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BOSTON - Point guard Rajon Rondo started the Boston Celtics opener against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night — less than five weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand.Wearing a black brace that covered his left wrist and part of his hand, Rondo gave the traditional captains welcome to the fans and took the floor for the opening tipoff. On Bostons first possession, he brought the ball down the court, dribbling with both hands, before driving into the lane and throwing a pass that went through Avery Bradleys hands.Asked before the game how much he would be able to use his left hand, Rondo said, Youll have to ask me that question after the game.Rondo said before the game that he made the decision about an hour before the tipoff. The crowd gave a big cheer when the news was announced during a pregame show broadcast on the TD Garden scoreboard.Minutes earlier, coach Brad Stevens told reporters his All-Star point guard was ready to return from the broken hand that cost him most of training camp.Hes as up to speed as he can be, Stevens said. I think hes ready to roll.After missing the first half of last season recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, Rondo seemed healthy heading into camp this fall before breaking a bone in his hand when he slipped in the shower. He was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but in updates this week he hinted that he might be able to come back early.Rondo had an X-ray on Monday, and before practice Tuesday he said he would see how he feels after his pregame nap.Apparently, he slept well.Hes obviously anxious to play, Stevens said.Stevens said he Rondo would not have any restrictions on how many minutes he plays.I might play him in shorter stints, the coach said. It will be how he plays after that. It really is his first preseason game. Javy Guerra Nationals Jersey . 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. Anibal Sanchez Nationals Jersey . Of course that doesnt mean hes ignoring it. Thats actually rather impossible given the behind-the-scenes access to the Toronto Maple Leafs the network is getting. https://www.cheapnationals.com/. - The width of Alec Martinezs shin guard was the difference between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks in their playoff series opener. Wilmer Difo Nationals Jersey .Y. -- Scott Chandler is returning to Buffalo, where he spent the past three seasons establishing himself as the Bills top pass-catching tight end. Andrew Stevenson Jersey . And former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson certainly knows his pain. "Its pretty hard to coach there without allowing some of these things to kind of affect you," Wilson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in his ESPN.GATINEAU, Que. - Canadian coach John Herdman left the Womens World Cup draw with a smile after being grouped with China, New Zealand and the Netherlands.The Canadians are ranked eighth in the world while China is No. 14, the Netherlands No. 15 and New Zealand No. 19.Positive, was Herdmans assessment of Canadas newly minted Pool A. Its not the easiest but certainly doable.Canada will play China on June 6 and New Zealand on June 11, both in Edmonton, before taking on the Netherlands on June 15 in Montreal. Herdman pointed to the Dutch as his teams toughest opponent in the group.Canada is the highest-ranked of those teams, Herdman said. Over the last three years, weve played all of those teams and beaten them. So I think its a good group for us. Its one that we think yeah, we could finish top of.Were going to have to be at our best every game. Thats a reality. Theres no way we can drop into second gear against one of those teams. Were happy. I think the soccer gods listened to us last night. We avoided that group of death.That would be Pool D with the top-ranked U.S., Asian runner-up Australia (No. 10), African champion Nigeria (widely seen as far better than No. 35 would suggest), and perennial European power Sweden (No. 5).Consider that the U.S., Nigeria and Sweden won all their qualifying games. The Americans won all six matches without conceding a goal, Sweden did the same in winning 10 matches while Nigeria outscored its opposition 28-4 in seven matches.Wow, thats a tough group, said Herdman.Norways Even Pellerud, a former Canada coach, called Group D both terrible and great. Presumably terrible if youre in it and great if youre not.Winnipeg, which hosts four of the six games in Group D, will benefit from the big guns clashing.We look at it in a positive way. If you want to win, you need to beat players and the best teams, said Swedens Pia Sundhage, who used to coach the U.S. team. Its a tough group. We try to embrace that, for sure.American coach Jill Ellis shared that attitude.Weve got a lot of depth on our roster and Ill think well be able to manage the group, she said.Nigerian coach Edwin Okon was unfazed.Nigerians are not afraid of any group, he said.The tournament, which has been increased in size to 24 teams from 16, runs June 6 to July 5 in Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.The top two teams in each of the six groups plus the four best third-place finishers advance to the knockout round of 16.With eight newcomers to the tournament — Cameroon, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand — there was always the possibility of some lopsided groups especially with a deep, talented European contingent.But most of the contenders will be happy with the draw.New Zealand coach Tony Readings pegged Canadas Pool A as the second toughest behind the U.S.-Australia-Nigeria-Sweden foursome.Also a strong group, Pellerud said. Netherlands are very strong, New Zealand is getting so strong now. Very even. Canada has a good chance to go through but they have to play at their best.I think its good group for Canada, I really do, said Ellis. There are some good challenges in there for them but I think theyre definitely teams that they can manage.ddddddddddddWhile Canadian captain Christine Sinclair attended the draw, her teammates watched it on TV in Vancouver,There were some big teams in the pool we were hoping to avoid, said defender Rhian Wilkinson. Its a tough group we have, but its an exciting one as well. . . . For me, Im just really glad we know who were playing, where were playing and when were playing. It just makes it so much more real now.The 2011 draw was not so kind to Canada, then ranked sixth in the world. The Canadians, under coach Carolina Morace, went 0-3-0 while being outscored 7-1 in a pool with European champion Germany, African champion Nigeria and France.The Canadian women placed last, in 16th place, at the 2011 competition.Canada has got out of the first round just once, finishing fourth in 2003 after losing to Sweden in the semifinal and the U.S. in the third-place playoff.Canadas career record at the tournament is 4-11-3 including an 0-9-0 mark against European opposition. It has been outscored 46-26.Canada looks to win its group this time, to avoid big guns from other pools and to avoid additional travel.It will be a tough group, said Dutch coach Roger Reijners.But New Zealand coach Tony Readings, no stranger to Herdman who led the Football Ferns at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, called it quite an evenly balanced group.If Canada wins its group, it will play a third-place team, possibly one from Pool D, in the round of 16. If it finished runner-up it will meet the second-placed team from Pool C. A third-place finish in its pool, if good enough to advance, would mean a date with either the Group B or C winner.Saturdays draw comes after 398 qualifying matches featuring 128 countries and 1,643 goals. New Zealand needed just three matches to book its ticket while the Netherlands had to play 14.Colombia, England, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland also went unbeaten in qualifying.As host, Canada escaped the grind of qualification.Saturdays draw was hosted by former star wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc and Olympic champion speedskater Catriona Le May Doan. Draw assistants were hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser and former Canadian soccer internationals Kara Lang and Jason deVos.The hour-long show started with First Nations hoop dancer Alex Wells, a three-time world champion at his speciality, featuring a local high school choir and a group of young dancers kicking up their heels with the tournament mascot, a Great White Owl named Shueme.Four Mounties escorted the Womens World Cup trophy to the stage.Canadas next action may be in January with Herdman looking to take his team to China for the Four Nations tournament.World Cup DrawGroup A: Canada (8), China (14), New Zealand (19), the Netherlands (15)Group B: Germany (2), Ivory Coast (64), Norway (9), Thailand (30)Group C: Japan (3), Switzerland (17), Cameroon (51), Ecuador (49)Group D: U.S. (1), Australia (10), Sweden (5), Nigeria (35)Group E: Brazil (6), South Korea (16), Spain (16), Costa Rica (40)Group F: France (4), England (7), Colombia (31), Mexico (25)Follow @NeilMDavidson on TwitterThe draw took place Saturday at the Canadian Museum of History. 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