PORTLAND, Ore. -- Deron Williams took a moment to snap a few photos of Brooklyn teammate Jason Collins at their shootaround in Portland. He couldnt help it: The NBAs first openly gay player was surrounded by a throng of cameras and microphones, and at least for the next week or so, Collins will be the face of the Nets wherever they go. The 7-footer was signed to a 10-day contract on Sunday. He played in a 108-102 victory over the Lakers that night, with two rebounds, five fouls and a steal in just under 11 minutes. Before Wednesday nights game against the Trail Blazers, Collins said he accepted the both the interest and scrutiny that has come with his return to the league. "Im back playing basketball, so of course Im enjoying this," he said. Collins quietly played seven minutes in the 124-80 loss to the Blazers on Wednesday night, entering after Nets coach Jason Kidd had pulled his starters in the fourth quarter and many of the fans had already headed for the exits. He attempted one field goal. After Portland, the Nets visit Denver, where the attention will become even more intense. The family of slain Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard is expected to make the drive for the game Thursday night against the Nuggets. Shepard was tortured and murdered in 1998 because he was gay. Collins wears his No. 98 jersey in Shepards honour. He wants to keep the details of any meeting with Judy Shepard to himself. "Obviously, its extremely special and Im very much looking forward to meeting them," he said. Collins wore the No. 98 with both the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards for Shepard even before coming out. The jersey wasnt yet ready for the game against the Lakers (he wore a spare jersey with his name hastily added), but he wore No. 98 against the Blazers. "We were very touched," Judy Shepard told the New York Daily News about the jersey. "For him to make that tribute to Matt was meaningful to us." The jersey was already the biggest seller of the day Tuesday on NBAStore.com, and the NBA said it was selling well again Wednesday. The league didnt provide the number of jerseys sold. For all the attention hes getting, Collins is not a distraction for the Nets, who are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, inside the playoff cutoff. "He understands how to play the game the right way, and we saw that in L.A.," Kidd said. Collins publicly announced he was gay last May, and he joins several other athletes to come out, including Robbie Roberts of Major League Soccers Los Angeles Galaxy, Brittney Griner of the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury, and NFL draft hopeful Michael Sam, an All-American defensive end who played at Missouri. Since coming out, Collins has become an advocate for LGBT rights. He was in Portland just last week, appearing before a group thats advocating to get a measure on the November ballot that would legalize gay marriage on Oregon. In 2004, voters passed a measure that amended the state constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Campaign organizers hope to make Oregon the first state to overturn a constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. Collins said for now, however, he just wants to focus on the Nets. "There are only so many ways you can write the story or tell the story," he said, "and then it will just be about basketball." Black Nike Air Max 2018 . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk. Wholesale Nike Air Max 2018 .com) - Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of 16th-ranked Sooners 48-14 loss to No. http://www.cheapairmaxshoessale.com/.com) - Stanley Johnson had 18 points and No. Cheap Nike Air Max 2018 . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. White Nike Air Max 2018 . -- Chris Crawford hit a 3-pointer with 1:36 left to put Memphis ahead to stay, and the 21st-ranked Tigers beat seventh-ranked Louisville 72-66 Saturday, sweeping the season series from the Cardinals. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The free-fall is over for the Tampa Bay Rays. Erik Bedard struck out eight in six innings and the Rays stopped a 10-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 4-0 Friday night. The skid tied Boston for the longest in the majors this season. The Red Sox dropped 10 straight from May 15-25, with Tampa Bay handing them the last three losses in the streak. This was the Rays first victory since then. "The music is back on in the clubhouse after the game," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "Its good to hear the music. Its a good first game to start hopefully getting us back in the right direction." Bedard (3-4) scattered four hits and walked one in ending a three-start losing streak. Jake McGee, Joel Peralta and Grant Balfour, who gave up a ninth-inning single, all went one inning to complete a five-hitter. "Its way more fun winning," Bedard said. "We celebrated, and hopefully we do that tomorrow, too." After Jose Molina got his first RBI this season on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, Tampa Bay went ahead 3-0 in the fifth on an RBI bunt single by Desmond Jennings and Yunel Escobars run-scoring single off Chris Young (5-3). Young gave up three runs, seven hits and five walks over five innings for the Mariners, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. "This is one of those days we didnt play very well on either side of the baseball and those things happen," manager Lloyd McClendon said. The Rays loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but failed score when Molina popped out to shortstop Brad Miller. Dating to last season, it was Molinas 100th coonsecutive at-bat, including 87 this year, without an RBI.dddddddddddd Kevin Kiermaier doubled and went to third on a wild pitch in the fourth before Molina ended a stretch of 19 scoreless innings by Seattle pitchers with his sac fly. "I play for the team," Molina said. "I dont play for myself. To help the team to get that run in, and get the win, Im happy with it." Bedard worked out of a second-and-third, no-out jam in the third by striking out Miller, James Jones and Michael Saunders. Saunders left after three innings due to a sore right shoulder. "He hurt it on deck swinging," McClendon said. "Hopefully hell be OK in a day or two." NOTES: The Rays on Saturday will honour the life of senior adviser Don Zimmer, who died Wednesday night at 83. "I got up (on Thursdays off day) and getting ready to go to the track, and I realized Zim was not picking me up," said McClendon, who played on the 1989 Chicago Cubs NL East championship team managed by Zimmer. "Zim and I have been going to the track for the last eight, nine years. Ill miss that. Zim was an institution. He was certainly a mentor to me." ... The Mariners will salute Yankees SS Derek Jeter in a pregame ceremony before Tuesday nights game. Jeter is retiring after this season. ... Tampa Bay RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow) and C Ryan Hanigan (hamstring) are scheduled to start minor league rehab assignments Saturday with Class-A Charlotte. Hellickson hopes to be back before the All-Star break, and Hanigan could return next week. ... Seattle LHP James Paxton (left shoulder inflammation) could resume playing catch Monday. ' ' '