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HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Long after the checkered flag fell at Phoenix last weekend, where Kevin Harvicks win earned him his first real shot at a NASCAR championship, he found a surprise visitor waiting in his motorhome. Sitting on the couch was three-time champion Tony Stewart,te playing the role of both friend and team owner. He explained to Harvick what to expect this week as he headed into Sundays season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Harvick is probably the favourite in a four-driver field to win the Sprint Cup title. He was the last person sitting in my motorhome and he said, Alright, heres how your week is going to go and here is what you are going to do and heres how you are going to do it, Harvick said. Hes been an owner, hes been a friend and hes been somebody Ive been able to lean on over these last nine weeks. Its not much different than 2012, when Stewart helped Harvick navigate the biggest decision of his career. Harvick was in a rut at Richard Childress Racing, the organization that had signed him in 1999 to a Nationwide deal and put together a long-term plan that would move him to NASCARs top series in 2002. But Dale Earnhardts death in the 2001 season-opening Daytona 500 forced Childress to move Harvick up immediately, and he found himself driving Earnhardts car as a 25-year-old under an enormous spotlight. Although he won early, the ups-and-downs in performance at RCR were frustrating and Harvick found the organization could never quite get him close enough to the championship. Hed spent a dozen years with Childress, had one more season on his contract, and had to decide whether to dig in his heels with the only team he knew or to start over elsewhere. Stewart promised Harvick if he moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, hed help him win a championship. He was ready for a change, Stewart shrugged. The bond is deep between Harvick and Stewart. Last week in victory lane, Stewart appeared to be crying when he greeted Harvick, who later revealed it was the first time hed ever seen Tony even a little bit emotional. Part of it was the excitement of seeing Harvick one step closer to his goal, part of it was the relief during a difficult season for Stewart. Its the worst on the track in Stewarts 16-year career, and hes struggled personally since his sprint car struck and killed driver Kevin Ward Jr. on Aug. 9. Obviously hes been through a lot this year, and if we can be that one shining moment that makes his day better, that would be, for me — I just want to see my friend smile, Harvick said. Harvick has thrived from the moment he first drove one of crew chief Rodney Childers cars. The No. 4 Chevrolet was among the fastest on the track in a series-wide December test and Harvick and Childers have not slowed down since. The chemistry was instant and helped the duo feel comfortable in stepping into a leadership role at SHR; it also kept them from faltering when Stewart was away from the team following Wards death. Harvick, who will race Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and former SHR driver Ryan Newman in the finale, has four wins this season. Two of them — at Charlotte and Phoenix — earned him automatic berths in the next round of the Chase. He has a career-high eight poles, and his 2,083 laps led are easily the most in the series. Theres not a team in the garage that doesnt believe that Harvicks win total would be at least doubled if not for late-race setbacks. When it became clear that his pit crew wasnt strong enough to guarantee an error-free, 10-race Chase, Stewart gave Harvick the crew that had helped Stewart to the 2011 championship. Every part of the last 11 months has validated the decision Harvick and his wife, DeLana, made two years ago. I am as happy as Ive ever been, Harvick said. In 2012, we made some pretty big decisions to race in 2014, and you just never know how those things are going to pan out. I am as proud of the situation and the life decisions that DeLana and I made to get to this point. To see them be as successful as they have been, its been pretty rewarding. The same goes for Stewart, who marvels at the first season Harvick has put together at SHR and the determination that team has shown through three rounds of the new elimination-format Chase. You know how hard it is to get here, especially with the intensity weve seen in the Chase this year, Stewart said. And here we are with a shot to win this championship. To be a part of this opportunity with him, to do it with a good friend, is really special because this is something I really want for him. Evan Phillips Jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. 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The All-Star power forward was all right afterward, a relief for the Minnesota Timberwolves.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Novak Djokovic beat Andy Murray 6-3, 7-6 (2) in an one-off match at Madison Square Garden on Monday, with the pair mixed the usual exhibition hijinks with some long rallies reminiscent of their epic Grand Slam meetings. A born showman, Djokovic always has fun with the New York crowd at the U.S. Open. When on a game point Monday he shanked an overhead into the net, the Serb did push-ups in penance. It was the first time playing at the Garden for both. "I was amazed by the size of it," Djokovic said. "With the history in the world of sports and entertainment and music, its probably the most impressive and most important indoor facility in the world." Murray grimaced more than once after an unforced error as if he were a few miles away at Flushing Meadows. But he also high-fived a fan after hooking in a winner down the line. And the Brit provides plenty of entertainment value simply with his ability to run down nearly every ball. Chasing a drop shot in the first set, Murray wound up all the way on Djokovics side of the court, bumping into a TV camera along the way. Djokovic went over and jokingly massaged Murrays quad, lest he need a medical timeout. During one changeover, they pulled their phones out of their bags and met at the net to take a couple of selfies. Both tweeted them during the next break. "We might never get the chance to play here again," Murray said. "Wanted to enjoy it. Hope eeveryone who came along had a good time as well.dddddddddddd That was the whole point today." And hes in a good mood after his surgically repaired back held up well following four matches in four days in Acapulco last week. There were the obligatory exhibition shenanigans: between-the-legs shots, pulling a kid from the crowd to play a point. In a bit of a twist, Djokovic invited reigning Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who has since retired, from the stands to briefly take his place. Murray welcomed her by launching a serve as hard as he could that had the Frenchwoman ducking. Bartoli then ably exchanged groundstrokes with Murray in high-top canvas sneakers that were more fashion than function. The BNP Paribas Showdown opened with the Bryan brothers beating the McEnroe brothers 8-3 in doubles. John McEnroe added a little sizzle to the meeting a few months ago when he made some harsh comments about the current state of doubles, suggesting that top players today are the guys who werent athletic enough to make it in singles. While Bob and Mike Bryan insisted there were no hard feelings, they respectfully disagree with his opinion, and they played Monday with the seriousness of an ATP Tour match. There was no aiming any slams toward Johns head. Instead, they picked on Patrick McEnroes volleys — he doesnt play as much these days as his more-successful older brother. The twins needed 44 minutes to win the single pro set. ' ' '