KEY WEST, Fla. -- Looking dazed and sunburned, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walked on to the shore Monday, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. The 64-year-old Nyad swam up to the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her journey in Havana on Saturday. As she approached, spectators waded into waist-high water and surrounded her, taking pictures and cheering her on. "I have three messages. One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is, youre never too old to chase your dream. Three is, it looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team," she said on the beach. "I have to say, Im a little bit out of it right now," Nyad said. She gestured toward her swollen lips, and simply said "seawater." Her team said she had been slurring her words while she was out in the water. She was on a stretcher on the beach and received an IV before she was taken by ambulance to a hospital. "I just wanted to get out of the sun," she said. It was Nyads fifth try to complete the approximately 110-mile swim. She tried three times in 2011 and 2012. Her first attempt was in 1978. "Its historic, marvelous," said Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich, the Hemingway Marina commodore who helped organize the Cuba side of Nyads multiple attempts. "I always thought she could do it given her internal energy, her mental and physical strength, her will of iron," said Diaz Escrich, whom Nyad has described as a longtime friend. "More than the athletic feat, she wants to send a message of peace, love, friendship and happiness ... between the people of the United States and Cuba," he said. Her last try was cut short amid boat trouble, storms, unfavourable currents and jellyfish stings that left her face puffy and swollen. This time, she wore a full bodysuit, gloves, booties and a mask at night, when jellyfish rise to the surface. The new silicone mask caused bruises inside her mouth, making it difficult for her to talk, she told her team when she was about 2 miles from land. Doctors travelling with Nyad were worried about her slurred speech and her breathing, but they didnt intervene, according to Nyads website. Nyads journey began Saturday morning when she jumped from the seawall of the Hemingway Marina into the warm waters off Havana. She stopped from time to time for nourishment, but she never left the water. The support team accompanying her had equipment that generated a faint electrical field around her, which was designed to keep sharks at bay. A boat also dragged a line in the water to help keep her on course. Sumaya Haddin, of Miami, had been tracking Nyads swim before her familys trip to Key West this weekend. She was surprised to see Nyads flotilla from a parasail off Smathers Beach on Monday morning. She thought Nyad wasnt due for another day. "You couldnt see her, you could just see the boats. It was very exciting," she said. Haddin said Nyad still had her fighting spirit when she got to the beach. "Getting into the ambulance, she had her peace sign up, her fist up. She was still fired up." Australian Susie Maroney successfully swam the Strait in 1997 with a shark cage, which besides protection from the predators, has a drafting effect that pulls a swimmer along. In 2012, Australian Penny Palfrey swam 79 miles toward Florida without a cage before strong currents forced her to abandon the attempt. This June, her countrywoman Chloe McCardel made it 11 hours and 14 miles before jellyfish stings ended her bid. In 1978, Walter Poenisch, an Ohio baker, claimed to have made the swim using flippers and a snorkel. Critics say there was insufficient independent documentation to verify his claim. Nyad first came to national attention in 1975 when she swam the 28 miles around the island of Manhattan in just under eight hours. In 1979 she swam the 102 miles from North Bimini, Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Fla., in 27.5 hours. Nyad is also an author of three books, a motivational speaker and has been a reporter and commentator for NPR. Deandre Baker Jersey .com) - Rajon Rondo turned in a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists as Dallas claimed a 102-98 win over the Lakers on Friday. Odell Beckham Jr Giants Jersey . Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/Giants-...awrence-Jersey/. -- Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after having an operation on a groin muscle. Daniel Jones Giants Jersey .com) - Coming off a pair of tough losses last week, the Syracuse Orange will try to put an end to their first losing skid of the season when they pay a visit to the Maryland Terrapins at the Comcast Center on Monday night in Atlantic Coast Conference action. Doug Kotar Youth Jersey .com) - Delon Wright made all 12 of his free throws and finished with 21 points and six assists as No.SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Rudy Gay said he didnt harbour a sense of revenge Wednesday night facing his former team -- the Toronto Raptors-- for the first time since a December trade. His numbers said it all. DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Gay added 24 points and 10 rebounds, and the Kings held off the Raptors in the fourth quarter for a 109-101 victory. The Dec. 9 trade brought Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to Sacramento in exchange for Patterson, John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez and Chuck Hayes. The trade has worked well for both teams. Since the shake-up, the Raptors have compiled an 18-11 record and own the third best overall record in the Eastern Conference. They had an 8-12 mark before the deal. Gay has thrived in his role as a key figure offensively. The versatile forward has averaged 20.7 points and shot 53 per cent in his first 25 games with the Kings. Gay wasnt nearly as effective with the Raptors, shooting just under 39 per cent in his second season in Toronto. "It was great to see Rudy have such a successful game tonight," said Gray, who didnt play. "No matter what the scenario, its really important when you go against your ex-team. You always want to show them what theyre missing. I think Rudy did that." Toronto coach Dwane Casey wished his team was a little more focused on effort rather than the socializing that took place between the two teams. "I just thought our whole disposition was off. Were out there hugging and giving out fives and all that," Casey said. "Well, this is a business. I didnt think our disposition at the beginning of the game was in fighting mode or hungry mode. We havent done anything, Ill keep repeating this, we havent done anything in this league yet." The Kings led by 20 points going into the final quarter, when Toronto got going offensively and cut the lead to five points with under a minute to play. But the Kings conveerted six consecutive free throws in the final minute to seal their second straight victory after losing seven straight.dddddddddddd "I think we kept our composure, were very poised down the stretch, and came out with a good home victory," Cousins said. Kyle Lowry had 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who had won four of their last five. Demar DeRozan scored 18 points, Patrick Patterson 14 and Steve Novak 12, all in the fourth quarter. DeRozan, who entered the game averaging 22 points, shot 5 of 17. He added six rebounds and four assists. Novak played only 34 seconds through three quarters, but in the fourth he hit three three-pointers, helping the Raptors outscore the Kings 29-17. "The game was bizarre; we made it interesting," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "Im glad they didnt play Steve Novak more or it would have been a long night." Isaiah Thomas added 23 points for the Kings and guard Marcus Thornton had 12, all in the first half. Thornton hit the floor hard at the offensive end late in the second quarter and didnt return. He bruised hip and knee in the fall, but X-rays were negative. He may get an MRI on Thursday. New NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who took over for David Stern on Saturday as the leagues fifth commissioner, attended the game. He drew a standing ovation when he was introduced to the sellout crowd Before the game, Silver toured Sacramentos planned downtown arena and sat with the Kings new ownership group during a portion of the game. NOTES: The Kings played without reserve forward Derrick Williams, who was out with a strained right foot. ... Despite shooting 37.5 per cent in the first quarter, Sacramento still led 30-23. ... Lowry was called for a technical midway through the second quarter. ... Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star, sat courtside with William Bell, the mayor of Birmingham, Ala. ' ' '