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CLEVELAND - Anderson Varejaos season has ended, dealing a major blow to the Cavaliers NBA title hopes.Clevelands starting centre tore his left Achilles tendon on Tuesday night in a win over Minnesota, an injury that will cost him the rest of this season and will force the Cavs to look for immediate help up front. The Cavs said an MRI confirmed the feared tear and that Varejao will undergo surgery in the near future. A timetable for his return and rehab will not be established until after the operation.The 6-foot-11 Varejao, one of the teams most popular players, was positioning under the basket for a rebound in the third quarter when he crumpled to the floor in pain. All of Clevelands players and coaches came over to check on him before he was assisted off the floor without putting any weight on his leg. He left Quicken Loans Arena following the game on crutches with his leg in an immobilizing air cast.The Cavs travelled to Miami on Wednesday for a Christmas Day game against the Heat, the first regular-season matchup between LeBron James and the superstars former team.Varejaos injury has stolen some of the buzz from that game as the Cavs are dealing with an injury that could alter their season.With Varejao out, Tristan Thompson will likely move into a starting role and the Cavs will sharpen their pursuit of another big man. The Cavs had been looking for a rim-protecting centre and have had trade discussions with several teams. Reserves Brendan Haywood and Lou Amundson could also get more playing time as first-year coach David Blatt looks for ways to compensate for the loss of Varejao, one of the leagues most unique players.Favoured to win the Eastern Conference, the Cavs have made inquiries about Denvers Timofey Mozgov and Memphis centre Kosta Koufos. Cleveland has a protected first-round pick from a previous deal with the Grizzlies they could use to land front-line help.Varejao, who signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension in October, averaged 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 26 starts. But beyond his stats, Varejao also contributes with his endless hustle and positive attitude. Hes one of James favourite teammates and the 11-year veteran has endeared himself to Cleveland fans with his energy and effort.Varejao has averaged 7.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in his career. He has missed 166 games with injuries over the past four seasons.During the preseason, the Cavs went to Varejaos native Brazil to play an exhibition against the Heat. Varejao was greeted as a national hero in his homeland and said the trip was one of the highlights of his career.After a slow start, the Cavs have won 12 of 15 games and Blatt has gotten more comfortable with his rotations. Varejaos injury complicates things and could rush the Cavs into making a major roster move well before the February trading deadline. Austin Pruitt Jersey . The 31-year-old, a two-time CFL lineman of the year, was among the most coveted free agents on the market. The Windsor, Ont., native will be especially important to a team that has lost veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo to retirement and is expected to go with the less experienced Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh this season. Nate Lowe Rays Jersey . LOUIS -- The St. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/1176i-da...ersey-rays.html. Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. Diego Castillo Rays Jersey . Marie rink got back in the win column at the Olympic mens curling tournament with a 7-4 win over the host Russian squad on Wednesday. Evan Longoria Rays Jersey .com) - Houston Texans interim head coach Wade Phillips confirmed Monday that starting quarterback Case Keenum sustained a sprained right thumb during Sundays 25-3 loss in Indianapolis.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Four-time champion Novak Djokovic, reigning titlist Stan Wawrinka and Japanese star Kei Nishikori highlighted Mondays fourth-round winners at the Australian Open. The world No. 1 Djokovic got past Luxembourg left-hander Gilles Muller 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 in Mondays nightcap at Laver Arena to reach his 23rd consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. The seven-time Grand Slam champion and reigning Wimbledon titlist is seeking his fourth Aussie championship in five years, having captured three straight of his four Melbourne crowns from 2011-13. Up next for the great Djokovic, who has yet to drop a set through four matches here, will be eighth-seeded big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, who is 0-4 lifetime against the Serb. Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Swiss slugger Wawrinka pulled out a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8) victory over Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Garcia-Lopez won the first five points of the fourth-set tiebreak and had five chances to force a fifth set at Melbourne Park, but Wawrinka saved all five before moving on. Garcia-Lopez stunned Wawrinka in the first round at last years French Open. Wawrinkas quarterfinal opponent on Wednesday will be the fifth-seeded U.S. Open runner-up Nishikori, who handled ninth-seeded former French Open finalist David Ferrer of Spain 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Day 8 of the fortnight. Looking ahead to his clash with Wawrinka, Nishikori said, Its going to be a really tough match because I have seen him play on TV a couple of matches. Even today he was playing really good. He can hit balls forehand, backhand -- great backhand actually. He can hit from anywhere at the back. Its going to be a tough match. But obviously Im in the quarterfinals, so no easy matches coming up. Hopefully I can play anotheer good match.dddddddddddd For sure it gives me confidence that I beat him in the U.S. Open. Its not like I cant beat him. Its going to be a fun match for sure. Nishikori made history as he became the first Asian man to contest a Grand Slam final last year when he defeated three Top-10 players, including Wawrinka in five sets in the quarters, to reach the U.S. Open final. The aforementioned Raonic had to outlast 12th-seeded Spanish lefty Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3, to reach the round of eight. Lopez saved seven match points before succumbing to the big Canadian. Raonic became the first Canadian man in the Open Era to reach the Aussie Open quarters and is also the second Canadian man in history to reach three major quarterfinals, following in the footsteps of Robert Powell at Wimbledon in 1908, 10 and 12. Its great to be doing what Im doing and that it is making a difference, said Raonic. It is, I guess, part of some history, if you look really deep. But at the end of the day, at the same time, Im always pushing myself for what I want to achieve. Im always sort of looking in the mirror and saying, Thats who I have to compare myself to: to myself. The quarterfinals will commence Tuesday, as third-seeded former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal will take on seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych and sixth-seeded Andy Murray will battle heavy Aussie crowd favorite Nick Kyrgios. Nadal beat Berdych in the 2010 Wimbledon final and is 18-3 lifetime against the big Czech. The reigning French Open king Nadal is a 14-time Grand Slam champ, including an Aussie title in 2009. Hes also a two-time runner-up in Melbourne, including last year when he was stunned by Wawrinka in the final. Murray is a two-time major titlist whos lost in three Aussie Open finals. ' ' '