead 100-79 early in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki also had eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

The Mavericks were up 18 early in the third quarter before Sacramento went on a 17-6 run to get within seven. Nine of the points came on free throws, and DeMarcus Cousins had a pair of baskets early in the run.

The Mavericks, who rallied from 17 down for an overtime win in Sacramento last month, didn't let the Kings do the same thing on their home court, thanks to Carter. He hit consecutive 3-pointers to end Sacramento's surge and start the Mavericks on a 19-11 run over the final five minutes of the third quarter.

The Kings, playing their fourth game in five nights before the All-Star break, didn't get closer than 17 in the fourth quarter. Cousins and Jason Thompson had 17 apiece, and James Johnson had 16 off the bench.

Cousins, who had a game-high 13 rebounds, stayed out of trouble for Sacramento after his previous two meetings with Dallas were marred by incidents. He was suspended for a game in December for hitting O.J. Mayo in the groin area during a game in Dallas, and was ejected for a flagrant foul after elbowing Carter last month in Sacramento. The foul helped the Mavericks clinch the overtime win.

Cousins, who insisted the contact was incidental both times, exchanged handshakes and hugs with Mayo and Carter after the game.

"He's going to figure it out," Sacramento coach Keith Smart said. "Believe me, whether it's going to here with the Kings or with anyone else. It's going to happen for the young man. Life is going to settle down and all his game is going to come together."

Neither team led by more than six before the Mavericks went on an 18-4 run for a 57-40 lead late in the first half. Darren Collison had eight points, including a three-point play when he took a feed from Marion for a layup after Marion jumped over diminutive Sacramento guard Isaiah Thomas to catch an entry pass from Nowitzki.

Collison finished with 18 points and nine of Dallas' 27 assists.

The Dallas spurt included the first points from Mayo, whose dunk on an assist from Collison ended an 0-for-4 shooting start for the Mavericks' leading scorer. Mayo finished with 10 points but was 0 of 7 from long range.

It was an efficient first half for the Mavericks, who had 15 assists and just two turnovers while shooting 49 percent and taking a 59-44 lead.

NOTES: Mavericks C Chris Kaman missed his eighth straight game with a concussion sustained in practice Jan. 28. He has passed the league-mandated concussion test but is still experiencing headaches. ... Kings G Marcus Thornton missed the game with a bruised right hand. He sustained the injury against Memphis. ... Eight different Mavericks scored in a 30-point first quarter. Nowitzki and Marion led with six apiece. ... Isaiah Thomas, who is headed to Houston for the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend, extended his free throw streak to 35 over seven games. He was 3 of 3.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/vince-carter-larry-bird-passes-nba-scoring-list_n_2683078.html

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Hector Ramirez: From teen welder to business owner

By Liz Goodwin

Hector Ramirez is one of six people Yahoo News has interviewed for our series on Americans who gained green cards under Ronald Reagan?s 1986 law that legalized 2.7 million illegal immigrants. On Thursday, we profile Ubaldo, an injured truck driver who has run into immigration problems.

Hector Ramirez was 13 years old when a smuggler helped him and a friend climb over the border fence near Tijuana into the U.S. Ramirez, the youngest of 11 siblings, was picked up at a nearby McDonald?s by one of his older brothers, Luis, who was taking him back to his place in the tumultuous Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts. But they weren?t clear yet: The smuggler, or ?coyote,? who helped the two boys cross demanded $200 more than the already agreed upon $600. When Ramirez?s brother protested, the coyote punched him in the face.

The next day, a Sunday, Ramirez, who was the guest of honor at a party celebrating his arrival, believed the hard part was over. But on Monday, Luis, who owned a small welding shop, woke him at 5:30 a.m. ?He said, ?Get up and take a shower because we?re going to work,?? recalled Ramirez, who is now 45. ?Since [then] we?ve been working 10, 12, 16 hours a day.?

Ramirez said he was happy for the chance to earn money. The plan was to save enough to buy a motorcycle and then go back home to Zacatecas, Mexico. His goal: speeding up the 10-mile journey from his home to school. Ramirez, however, stayed in the U.S. and never went back to school. He threw himself into welding?picking up English from the customers, as well as from watching TV?and saved up enough money to buy a home at the age of 18. For two weeks the house was completely empty because he had spent every last cent on the down payment and could not afford to buy even curtains.

?Probably my life would have been different if I were to go to school,? Ramirez said. ?But I think I was lucky and smart to get into a business.?

Ramirez was 20 when he found out he could get legal status through Reagan?s amnesty program. The news, he said, was profound: Like many illegal immigrants, he was using fake identity documents and lacked a driver?s license. He and one of his brothers applied for legalization at the same time. (Ramirez?s two other brothers later got green cards through their spouses.)

In the 1990s, the welding shop, in part by selling fencing and window guards to Los Angeles residents wary of the city?s increasing crime, expanded to four locations, and all four brothers became partners. But like many other businesses nationwide, it was hit in the recession in 2008, going from nearly 200 employees to 68.

?We?ve been suffering for five years,? Ramirez said. ?It feels terrible.?

Ramirez, who became a citizen in 1996, has since voted in every election. In November, his three brothers ended up backing Mitt Romney, hoping his economic policies would boost their business. Ramirez, conflicted, backed President Barack Obama, in part because he didn?t like reports that Romney sometimes advised businesses to move operations abroad as a private equity executive.

Romney?s opposition to the legalization of undocumented immigrants, Ramirez said, had little impact on his vote. But he does believe illegal immigrants should have a chance to get papers: ?They?re very hard workers,? he said. He empathizes with people now trying to cross the border illegally, a journey far more dangerous than when Ramirez made it due to drug cartels frequently robbing and killing migrants who are heading north.

Ramirez now has eight children, and he said he tries to teach them how lucky they are to live in America. ?I told my son, ?You need to get up and go to work. You?re always playing with the Xbox thing.?? When his son complained that he doesn?t have a car so can?t drive to find work, Ramirez told him, ?Do you see the Home Depot? How do you think they got there? They?re walking. You speak English; you have papers, and a bicycle. Get up and get out of here.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hector-ramirez--from-teen-welder-to-business-owner--212727779.html

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U.S. fine for RBS should be met from wage bill, bonuses -Britain

LONDON (Reuters) - The fine that Britain's Royal Bank of Scotland must pay U.S. authorities over allegations it manipulated global benchmark interest rates must come from the pay and bonuses of RBS staff, the British government said on Wednesday.

"In the case of the U.S. authorities' fines, I am insistent that the taxpayer should not foot the bill. That is why these fines must be met in full from past, present and future reductions in the bonuses and pay of RBS," Greg Clark, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, told parliament.

Earlier on Wednesday, was hit with fines of $615 million by U.S. and British authorities to settle allegations it manipulated key interest rate benchmarks including the London interbank offered rate (Libor).

RBS has been 82 percent owned by the British government since it was bailed out in the 2008 financial crisis.

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Peter Griffiths; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-fine-rbs-met-wage-bill-bonuses-britain-142304582--finance.html

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