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BARCELONA, Spain -- Newly crowned Spanish champion Barcelona celebrated winning the league title in front of its home fans by easing to a 2-1 victory over Valladolid on Sunday. While rain and dropping temperatures threatened to dampen the party in the stands, Barcelona had little trouble keeping alive its bid to equal Real Madrids 2012 record haul of 100 points even without the injured Lionel Messi. The weather cleared up in time for Messi to join the rest of his teammates to receive the trophy, which captain Carles Puyol handed over for coach Tito Vilanova and defender Eric Abidal to lift to the cheers of the Camp Nou crowd in recognition of the serious health problems both have come back from this season. "We won the league, but the most important thing is that Eric and Tito are with us," said Puyol, before adding the traditional battle cry of "Long live Barca! And long live Catalonia!" Vilanova underwent surgery in December to remove a second throat tumour in two years, and only returned after receiving further cancer treatment for 10 weeks in New York. He is set to return to New York this week for more tests. Abidal, meanwhile, returned to the pitch recently after having recovered from a liver transplant last year. "From all of us, it is a real pleasure to share this title with you," Vilanova told the fans. "It was gone for one year, but now it is back." While Barcelona had trouble in the Champions League and was eliminated from the Copa del Rey with Vilanova absent, the team never faltered in its march toward a 22nd league title as it dethroned Jose Mourinhos Madrid. "We are proud of this title but we are also proud of (Vilanova and Abidal)," said Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez. "They deserve it for having fought back to be here." Messi held baby son Thiago in his arms to watch the firework show alongside his teammates and their children in a subdued celebration for a team that has now won the domestic crown in four of the past five years. Vilanovas side has 94 points and games left against Espanyol and Malaga to reach the 100-point milestone held by its fierce rivals. "We are happy for the win. Its a great joy to celebrate the title with our fans," said Pedro Rodriguez, who scored Barcelonas first goal. "We wanted to give a good image tonight and were happy we were able to do so. "We have the motivation to reach the 100 points, which would be something important for this team." Barcelona received a guard of honour from Valladolid at the start of the match, and then kept on strolling to the comfortable win as its fans sporadically chanted "champions! champions!" throughout the match. Valladolid offered little resistance after having long secured a second consecutive season in the top flight. With Messi out after aggravating a hamstring injury, Xavi took charge and played a part in both of Barcelonas goals. Xavi stole a pass from defender Jesus Rueda and laid the ball off for Pedro to slot it under goalkeeper Jaime Jimenez while sliding to the turf for the 21st-minute opener. Valladolids Marc Valiente then bumbled Xavis corner over his own goal line to double the lead three minutes before halftime. After Barcelona had squandered its chances, Victor Perez scored Valladolids consolation goal one minute from time after Barcelona defender Martin Montoya fouled Manucho in the area. Perez rifled his penalty by Victor Valdes, who was making his 500th appearance for Barcelona and possibly one of his last. He has said he wont extend his contract beyond the end of next season, meaning the club may look to sell him in the off-season. Barcelona was without defenders Dani Alves, Adriano, and Abidal due to muscle-related injuries. Defender Javier Mascherano, however, returned for his first game since injuring his right knee on April 2, the same date that Messi picked up his injury that has nagged him ever since. Elsewhere on Sunday, Francisco "Piti" Medina scored a double as Rayo Vallecano won 3-2 at Levante to stay in the hunt for a Europa League berth. Deportivo La Coruna beat visiting Espanyol 2-0 to escape the relegation zone, with Real Zaragoza taking its place after conceding two late goals to fall 2-1 to Athletic Bilbao. After a disappointing season, Bilbaos comeback victory secured its place in the top flight with two rounds to go. J. R. Richard Astros Jersey . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Michael Brantley Astros Jersey .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. http://www.baseballastrosproshop.com/yuli-gurriel-astros-jersey/ . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Josh Reddick Jersey . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. Jose Altuve Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. PHILADELPHIA -- Most coaches prefer a quiet crowd when one of their players are shooting free throws, figuring the calm can only help the players concentration on converting the unguarded 15-foot shot.Not Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown, however. When Sixers rookie center Joel Embiid shoots free throws at the Wells Fargo Center, Phillys hometown fans have developed a custom of chanting Trust the process! as the big man readies himself for the freebies. And Brown is all for it.I do [like it], Brown said before the Sixers 112-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. I do. You know, I think we need something like that in this city and Im not frowning upon that. We want to have some fun.Of course, the chant has a hint of sarcasm the Philadelphia faithful is known for. Embiid became the face of former 76ers general manager Sam Hinkies reign over the team when Philadelphia went 37-199 in three seasons while it stockpiled young assets -- like the former No. 3 pick out of?Kansas?-- that it had to wait to see mature into contributors.With 9:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, Embiid went to the line with the Sixers trailing by one. Sure enough, the Trust the process! chants echoed through the arena and Embiid hit both shots to briefly recapture the lead for his team. Embiid shot 3-for-5 from the line overall, below the 77.8 percent mark he came into the game connecting on.After everything that Philadelphia has been through the past few seasons, Brown sees the chant as nothing but a positive for his slowly improving 4-13 team.I think its all good, Brown said. Im personally at a stage that you get -- and I say this in a positive way -- youre sort of numb to scrutiny. Youre numb to taking the massive amounts of hits that were all -- and I say it ppersonally, with the team -- you feel hardened.dddddddddddd. You just got another layer of armor. And so the fans standing, the fans on us, the fans with us -- I see our world clearly and were not blinking.Were not going to veer to the right or the left. And when the crowd gets going with the process and Joel anoints himself Trust the process, theres a side of it, I say, Good for the crowd, good for Joel, and none of us are going to take ourselves too serious.Helping things is Embiids stellar rookie season that featured another fine output Sunday with 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks. The momentum behind his rookie of the year campaign only continues to build after he missed the past two seasons with multiple foot surgeries.How many times do you see over our past few years where somebody is going to go stalk somebody down, like?LeBron [James], in open court at 7-2, at 275 pounds and bat it off of the board and then look at the crowd ... and want Philadelphia to stand up, and Philadelphia stands up? Brown said, recalling a block Embiid had on James the last time the Sixers hosted the Cavs. And hell pound, pound [with his dribble and then] dunk. And hell flex and hell go to the line and Philadelphia stands up.And there is a confidence that I love because its also mirrored by talent. Theres a toughness that this city demands -- its Philadelphia -- that I just think this city is going to wrap their arms around him the more he plays. Hes still like a gangling 20-something-year-old to me ... And that doesnt cloud his mojo, his swagger, his attitude and I love it. I love it. Its what our program needs. ' ' '