Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - The Charlotte Hornets used a dominant second quarter to crush the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-80 on Monday afternoon. The Hornets shot 12-of-22 from 3-point range overall to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. Gerald Henderson and P.J. Hairston each hit three triples, and Henderson led Charlotte with 17 points. Brian Roberts added 16 points and five assists for Charlotte, and the Hornets reserves outscored Minnesotas by a 52-31 margin. The Timberwolves lost for the second time in three games despite 18 points from Thaddeus Young. Andrew Wiggins added 12, but shot just 3-of-14 from the field. An early 8-0 run for the Hornets put them ahead 10-2 four minutes into the game. Minnesota got aggressive and gradually closed the gap with a 10-of-12 performance from the line in the quarter and even took brief leads late in the period. After Zach LaVine hit 1-of-2 at the charity stripe to tie the game at 20, Hairston hit a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give Charlotte a 23-20 lead after one. The Hornets surged to an 18-point lead when they started the second quarter on a 17-2 run, getting 10 points from Gary Neal. It took nearly four minutes before Minnesota finally got on the board in the second when Mo Williams jumper briefly interrupted Charlottes momentum. Neal answered with a triple the next trip down the court to extend the Charlotte edge to 18. The Hornets led by as many as 22 in the first half when Henderson drained a 3 with 41 seconds remaining. They led 50-33 at the half when Gorgui Dieng scored five points in the final 10 seconds, including a buzzer-beating 3 from just inside halfcourt. The third quarter did not go any better for Minnesota as the Hornets led 83-52 after three periods. Henderson and Roberts each went 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and Charlotte shot 12-of-21 overall. Charlottes entire starting lineup was able to take a seat in the final period. Al Jeffersons bucket on the first possession of the quarter gave the Hornets their biggest lead of the game at 33 points. Game Notes This was Jeffersons first game off the bench since Dec. 4, 2006. He returned from a nine-game absence due to a groin injury ... Charlotte has held nine straight opponents under 100 points, the longest streak in the NBA this year ... Minnesota is now 4-20 all-time in Charlotte ... Lance Stephenson added eight points and nine assists off the bench for the Hornets ... Dieng scored nine points, grabbed 10 boards and blocked four shots. Kansas City Royals Pro Shop . Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Kansas City Royals Store . Scheffler told The Associated Press on Wednesday he made the choice because he had three concussions over the past four years. https://www.cheaproyals.com/. Pospisil, from Vancouver, and Sock will compete for the title against defending champions and top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States, who defeated the 12th-seeded French duo of Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2. Stitched Royals Jerseys . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. Wholesale Royals Jerseys . - On the night Dirk Nowitzki overtook Dominique Wilkins on the career scoring list, Brandan Wright was a human highlight film all by himself.Toronto FC started the season with back-to-back wins for the first time in franchise history with a 1-0 victory over DC United in front of a sellout crowd at BMO Field. Jermain Defoe put forth another Man of the Match performance scoring the match winner in the 60th minute. Defoe jumped on a poor defensive clearance after a Gilberto shot on the break and slotted into a wide open net for his third goal in two matches. It was a feel good day for the long-suffering Toronto FC supporters. The poor weather held off, and the sun even came out shortly before Defoes goal. The noise, the atmosphere, the smiles were back at BMO Field and theres good reason to believe more good times are on the horizon on the lakefront in downtown Toronto. Off-season hype has turned into regular season production. The match lacked the speed and tempo of the opening game win in Seattle but had similar combative elements and superior team shape, boding well for further progression as this group of new players continue to gel. Here are five thoughts on Toronto FCs home opening victory. Determined Defending – The group was simply dominant, worthy of the clean sheet. Proven MLS goal scorers Eddie Johnson and Fabian Espindola were forced to fall deep to get involved in the play. Pushing attacking players far away from Julio Cesars goal has been trademark through two matches. Absolutely no space was given. The partnership of Steven Caldwell and Doneil Henry has provided stability the team has lacked in recent seasons. They have proven an ideal duo to lead from the back – experience paired with sheer athleticism. Theres a lot to like. The off-season addition of Justin Morrow flew under the radar, yet the left-back has been among the teams best, a rock down the wing. And Mark Bloom has maintained positional integrity, solid on the night. Although DC United held 63 per cent of possession, TFC limited their opposition to only one legit goal scoring opportunity and two shots on goal. Last week in Seattle, the Sounders only had two truly good scoring opportunities. Keeping the possession to the outside is critical, with Caldwell and Henry being monsters in the air in defending crosses. It must be said goalkeeper Cesar hasnt been caught out of position, creating calmness at the back. Overall, the early season returns as a team defensively have been superior to expectations. Imperfect Pitch – The long and brutal Toronto winter made for soft, muddy and bumpy conditions, making it difficult to play the ball on the deck. Toronto FC took very few chances in their defensive end, choosing to clear more often than maintaining possession. This will have to change as the season goes on. Possession is critical to dictating the tempo and flow, while bringing Torontos skill players into the game. There was little flow Saturday. Im not sure if TFC will ever be a dominant possession team. Good news however, they are always dangerous on the counter. They have pace down the wings and creative movement up front through pacey strikers. No matter the conditions, this team will create chances. Give kudos to the team for adapting from one extreme on turf a week ago to succeeding on a soft, slow, chopppy surface in Toronto.dddddddddddd Defoe/Gilberto Potential – The duo is a work in progress but there is much to get excited about. Defoes resume and early production speaks for itself. Head Coach Ryan Nelsen commented post-match, "If I was Roy Hodgson, Id pick him in a heartbeat" when asked about his potential World Cup inclusion. If he continues on this kind of form, Hodgson will have a tough time keeping him out of his England side in a tournament all about timely goal scoring. Gilberto was always the mystery heading into the season. The 24-year-old designated player is a relative unknown commodity, but did score 14 goals in Brazil last season. His pre-season prediction of scoring 25 goals may be too ambitious, but he showed boatloads of promise in his Toronto FC debut. His movement off the ball is intelligent. And although 510, the striker plays much bigger, regularly getting his body in between the ball and his defender. His set up on Defoes chance off the post in the 42 minute was a well-timed run finished with proper service low to the front post. Gilberto doesnt speak English: another hurdle to developing chemistry with Defoe but both players have natural instincts. This relationship will be fun to watch as it develops. Referee Inconsistency – The replacement officials a week earlier did a better job than Silviu Petrescu and his crew Saturday. Regular MLS officials went back to work this week with the same inconsistencies in their play call that has frustrated MLS onlookers for years. Petrescu was a step slow throughout the match (literally when bowled over by Michael Bradley), but its a lack of consistency that will drive players crazy. In the second half, Alvaro Rey was taken down after beating two defenders down the left wing – no card was shown, yet moments later down the right hand side, Davy Arnaud was cautioned for taking down Jonathan Osorio on a similar play. Players, coaches and fans alike need to be clear on how a match is going to be called. The overall performance Saturday was subpar. Bravo, Bradley – Toronto FCs number four covers an incredible amount of ground. The pressure he puts on the ball sets the tone, giving little time or space for his centre-midfield opponents. There wasnt much room in the centre of the field Saturday, but Bradley expertly used what little he had, creating both short and long using his wingers to near perfection. Its the edge, blue-collar mentality that will easily win over supporters. The clash of heads with Arnaud that sent the DC United midfielder out of the game was a late challenge. Bradley was lucky not to be cautioned. But it was a challenge hed never back out of. Its not in his DNA to back out of 50-50 balls. The commitment is true leadership by example. With a gash split open on the back of the head, Bradley received some quick treatment, had a bandage cover the wound, and was back on the field, bossing the play and being combative as ever. The American international will continue to be the straw that stirs the drink. Its hard to imagine Toronto FC now without his presence. Lets wait until June to deal with that problem. gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca@WheelerTSN ' ' '