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HOUSTON -- James Harden wants to leave his mark in Houston and bring the Rockets their first championship since they won back-to-back titles in 1994-95.Now the star will have at least four more seasons to try and do just that.Thats one of the reasons why I wanted to lock in for these next four years, so I could focus on my legacy and focus on winning and doing unbelievable things here that havent been done in a long time, Harden said.Harden signed a four-year, $118 million contract extension with the Rockets on Saturday. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season. The new deal takes the place of the last two years of his previous contract and will keep him in Houston until 2020.He said the decision to extend his time in Houston was an easy one.You just feel it, he said. Sometimes you just get that feeling where everything feels comfortable, you feel loved, you feel like people want you to be here and that feeling outweighs anything. So the ultimate decision was to stay and get it done.The move comes after a frustrating season for the Rockets, who were ousted by Golden State in the first round of the playoffs after reaching the Western Conference finals a year ago in a season when Harden came in second in MVP voting. They fired Kevin McHale after a 4-7 start and interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff went 37-34 after his dismissal.Team owner Leslie Alexander beamed as he sat next to the bearded star and announced the big move.I dont think people appreciate how great he is, Alexander said, but we certainly do.Also on Saturday, the Rockets introduced new free agent signings Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon.Harden has morphed from a role player into one of the leagues elites since joining the Rockets in a trade with Oklahoma City in 2012. Hes made the All-Star game and taken the Rockets to the playoffs in each of his four seasons in Houston, and was voted to the All-NBA team three times.The Rockets are looking for a fresh start this year under new coach Mike DAntoni and without center Dwight Howard, who recently left Houston to sign with the Hawks.Dwight made his decision in free agency, general manager Daryl Morey said. Now were building a new core with James here for a long time and all these guys signed for a long time. Everyone can just focus on basketball and everyone can focus on winning.Harden finished last season averaging career highs in points (29), rebounds (6.1) and assists (7.5).Last year wasnt a great year for me. But that wont happen again, he said. Thats one thing about being great. You dont make the same mistakes twice.He has slowly grown to embrace his role as the face and backbone of this team over the last four seasons, and believes the trials of last year will end up helping him in the future.Leaders arent built when things are going extremely well, Harden said. So I had to learn from it. How can I be better individually and grasp my team and bring us a lot closer? I learned from last year and I think thats why Im more excited about this year because Ive learned so much, and Im able to go in with an open mind ... and learn how to bring guys with me.This year hell do it with Anderson and Gordon, two players Morey has long coveted but wasnt able to snag.Anderson, who spent the past four seasons with New Orleans, is a top 3-point shooter and averaged 17 points and six rebounds last season. A first-round pick of the Nets in 2008, Anderson spent his rookie season there before he was traded to Orlando. He played three seasons with the Magic, his breakout coming in 2011-12 when he was selected as the NBAs most improved player after leading the league with 166 3-pointers.This has been a long time coming for me, Anderson said. Houston has been on my mind for a lot of years.Gordon has been plagued by injuries, but has proven to be a dangerous shooter when healthy. The seventh overall pick in the 2008 draft, Gordon has averaged at least 15 points in seven of his eight NBA seasons, highlighted by a career-best 22.3 points a game for the Clippers in 2010-11.The move reunites Anderson and Gordon after the pair spent four years playing together in New Orleans.Brandon Clarke Jersey . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. Grayson Allen Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. 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Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season.PHOENIX -- Chris Taylor has been a spot starter at best in his young major league career, and hed never had anything like the night he had on Friday.Taylor, acquired in a trade with Seattle a month ago, fell a single shy of the cycle, and Bud Norris finally beat Arizona in the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-7 victory over the Diamondbacks.Taylor, a utility infielder recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on June 25, tripled in the fourth, doubled in the fifth and hit a grand slam in the sixth, his first career home run. He was out on a bunt in the eighth.It was a really a fun night, he said, a night Ill always remember.Norris (5-7) was 0-7 with a 13.92 ERA in his career against the Diamondbacks entering the game, but ended the drought with the help of the Dodgers season-high 18 hits. Norris went five innings, allowing five runs and eight hits.Its a tough place to pitch, he said. I personally have struggled here a few times, so I just wanted to go as deep as I could, kind of just leave all my pitches out there.Arizonas Patrick Corbin (4-8) lasted four innings, giving up seven runs and seven hits.The biggest thing for me is not getting ahead like I have in the past, he said. It is leading to walks and hitters counts. It is something I need to get better on.The Diamondbacks took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the third, two on Michael Bourns triple, only to give it up in the Dodgers five-run fourth, with two scoring on Taylors triple. Yasiel Puig singled in two more before being thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.Los Angeles loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Silvino Bracho struck out the next two but Taylor hit one into the seats beyond left field and the Dodgers led 12-4.In the eighth, needing only a single, Taylor chose to lay down a bunt and was thrown out by the pitcher.I thought it was a good time, the situation, he said. They had the third baseman back and its always been a part of my game, regardless of the hits (I had). I think you put me in that situation again Im still going to try it. Its something I take pride in.The Dodgers led 12-7 at the time, not usually a situation that calls for a bunt, but manager Dave Roberts backed up Taylors decision.ddddddddddddWhen youre trying to win a game here in this ballpark youve got to play by different rules, Roberts said. Its almost like you cant score enough. So I thought it was a very heady play. If it was executed a little bit better he would have hit for the cycle.Eight Dodgers have hit for the cycle, only two since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958: Wes Parker in 1970 and Orlando Hudson in 2009.Third baseman Jake Lambs two errors in the third led to an unearned Los Angeles run.The Diamondbacks fell to 15-33 at home.KERSHAW CLOSERDodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is inching closer to a return.Kershaw, sidelined since June 27 with a mild disk herniation, will throw a simulated game in Los Angeles on Saturday. Roberts said Kershaw will throw 60 pitches.Before he was hurt, Kershaw, as usual, was one of the games best pitchers, going 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: Roberts said a bone scan Friday of OF Andre Ethiers right tibia showed the fracture has not completely healed but its healed enough that Andre, to his tolerance, can continue to progress with baseball activity. Roberts said the Dodgers will ramp him up and see where it takes us. LHP Alex Wood (posterior elbow) will pitch in the same simulated game as Kershaw.Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (strained oblique) played catch Thursday night, the first time hes done so since the injury.UP NEXTDodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 2.70 ERA) makes his third start since coming back from Tommy John surgery, facing his former team for the first time.Diamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (3-5, 4.64), coming off a strong but losing effort against San Francisco, makes the start for Arizona in the second game of the three-game series. Since being recalled from Triple-A Reno on May 29, Bradley ranks fourth in the NL in strikeouts. ' ' '