NEW ORLEANS -- For Greg Oden and his Miami Heat teammates, four minutes on an NBA court in a preseason game was cause for celebration. "Its been a long time and Ive been wanting to get out there," Oden said after his preseason debut in Miamis 108-95 victory at New Orleans on Wednesday night. "It was only a couple minutes, but it was what I needed, what I can handle right now and, you know, small baby steps." Oden is attempting to come back from knee injuries that have plagued him since he was drafted first overall out of Ohio State in 2007. The last time he played in an NBA game was on Dec. 5, 2009, for the Portland Trail Blazers. Not long after he came in against the Pelicans, he scored his only points of the night on a dunk, which was also his only shot. He also grabbed a pair of defensive rebounds. "It was a very special moment," LeBron James said of Odens appearance. "I have no idea what my feeling would be like, being away from the game for three years. It was like a proud moment, man. I was so excited for him when he got on the court and he checked in -- and his first basket he gets a dunk. Can you write it any better? Obviously hes not where he wants to be, but the process is going great. "I can just imagine how excited he was to get back out there," James continued. "Im going to have to take a toast for him, man. I aint no drinker, but I might have to take a shot for him. It was an absolutely great moment." Miami is a team used to celebrating NBA championships after winning the past two. Oden was gratified to see how much it also meant to the Heat to see him show the first small sign of a successful return to the game he loves, and missed. "In December it would be four years, so four minutes, thats enough for me," Oden said. "As long as I got out there and I walked off and Im healthy, thats all that matters. "I know the guys were happy for me," Oden added. "I definitely felt love. And Im excited that they were there for me." Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said Odens face "lit up" when he told him he was going to put him in the game. "We are just so pleased for him," Spoelstra said. "It was just great to see him do something he loves to do. It was taken away from him for four years. We just continue to make patient, steady progress forward from here." James scored 27 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat, who trailed after three quarters but opened the fourth with a 21-2 run. Wade hit a 3 during the decisive surge, then stole the ball for a breakaway jam. Ray Allen did all his scoring with three straight 3s to make it 98-84. Chris Bosh had 14 points and nine rebounds for Miami (5-2), and Chris Andersen added 13 points. Eric Gordon scored 19 for New Orleans (6-1), while Anthony Davis had 18 points and eight rebounds. Anthony Morrow added 16 points, Jrue Holiday 12 and Ryan Anderson 10. Cheap Salomon Shoes From China . But unfortunately for the Niagara Falls, Ont., native, a pulled muscle wouldnt allow him to go past the second set. Japan sealed its victory over Canada in the first-round Davis Cup tie after Nishikori downed an ailing Dancevic 6-2, 1-0. Sale Salomon Shoes .com) - Ben Lovejoy tallied a goal and an assist as the Anaheim Ducks cruised into the All-Star break with a 6-3 victory against the Calgary Flames. http://www.salomoncheap.com/.com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. Cheap Salomon Shoes Free Shipping . So heres what I do when I want to get into the baseball mood—I delve into "The Baseball Project". Salomon Shoes Outlet . -- Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen took the second-round lead Saturday in the Champions Tours Legends of Golf, teaming for a 6-under 48 in windy conditions on the par-3 Top of the Rock course.Former Soviet hockey coach Viktor Tikhonov has died at the age of 84 according to reports out of Russia. Moscow Times reporter Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber tweeted the news early Monday. Tikhonov, 84, was behind the bench for the most dominant period of Russian international hockey as head coach of both the Soviet Union national team and CSKA Moscow, better known as the Red Army Club between 1977 and the mid-1990s. He led the Soviet national team, and later the Commonwealth of Independent States and Russian teams until 1994. He would stay on at CSKA until 1996. Under Tikhonov, the nation won three Olympic gold medals (Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992) as well as one silver (Lake Placid 1980). He led the Soviets to nine IIHF World Championships over the span of 13 years between 1978 and 1990. He also guided the USSR to victory at the 1981 Canada Cup, defeating a Canadian team loaded with talent including Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy aand Guy Lafleur.dddddddddddd He has been lauded with many honours both in Russia as well as on the international stage. In addition to appointment to several national Orders under the former Soviet Union, Tikhonov was named to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1988. Tikhonov was also head of the Soviet program for its most tumultuous period. In the late 1980s – as the USSR opened itself to the Western world with the programs of Glasnost and Perestroika – the star players that had laid the foundation for its 1980s success and a burgeoning wave of new talent started to turn its eyes towards the NHL. Starting with Alexander Mogilny’s defection to the Buffalo Sabres in 1989, the core of the Russian team began pursuing careers in North America. That wave of talent included Hall of Famers Igor Larionov, Viacheslav Fetisov and Pavel Bure as well as long-time Soviet standout Sergei Makarov and all-time NHL Russian scoring leader Sergei Fedorov. ' ' '