move from the New Zealand Breakers at the start of the season, av

Melbourne United are searching for a more productive scorer to replace axed import Cedric Jackson, coach Dean Demopoulos says.The 2012-13 MVPs sacking followed Melbourne starting the season at 3-6, having been cruelled by injuries to important starters Chris Goulding and Todd Blanchfield.Jacksons production has been down since his move from the New Zealand Breakers at the start of the season, averaging just under 10 points and five assists in nine games, and there were signs he failed to gel with his new teammates on the court.Melbourne will announce his replacement soon and Demopoulos on Friday said the club had searched far and wide, including in the NBA where he was an assistant coach for several years.It was more or less a perfect storm, Demopoulos told AAP.We had so many things happen to this ball club the last few weeks with injuries and we just felt that it was time to change and we needed a different type of player to overcome the odds.The decision was painstaking and gut-wrenching. The respect that my coaches, players and this entire organisation have for what Cedric has done made it extremely difficult.Former Los Angeles Lakers Steve Blake and Josh Powell are among the players lured from the NBA this season, both filling import spots for the Sydney Kings, while the Breakers on Thursday signed David Stockton, the son of NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton.Melbourne will head into Sundays game against the talent-stacked Sydney without star three-point shooter Blanchfield, who has an injured groin.Goulding, who played for the Boomers at the Rio Olympics, is also likely to miss as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.I dont think hell be ready for the weekend but you never know, Demopoulos said.Todds going to be out a little bit longer than Chris but hes making progress too.We miss both those guys desperately, obviously, and were hoping they get back as soon as possible.Melbournes on-court chemistry has been sorely lacking this year but Demopoulos is confident bringing in another import wont make things worse.I hope that if there is one step backwards, there are two really large steps forward, he said.We havent nearly hit where wed like to hit as a group. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Hot favorite Almaz Ayana suddenly slumped in the final stages, allowing Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya to surge past and win the womens 5,000 meters in an Olympic record on Friday.That gave Cheruiyot revenge for her second-place finish behind the Ethiopian in the 10,000 meters a week ago.Cheruiyot timed her attack with less than two laps to go, suddenly closing a big gap Ayana had opened and speeding away for gold in 14 minutes 26.17 seconds, just over 14 seconds better than the previous Olympic mark. It was the 32-year-old Cheruiyots first Olympic gold after a silver and a bronze at the London Games and that silver behind in the 10,000 in Rio.Fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri also beat world champion Ayana to take the silver in a personal record 14:29.77.Ayana, who broke the world record in winning the 10,000 on the opening day of track and field at the Rio de Janeiro Games, finished third in 14:33.59. All three medalists crossed inside the former Olympic record of 14:40.79 set by Romanias Gabriela Szabo at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.Not surprisingly, the five top finishers were all from Kenya or Ethiopia.The 24-year-old Ayana, who was completely dominant in the 10,000, was expected to challenge Ethiopian compatriot Tirunesh Dibabas world record of 14:11.15 in the 5,000 final. Halfway throough the race she had taken control after an early break by Japans Miyuki Uehara and opened a big gap on the chasing pack.ddddddddddddBut, on a warm night in Rio, she suddenly tired and Cheruiyot breezed past, sinking Ayanas bid for a 5,000-10,000 double at her first Olympics.Nikki Hamblin, the runner whose act of sportsmanship alongside American Abbey DAgostino in the 5,000 meters heats warmed hearts at the Olympics, finished last in the final in 16:14.24 -- still a personal best for the New Zealand athlete.I went out there and I tried to compete, I tried as hard as I could, Hamblin said. I hung on for a while and then the move came and I didnt have the legs.DAgostino didnt run in the final because of a knee injury.The two were involved in one of the feel-good moments of the games when they collided in their heat and both tumbled. DAgostino first helped Hamblin to her feet and encouraged her to finish the race. The American then realized she had sustained a bad knee injury. Hamblin returned the favor by helping her, and DAgostino finished the race while grimacing in pain with torn knee ligaments.Both runners were given a place in Fridays final because of the collision. ' ' '