RIO DE JANEIRO -- NBA stars came out to cheer for her. The crowd at the Copacabana beach volleyball venue sang Happy Birthday.And Kerri Walsh Jennings earned a spot in the Olympic semifinals.All in all, a pretty good first 40 minutes as a 38-year-old.Its a unique experience, and I loved it, the three-time gold medalist said after she and April Ross beat Australia 21-14, 21-16 to move two wins from her fourth Olympic title.The Americans will play Brazils Agatha and Barbara -- the defending world champions -- on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the gold medal match. The other womens semifinal match will feature Germany and the top-seeded Brazilian team of Larissa and Talita.Both sessions were in front of a packed arena, and NBA stars Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, DeAndre Jordan and Jimmy Butler showed up for the midnight match that featured their fellow Americans.The U.S. basketball players tried to get a wave going and started a U-S-A! chant when they were shown on the venue video board. They also squabbled with fans behind them -- its hard to see past a 6-foot-11 NBA forward -- but engaged in some playful banter with Australia fans across the sand.Ross said she has enjoyed the way athletes from different sports meet and root for each other.Thats one of the biggest things I love about the Olympics, she said.The Americans victory was the second runaway of the night session; Agatha and Barbara advanced with a 23-21, 21-16 victory over Russia.But the other Brazilian team needed three sets and 70 minutes -- the longest of the Olympics so far -- to get past Switzerland in the afternoon.The 21-23, 27-25, 15-13 victory included 27 ties and 11 lead changes. There were 15 ties and five lead changes alone in the epic 29-minute second set, keeping the fans in the 12,000-seat beachside arena on their feet long after the sun set over the Rio de Janeiro mountains.The crowd was the third player, Larissa said. Only the athletes who have played at an Olympic Games know how it is like. What matters today is that we stayed together, between us and the crowd with us, cheering at every point and still cheering now.Switzerlands Joana Heidrich sat on the bench long afterward, her head covered with a towel while her body shook with sobbing. Talking to reporters with reddened eyes, she said: Now its really bad, but I think in a few hours Ill be really happy with our results and our performances.Teammate Nadine Zumkehr also said it would take her a while to appreciate what the experience.But shes going to try.It was the best game I ever had the chance to play, she said. The audience was crazy. I really want to keep that deep in my heart for the rest of my life, because its unforgettable.Larissa and Talita are each three-time Olympians, but theyre teamed up at the Rio Games for the first time. Larissa won bronze in London -- losing to Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the semifinals -- but Talita has yet to reach an Olympic podium.They kept their chances alive after losing the first set and falling behind 19-17 in the second -- putting the Swiss two points from a spot in the semifinals.Too bad they showed their very best at the right moments, Zumkehr said. They deserved to win, but we gave them a really, really hard win.Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst beat Canada 21-14, 21-14 earlier in their quest for Germanys first Olympic medal in womens beach volleyball. The German men won gold in London.The boys did it last time. I was in the stadium, said Ludwig, who is at the Olympics for the third time, finishing ninth and fifth with Sara Niedrig. If they can do it, I want to work hard for that as well.Canada sent the maximum of four beach volleyball teams to Rio -- one of just four countries to hit the quota. But Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan were their last hope for a medal.A lot of athletes strive to represent their country in the Olympic Games. We got that opportunity, Pavan said. The program doesnt have the history that the American and Brazilian programs have. The fact that we had four teams here speaks loudly, and were only going to get better. Authentic Nike Soccer Jerseys . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. http://www.cheapjerseysnike.com/ . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Nike MLB Jerseys China . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. ST. LOUIS -- Corey Crawford has the Chicago Blackhawks on an early season roll.Crawford stopped 27 shots and Artemi Panarin scored 25 seconds into overtime, leading the Blackhawks over the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Wednesday night for their seventh straight win.Crawford won his sixth consecutive game while improving to 15-5-5 against the Blues.Chicago has earned a point in nine straight games, thanks in part to Crawford, who has given up just six goals in his last six contests.Hes been phenomenal, Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook said. Hes been the backbone.Crawford made 11 stops in the third period, including a sliding kick save on Vladimir Tarasenko while nursing a 1-0 lead.Im in a good spot right now, Crawford said. I feel good. Im reading plays (well). Im patient when I have to be and aggressive when its time.Crawford is 7-3-1 this season.He has been outstanding, instrumental in winning most of these games, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. Again tonight, a couple of big saves.Panarin whipped a wrist shot from the slot past Jake Allen for his sixth goal of the season. The tally came just 1 second after St. Louis Alex Pietrangelo left the penalty box.Allen said he never saw the shot.I just heard it hit the net, Allen said. It was a tough way to go.Panarin, a Russian-born winger, does not speak English. His usual interpreter, center Artem Anisimov, left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.Hes day-to-day, Quenneville said. Hell be all right.Pietrangelo tied the game with 2:11 left in the third on a drive from the point that squeezed past Crawford, who got a piece of the shot.Marian Hossa pounced on the rebound of a shot by Gustav Forsling and followed it in for a 1-0 lead early in the second period.ddddddddddddIt was his seventh goal of the season and sixth in the last seven games.Weve been in a lot of those games, close the whole way, Quenneville said. We seem to always find a way to get two points at the end of the night.Chicago has outscored opponents 30-15 during this nine-game run.It feels nice to have a streak like this, Seabrook said. We keep getting it done. Every game is big and all the points are big.Allen made 28 saves for the Blues. He played well but has lost three of his last four and fell to 5-4-2.This is the Blackhawks longest winning streak since they won 12 in a row from Dec. 29, 2015 to Jan. 19, 2016.St. Louis is struggling after starting the season with three successive wins.Were taking way too many penalties when the game is on the line, coach Ken Hitchcock said. Were having to extend a lot of energy with a short bench. It is not a good recipe.Game notes Anisimov had a career-high 11-game point streak snapped. ... St. Louis LW Alexander Steen is one goal shy of 200 for his career. ... The Blues placed D Joel Edmundson on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks. ... The teams will meet on Jan. 2 in the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium. ... Chicago D Duncan Keith has 11 assists, tops among all defensemen. ... The Blues have hit the goalpost or crossbar 15 times this season, tops in the NHL.UP NEXTBlackhawks: Host Washington on Friday night in the first of back-to-back home games.Blues: Play at Central Division-rival Nashville on Thursday night. Jerseys NFL China Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Discount Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Cheap Nike Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Nike Patriots Jerseys Cheap Nike Jets Jerseys Cheap Nike Bengals Jerseys Cheap Nike Browns Jerseys Cheap Nike Steelers Jerseys Cheap Nike Texans Jerseys Cheap Nike Colts Jerseys Cheap Nike Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Nike Titans Jerseys Cheap Nike Broncos Jerseys ' ' '