LONDON -- Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsenal returned to the top of the English Premier League by fighting back to win 3-1 at West Ham on Thursday. Custom Kansas City Royals Jerseys . Arsenal fell behind when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny spilled Kevin Nolans shot and Carlton Cole pounced to score a minute into the second half. West Ham goalkeeper Adrian was also culpable for Arsenals equalizer, with Walcott cutting in from the right and striking between his legs in the 68th. Walcott headed Arsenal in front three minutes later, and Lukas Podolski netted in the 79th to ensure a three-game winless run in the league ended. "From our disappointing results in the last few games its nice to get a good positive away win," Walcott told BT Sport. "Its great to be top but its going to be a very tough league this year, everyone is very tight, a lot of people are taking a lot of points off each other so weve just got to make sure we look after ourselves." Arsenal displaced Liverpool from top spot, with the Reds dropping to fourth after losing 2-1 at Manchester City. Arsenal is two points ahead of Chelsea, which beat Swansea 1-0 on Boxing Day when every team was in action. The only blot on the win was the 23-year-old Aaron Ramsey being forced off with an apparent thigh strain. "The Christmas period is certainly over for him. It was his birthday today," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "I dont know how long it will be. We will have to see tomorrow morning. He knew straight away, but we have to see." This was not a victory without other worrying moments for Arsenal. It began a spell of pressure that belied West Hams insipid first-half display, but it was brought to an abrupt end when Walcotts shot somehow evaded Adrian in the 68th. Walcott cut in from the right and unleashed a hopeful strike that slipped through Adrians grasp. Three minutes later the match was turned on its head. Podolski, brought on after Ramsey took a knock, swung in a fine cross from the left and Walcott ghosted in to power home a header from close range. It was quite the impact by Podolski in his first appearance since a hamstring injury in August. There would also be a goal for the Germany forward as Giroud held up the ball for Podolski to bury a strike into the bottom corner to put the game out of sight. The result saw Sam Allardyces West Ham slip into the bottom three. "We had three golden chances after we scored -- Matt Jarvis in the box, one-on-one, Joey OBriens free header in the six-yard box and Carlton Coles side-foot tap," Allardyce said. "We paid the price because what Arsenal do then is take more and more chances when they are losing. "It was either going to be us getting that second goal and then we would have made sure we tightened it up or theyd score." Kansas City Royals Shirts . He wants to seize that opportunity. The trouble is, Firus has had more bumps on the road to Sochi than most. Last year, Firus had the skate of a lifetime in the short program at the Canadian championships when he landed his first triple Axel in competition and finished third in a stacked field. Kansas City Royals Gear . Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card, are in the drivers seat as they open the final series of the regular season, but they face a large task in the form of the Philadelphia Phillies. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ .com) - The NBA will be on display overseas Thursday with the New York Knicks taking on the Milwaukee Bucks at O2 Arena in London.With Randy Carlyle returning with an extension in hand behind the Leafs bench, the culture change Tim Leiweke promised at Brendan Shanahans introductory press conference may come in the form of a trade of the teams captain. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger addressed the Dion Phaneuf rumours on TSN Radio 1050 Monday, saying although the Leafs may not be “shopping” their No. 1 defenceman, he is not considered untouchable and GM Dave Nonis would be willing to listen to offers. “The Toronto Maple Leafs are not shopping him,” Dreger said. “Theyre not shopping Jake Gardiner and Nazem Kadri, but teams know that if theres an offer made – or the right offer made – that Toronto would consider that.” Dreger noted he had spoken with Nonis over the weekend, with the GM saying the team isnt engaged in active conversations regarding Phaneuf, and have not done so since this past trade deadline. Fellow TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie also weighed in on the Phaneuf rumours, saying that although there have not been any recent conversations, the Leafs would not be opposed to a trade. “I think under the right circumstances, the Leafs would move him, and I think at various times over the course of the year they flirted with that notion, but I dont think right at this moment, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in a hard-sell on weve got to get rid of Dion Phaneuf and go in a different direction, but theyre all ears if somebodys interested,” McKenzie said. Comparing Phaneufs situation to the Jason Spezza rumours that have surfaced recently, both Dreger and McKenzie agree that of the two captainns, Spezza is the more likely candidate to be dealt as the longtime Senator is reportedly open to a change. Wholesale Royals Jerseys. Despite owning a seven-year, $49-million deal that kicks in next season, the Leafs captain does not have a no-movement clause, giving GM Dave Nonis the flexibility to potentially unload him. In reference to the culture change comments made by Leiweke, The Globe and Mails James Mirtle said whether its a deal involving Phanuef or some other pieces on the Leafs roster, change is likely to happen. “If youre keeping the coach, then something else has to change, and I dont think theyre just going to change the assistant coaches,” Mirtle told TSN Radio 1050. “It makes sense to look at what kind of value he has on the market.” Despite having his detractors, Mirtle said Phaneuf is still a valuable piece that has misused by the Leafs. “Phaneufs got limitations certainly, and the Leafs dont particulary work around those limitations that well,” Mirtle said, referencing how Phaneuf has been successful being a second-pairing defenceman that can contribute in an offensive way. “It seems in Toronto theyve tried to recast him as this defensive stalwart – Shea Weber-type – that can kill penalties and play against other teams top lines, 25-26 minutes a night and Ive never understood why thats the case. “You can have a six or $7-million defenceman that doesnt do it all and still get value out of him.” Mirtle mentioned Edmonton, Dallas and Minnesota as potential landing spots for Phaneuf, saying he would fit in nicely in a No. 2 role behind Ryan Suter with the Wild. ' ' '

HOUSTON -- Six-foot-four, 250-pound slugger Chris Carter isnt the kind of player who normally hits infield singles. Brandon Ingram Jersey . On Saturday he got the first one he could remember in the eighth inning to drive home a run and lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. Of course, he was helped by speedy rookie George Springers hustle in beating the throw to second base on the play. "That was a big hit for us and we needed that run right there in that situation," Carter said. "I was just glad I was in the situation to come through for us." Jason Castro hit a two-run homer in the third inning to help Houston to the victory. Jose Altuve doubled to open the eighth and chase Red Sox starter Jake Peavy (1-8). Altuve advanced to third on a groundout by Castro before Springer was intentionally walked and Jon Singleton struck out. Carter then hit a grounder off Junichi Tazawa to shortstop Brock Holt. Springer just beat Holts throw to second in a force attempt, allowing Altuve to score. "Thats really good," Altuve said of Springer on the play. "Hes a guy that can do everything and that was the big thing in the game." Josh Fields (2-4) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings for the win and Chad Qualls got two outs for his 10th save. The Astros turned a double play to end the game and Boston challenged the play at first, but it was upheld. Castro gave Houston an early lead with his home run in the third inning before David Ortiz cut it to 2-1 with a shot in the fourth. He has now hit at least 20 homers in 13 straight seasons. The Red Sox tied it on a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia in the seventh. Peavy allowed six hits and three runs with a season-high nine strikeouts in seven-plus to extend his career-long losing streak to eight games. He hasnt won since April 25 as the Red Sox have struggled to score when hes on the mound. "I think his run support is probably less than three runs a game on the year, and the way hes pitched isnt reflected in his won-loss record," manager John Farrell said. "He can only control so much, and what he was able to control (Saturday), he was outstanding at, and that was leaving guys in scoring position." Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer allowed two runs and tied a season high with 11 hits in 6 1-3 innings. He was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game for his fourth stint with the Astros this season. Carter, who homered twice on Friday night, extended his career-best hitting-streak to eight games and has six homers and 10 RBIs in that span. Altuve finished with two hits and leads the majors with 130. Altuve doubled with two outs in the third inning before Castros homer to right field, which sailed just out of reach of leaping right fielder Mookie Betts and into the seats, gave Houston a 2-0 lead. Ortiz sent the first pitch of the fourth inning several rows back into the seats in right field to get Boston within one. Jackie Bradley Jr. singled to start the fifth inning before consecutive singles by Holt and Pedroia loaded the bases with one out. Oberholtzer escaped the jam when Ortiz grounded into a double play to end the inning. Castro hit a leadoff triple in the sixth inning, but Houston came away empty-handed when Springer grounded out followed by back-to-back strikeouts by Singleton and Carter. Bradley and Betts hit back to back singles to start the seventh before Oberholtzer was replaced by Fields with one out. Pedroias sacrifice fly came next to tie it before Houston intentionally walked Ortiz. Fields limited the damage by striking out Mike Napoli. NOTES: Houston placed RHP Collin McHugh on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 7 with a problem with a nail on his middle finger to make room on the roster for Oberholtzer. ... Houston OF Dexter Fowler, on the disabled list with a back strain, said Saturday that he is doing better, but isnt sure when hell be ready to play again. "You dont want to get it flared back up and then youll miss more time," he said. "So just ... relax and try to get it healed." Nikola Mirotic Jersey . Future Hall of Famer Ricky Ray is in his prime and back for a third season in double blue. The 34-year old was magnificent in 2013, throwing for just under 2,900 yards despite missing eight games, tossing an impressive 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions, completing 66 per cent of his passes in the process. Kenrich Williams Jersey . Millsap will miss Wednesday nights game against the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks say Millsap also will be held out on Thursday at Boston. https://www.pelicanslockerroom.com/Lonzo-Ball-City-Edition-Jersey/ . -- Officials have approved a deal to build a new $672 million stadium for the Atlanta Braves away from the downtown Atlanta area that has traditionally been its home.TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning finally came out on the winning side of a one-goal game at home. Nikita Kucherov scored the lone shootout goal and the Lightning beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on Thursday night. Kucherov beat Craig Anderson on the first shot during the shootout, while Lightning goalie Ben Bishop stopped all three shots he faced. Tyler Johnson, B.J. Crombeen and Ondrej Palat scored in regulation for the Lightning, who had lost each of their previous five home games (0-3-2) by one goal. Victor Hedman, who sat out a game with a leg injury, had three assists in his return. "We want to be up there in the top of the league," Hedman said. "We have to find ways to win." Tampa Bay moved into a first-place tie with Boston -- which has two games at hand -- in the Atlantic Division. Erik Karlsson, Clarke MacArthur and Chris Neil had the Ottawa goals. The Senators are 2-6 in shootouts this season. "Its a skills competition," Anderson said. "It should be reserved for All-Star games." Neil tied it at 3 from the right circle with 2:18 remaining in the third. It was his 100th NHL goal. "It was a while coming," said Neil, who has played in 824 NHL games. "Obviously, the way I play, just plugging around and sticking around, it is a milestone. Ive got the puck. It will go up in my basement." Tampa Bay went ahead 3-2 at 5:31 of the third when Martin St. Louis extended his point streak to nine games by sending a pass through the slot to Palat, who scored from just below the left circle. "You dont like to give up the extra point to somebody in our division, but I just want to make sure we get two," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. St. Louis (963) moved within two points oof tying Maurice Richard (965) for 85th on the NHL list. Derrick Favors Pelicans Jersey. Crombeens redirection put the Lightning up 2-1 at 3:30 of the second. MacArthur got the Senators even at 2 by putting an in-close power-play shot past Bishop with 3:03 left in the second. Ottawas power play, the NHLs top-ranked road unit, had mixed results in its second opportunity in the first period. After Johnson beat Anderson for a short-handed goal at 14:32, Karlsson tied it at 1 on his third goal and 23rd man-advantage point of the season 40 seconds later. The Senators are 29th in the home power-play rankings. "You tell me. Ive been trying to answer that question for 50 games," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said. "Im not sure if its a comfort level or what it is, but weve got to keep working on it. We believe that if we continue to work at it, its going to get good everywhere." Anderson was coming off a 2-0 victory Tuesday at Washington, which was the Senators second straight road shutout. NOTES: Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos, sidelined since breaking his right shin on Nov. 11, was OK after taking a spill during a drill at the teams morning skate. "I was kind of laughing," Stamkos said. "Its the first time Ive fallen in 10 weeks. Just knowing that everything was fine, you get right back up, I didnt feel anything whatsoever. So, thats nice." Stamkos, who hasnt ruled out playing in the Sochi Olympics next month, was scheduled to have X-rays Thursday night to see how the leg is progressing. ... MacLean used the same lineup as the Washington game, including D Marc Methot being scratched. ... Chicago Blackhawks senior adviser and 13-time Stanley Cup winner Scotty Bowman, a regular at Lightning home games, is scheduled to have right knee replacement surgery Friday in Tampa. ' ' '

New York, NY (SportsNetwork. Custom Nike San Francisco Giants Jerseys .com) - Darrun Hilliard scored 21 points and No. 8 Villanova downed No. 24 St. Johns, 90-72, at a lively Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The Big East Top-25 clash had a March feel with fans of both schools providing plenty of energy in the back-and-forth battle. The Wildcats (14-1, 2-1 Big East) silenced the Red Storm supporters down the stretch, however, and recovered nicely from their first loss of the season. Daniel Ochefu led a dominant frontcourt effort that owned a commanding 41-21 rebounding advantage. Ochefu finished with 13 points and 13 boards, while Dylan Ennis added 15 and nine for the victors. Teams in this league are very good. The game was not what the score indicated, said Villanova coach Jay Wright. We could not stop them in the first half. DAngelo Harrison led St. Johns (11-4, 0-3) with 25 points, while Phil Greene IV netted 14 in the clubs third straight loss. There are things that we need to improve upon and of course a quality team like Villanova exposes the vulnerabilities of opponents because they are an experienced and deep, championship-level team, said St. Johns coach Steve Lavin. The Red Storm went 11-1 in non-conference play before falling to Seton Hall, Butler and now Villanova over the past week. The Wildcats also fell to Seton Hall last Saturday in overtime, and they were in another close battle before taking over late. The game was tied, 54-54, with under 12 minutes to play, and Villanova started its surge with seven straight points. Harrison took an elbow to the mouth during that stretch and was tended to on the sideline. He quickly returned but was not as effective from the point on. Hilliards 3-pointer and two free throws gave the Wildcats a 61-54 lead, and points off the offensive glass helped them stay ahead. Josh Harts rebound off a missed free throw led to a Kris Jenkins 3-pointer, and another board stemming from an errant free throw resulted in an Ochefu putback dunk that gave Nova a 68-59 cushion with 7 1/2 minutes to go. Another Ochefu layup off an offensive board made it a double-digit game, and the Wildcats cruised over the final six minutes. The spread was no more than six points in the first half, which ended with St. Johns holding a tenuous 35-34 lead. Game Notes The Wildcats made 55.7 percent of their shots, including 10-of-23 from 3-point rage ... Villanova has won the last six meetings ... Villanovas bench outscored St. Johns reserves 25-7 ... Ryan Arcidiacono totaled nine points and 10 assists for Nova. Custom Nike Seattle Mariners Jerseys . Its the second straight year he has decided not to play as he cuts back his schedule. Stricker was replaced in the field by Ryo Ishikawa of Japan. Custom Nike Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys . Louis against the Blues. The Canucks picked up their second straight victory in the swings opener on Tuesday in Calgary before getting routed in Minnesota last night, 5-1. https://www.customjerseysnikebaseball.com/ . Ronaldo netted his 14th goal of the season in Europes top competition to give Madrid a clear advantage ahead of next weeks quarterfinal return leg in Germany. But it came at a price as the Portugal forward, who came into the first-leg nursing a sore left knee, came off in the 80th minute.NASHVILLE -- Jake Locker is back on the field with the Tennessee Titans -- a couple of weeks ahead of the schedule doctors estimated for his return from an injured right foot. The quarterback said Tuesday that he pushed hard to give himself every chance to learn a new offence before the season starts. "With it being a new system, I want to run plays behind centre as often and as much as I can before we take our first snap of the season," Locker said. "And I want the guy son the team to know it means something to me. Im not just taking a break because I can. Im going to do everything I can to be on the field, and hopefully it helps create a culture that were all going to work that way." Locker took part in his first team drills Tuesday since suffering a Lisfranc injury to his right foot Nov. 10, which cost him the final seven games of the season. He has missed 14 of his first 32 starts and now is busy learning a third offence in four seasons with a coaching change. Locker had to watch the voluntary three-day minicamp in April, and his personal target had been being on the field for this final stage of the off-season. He said he felt really good moving around. Locker expects to deal with some stiffness and soreness now that hes finally back on the field for the organized team activities. He is experimenting with different shoes right now to find the right fit. "Barring any setbacks, I hope to keep moving forward," Locker said. This is a crucial season for Locker. The 10th overall draft pick in 2010 is heading into the final season of his rookie contract after the Titans decided not to pick up his fifth-year option. New coach Ken Whisenhunt andd general manager Ruston Webster both have endorsed Locker as their starter repeatedly, but the pressure now is on the quarterback to stay on the field and win. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap. Locker was good when he was on the field in 2013, completing a career-best 60.7 per cent of his passes. He also had twice as many touchdowns (eight) as interceptions (four). But he was only started seven games, winning four. The Titans have tried to protect themselves by bringing in veteran Charlie Whitehurst, who knows Whisenhunts offence very well, to back up Locker. They also drafted Zach Mettenberger of LSU in the sixth round. Whisenhunt said its a credit to Locker for working hard and now they must see him continue that progress off the first day. "A good assessment the first day is how they handle the terminology going into the huddle, and he did a nice job with that," Whisenhunt said. "Hes been working at it a couple of weeks now, but just the way hes been studying, the way hes working out I really like that. Theres no substitute for getting the work on the field. But even seeing some of the drills today youre seeing him make progress (with) his footwork, some of his progressions so Im excited about that." Tight end Delanie Walker said Locker was putting the ball on target. "Its always good to see your starting quarterback out there running the offence for us, especially in team and seven-on-seven," Walker said. "But it didnt surprise me. Thats Jake. Hes a fighter. Hes going to be out there. Hes going compete. Hes a leader, and that shows leadership. Its good to have Jake out there throwing the ball to us just to get the timing down." ' ' '

CLEVELAND -- The Browns plan to give Nate Burleson plenty of responsibilities. Fake China Jerseys . One of them probably wont be delivering pizza. A free agent wide receiver with 12 years of NFL experience, Burleson agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Browns on Sunday night. Burleson, who has made 103 career starts and played in 135 games since he was drafted in the third round by Minnesota in 2003, finished last season with 39 catches for 461 yards with Detroit. However, he missed half the year after breaking his left arm in a car accident when he said he tried to stop pizza boxes from sliding off the passenger seat of his car. Even after the embarrassing mishap, Burleson kept his sense of humour and celebrated a touchdown catch in his first game back from the injury by holding the ball aloft like it was a freshly made pizza. "I buckled my seat belt first," he quipped. Burleson spent four seasons with the Lions, who released him in February in a salary-cap move. The 6-foot, 198-pounder, who has been limited to 15 games over the past two seasons because of injuries, also visited with the Miami Dolphins before he met with the Browns on Saturday. Burleson gives the Browns experience and depth at receiver. Hell also be able to mentor young wideout Josh Gordon, an emerging star who led the league in yards receiving last season. Burleson is the second free agent receiver signed by the club. Cleveland added Andrew Hawkins last month, swiping the speedy slot receiver from the rival Cincinnati Bengals. Burleson has 457 career receptions for 5,630 yards and 39 touchdowns. China Jerseys Stitched . -- Downcast before the final game of what had been a difficult road trip, the Ottawa Senators found a way to dig out a little momentum in the desert before heading home. Cheap Jerseys From China . -- Former NHL star Jeremy Roenick shot a second-round 69 to take the lead after 36 holes and former LPGA great Annika Sorenstam and Chad Pfeifer, who lost his left leg above the knee serving in Iraq, are among several players in contention in the American Century Championship tournament on Saturday. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/ . The 20-year-old overager has appeared in 35 games for the Ontario Hockey Leagues Erie Otters this season, scoring 41 goals and adding 27 assists with a plus-28 rating.Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane appear to have made their initial ask to the Chicago Blackhawks on a contract extension and are hoping to join the NHLs highest paid players. According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, its believed that Kane and Toews have both asked for salaries of about $12 million per year. McKenzie notes that both players will likely end up with a lower salary than their initial ask, but could still see $10 million per year averages. Toews and Kane each have one year remaining on their existing contracts. They each signed identical five-year, $31.5 million contracts prior to the 2010-11 season. McKenzie adds that many agents believe the salary cap could rise to as high as $75 million for the 2015-16 season and continue to rise in the seasons following. China Jerseys Wholesale. In that case, double-digit average salaries (in millions) could become the new standard for top players. In 76 games with the Blackhawks this season, Toews scored 28 goals and added 40 assists. He scored nine goals and 17 points in 19 playoff games. Kane scored 29 goals and added 40 assists in 69 games. He added eight goals and 20 points in 19 playoff games. Toews was drafted third overall in the 2006 Draft by the Blackhawks. Kane was drafted first overall in the 2007 Draft. ' ' '

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Hector Velazquez Jersey . - Chicago Bulls forward Ronnie Brewer has pleaded not guilty to a drunken driving charge in Beverly Hills. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office says Brewer entered pleas through an attorney Wednesday to misdemeanour counts of driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.08. In fact, prosecutors allege that his blood-alcohol was 0.15 per cent or more — nearly twice the legal limit. Brewer was stopped in February near Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. He was charged last month. Nomar Garciaparra Red Sox Jersey . According to Dave Stubbs of The Montreal Gazette, preliminary talks have begun between Markov - an unrestricted free agent this summer - and general manager Marc Bergevin. Babe Ruth Jersey .Ryan Anderson had 14 points for the Pelicans, who trailed 78-63 after three periods before trimming the deficit to 86-83. Jrue Holiday had 13 points and Eric Gordon added 12 for New Orleans.Mike Scott and Jeff Teague each had 11 points for Atlanta. https://www.cheapredsox.com/1351z-fred-lynn-jersey-red-sox.html .4 seconds left and dribbled up court, weaving through Pitts defence.MILWAUKEE - On a night in which DeMar DeRozan went scoreless, Kyle Lowry shot 1-for-9 from long distance, Jonas Valanciunas didnt log a minute in the fourth quarter and James Johnson didnt play at all, it was almost fitting to see the recently benched Terrence Ross go from zero to hero in the games most crucial moments. For the first time since inheriting his starting spot from the traded Rudy Gay over 13 months ago, Ross came off the bench in Milwaukee on Monday night, 24 hours after sitting the entire second half in a disastrous loss to the undermanned Pelicans. With less than a minute remaining and the Raptors trying to hold off the charging Bucks, Ross was back in the spotlight. He didnt start but thanks to a strong showing in response to his benching - his best in weeks - the 23-year-old closed the game for a struggling DeRozan. Amir Johnson saved a broken possession with some crafty ball handling, finding Patrick Patterson, who swung it to Ross in the corner. Ross put the ball on the floor, something he did with regularity on this night, pulled up and drained a 14-footer. Moments later, after Brandon Knight cut Torontos lead back down to one, Lowry found Ross leaking out for the slam dunk in transition. It would turn out to be the dagger. He played with a lot of confidence, relaxed, Dwane Casey said of Ross following a 92-89 win. I thought he came in in the first half and got us jump-started off the bench. I dont know if its a permanent thing but I liked the way he came in and played, especially on the defensive end. After starting the last 102 games hes played, Ross found out he would be coming off the bench earlier that day, although it couldnt have come as much of a surprise given how poorly hes performed of late. Once again, the timing has been unfortunate for Ross. His last slump coincided with the teams seven-game playoff series and elimination, while this slide comes during a stretch in which the Raptors have dropped seven of 10 as a team, almost magnifying the lulls you would expect from a young player. Were struggling as a team and one guy is not shooting the ball well, not playing defence at the level he has, rebounding the way he has so it makes it look like were pointing fingers at him, Casey had said before the game. But just maybe that change or whatever will get everybody else clicking until he gets things going again. Its tough, especially with a young player were trying to develop and grow. Its often difficult to gauge Ross level of motivation because hes a quiet, sort of disengaged person by nature. Hes a different personally, Casey said. But, at least for one night, it seemed like the message was received. He looked like a different player than the one who had shot 2-for-15 in the previous three games, the one that would get lost on both ends of the floor with little-to-no interest in being found. He checked in for DeRozan with nearly five minutes to go in the first quarter, immediately knocking down his first shot, which may have gone a long way in restoring his fleeting confidence. His jumper was falling - hitting a corner three-ball shortly thereafter - and he was making plays off the dribble, looking for teammates around the rim and even throwing down a vicious one-handed slam early in the second quarter. Everybody goes through it, said Ross, who scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting in 23 minutes off the bench. So you just have to play through it because if you dont itll never go away. Youre in the NBA, youre living your dream, Patterson had told Ross. Youre in a positive situation, youre in an environment where everyone is rooting and pulling for you. No one tells him not to shoot the ball, everyone wants him to be aggressive out there and thats what hes going to keep on doing. We look for him a lot on the defensive end and on the offensive end. Hes our all-around player and hes got a lot of responsibility but hes young and he still has a lot to learn. Greivis Vasquez stepped into the starting lineup in place of Ross, but as the back-up point guard hes still needed on the floor with the second unit when Lowwry is out of the game, meaning his minutes automatically go up and someone on the wing becomes the odd man out. Sam Travis Jersey. On Monday that was Johnson, who did not log a minute. With Tyler Hansbrough playing well (Casey has also been reluctant to use Johnson at the four this season) and the Raptors trying to get Ross going again, there wasnt much time available for the versatile forward. Id love to play 15 guys, Casey explained after the game. Theres going to be some guys out of the rotation some nights and tonight those three did a good job – Terrence came in off the bench, Lou [Williams], Greivis and Kyle – so it had nothing to do with James, nothing he did wrong. Valanciunas, who had a double-double in the first half and finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds, was held out in the fourth quarter with the Bucks going small, while DeRozan didnt look like himself playing in the third game in four nights having recently returned from injury. The lineup change, as Casey says, is not permanent but it should stick for the time being as Ross regains his confidence and the team gets back on track. Vasquez will remain in the starting lineup to spread the floor as another three-point shooter and take pressure off of the tiring Lowry. Johnson, who likely missed out on the temporary promotion because of his limited range, may not see regular playing time but has done enough this season to earn a role in the rotation. He seemed to take the benching in stride, supporting his teammates on the sideline throughout the game, and Casey insists theres nothing more to it. Stay tuned. As for Ross, his skill set - when hes locked in - and his presence with the first unit are far too important to just write off. The Raptors need to get him right and Casey knows it. Ive watched film with him and talked with him, he said. Everybody is working and trying to get him through this. Its nothing unusual for guys to go through what hes going through and, again, our woes are not totally Terrence, I want to make that clear. Its not totally him. Its everybody, all of us. I think sometimes guys need to take a deep breath and kind of smell the roses a bit and see whats going on and then go play. FINAL ALL-STAR PUSH Make no mistake, Lowry will be representing the Raptors in next months All-Star Game one way or another, but with fan voting set to close Monday evening, the point guard may be better off getting a short vacation. After playing MVP-caliber ball to start the campaign, culminating in Eastern Conference Player of the Month honours for December, Lowry has hit a mid-season wall. It is what it is, he said last week. It doesnt matter. If I get in, I get in. If I dont, Ill be on the beach hanging out, resting. He could use the rest. With the Raptors losing seven of nine games entering Mondays contest, Lowry averaged 17.3 points on 38 per cent shooting from the field, 31 per cent from three-point range over that stretch. He had scored 23.0 points on 51 per cent shooting, 48 per cent from three in his previous eight contests, with Toronto winning seven of them. In the most recent balloting update, released 11 days ago, Lowry had made some progress passing Kyrie Irving for third place among guards in the East, but still sat over 100,000 votes behind Dwayne Wade for the second and final starting spot at the position. Since then public support of the Lowry campaign has skyrocketed, at least north of the border. To some recent criticism, the Raptors have ramped up their promotion on the team broadcasts while keeping track of in-arena Twitter votes for the ninth-year guard. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was the first notable Canadian to jump on board, tweeting an endorsement, which also counted as a vote (as have the 5,500 retweets its accumulated over the past two weeks). Trumping the PMs tweet, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber made a similar plea to his 59-million followers on Monday afternoon, getting retweeted 20,000 times in just 20 minutes. However, Biebers tweet and its subsequent retweets will not count towards Lowrys vote total because he did not include the hashtag NBABallot. ' ' '

This time last week, Montreal was awash with nostalgia for their Expos as Olympic Stadium formed the backdrop to Major League Baseballs weekend residency in la belle ville. Ron Jaworski Womens Jersey . On Saturday afternoon, the Impact reclaim the building when they face the New York Red Bulls for the second of three fixtures scheduled at the venue this season. MLSs 19th franchise kicked off their eve of game preparations very early Friday morning with news that 2012s first overall SuperDraft pick Andrew Wenger had been traded to the Union. In return, the Impact picking up from the city of brotherly love Jack McInerney. A raw talent, who just like the Impact, got off to a flyer in 2013. McInerneys Midas touch in front of goal through spring 2013 got such rave reviews it got the attention of Americas favourite German, Jürgen Klinsman - who named the Tennessee native to last summers US Gold Cup squad. Living in this era of instant gratification, the Twitter jury needed no time to deliberate on which club got the better of the deal. It still baffles why in 2012s Super Draft Jesse Marsch took Wenger when the considered opinion was Darren Mattocks. Not meant as a slight to Wenger, its just that Mattocks ticked much more of the better prospect boxes going forward. In a chat I had with Mattocks on the eve of that draft, the young Jamaican said he modeled his game on Liverpools Fernando Torres. Having watched Wenger up close over this time Im still not sure he himself is fully convinced he can fulfill whats required of an out and out striker in MLS. However moving to his home club provides Wenger with perfect opportunity to fulfill his potential and prove all his naysayers wrong. As for the Impact, the diminutive McInerney - whose goal production dramatically dried up as the 2013 season wore on – working in tandem with Di Vaio is a mouth-watering prospect. Learn at the Italians shoulder he most certainly must. Thats for the future. As is which club ultimately reap the greatest rewards for the deal. Saturdays match brings together a pair of teams still in search of their first three-point outing of the season. For those who state the Impacts poor start is merely a continuation of their shambolic under- performing selfs from the end of 2013, how then to quantify the Red Bulls poor start? This was a club which marched quite resplendently to a Supporters Shield title on the back of a sole defeat in their last 10 matches. This season has been a mirror of 2013s 0-2-2 start for the Red Bulls thanks to a 95th minute goal from defender Péguy Luyindula during last Sunday afternoons 1-1 draw at home against Chivas. Nobody needs reminding how the Impact salvaged the late tie against McInerney et al in Chester, PA. Guilty as charged. Hands up. Not only did I think Di Vaio would take at least a few games to get in the groove and find his scoring boots after serving his 3 match suspension I also wondered without his school child friend Alessandro Nesta no longer in tow how that would affect. Apparently not in the slightest. Whether or not the 38-year-old gets to take the same Olympic Stadium pitch with a certain 36-year-old Frenchman stepping out for the Red Bulls is quite literally up in the air. Henry trained with his team this morning at their multi-million dollar training facility in Hannover, NJ where following lunch they were due to board a late afternoon flight to Montreal. Thierry Henrys aversion to so termed plastic pitches is well established in his time in the league. He, along with 2010 MLS defender of the year Jamison Olave, stayed home when the Red Bulls opened their season in Vancouver. My, how they missed Olave as the Whitecaps set upon their opponent with a level and intensity any club will do well to match through the season! Which begs the question - what happens if the Whitecaps host the Red Bulls in the MLS Cup? Having arrived stateside following South Africa 2010, Henry is out of contract at the end of the season. Although not ever one to have the likes of Ellen DeGeneres have him suit up as a store clerk (Henrys more inclined to take the subway to work) there is no denying the additional magic the ex-Arsenal and Barca man has provided MLS. Im told Henry has quite the goal scoring record against the Impact. Goals have been in the shortest of supplies for the Impact so far this season - whilst conversely they are still conceding the softest of goals. As they did through the course of the pre-season. Elementary defensive errors are supposed to be the easiest to iron out as a season progresses. Four of the Impacts next five games are at home – including, as they see it, their real home opener at Saputo Stadium on April 26 against McInerneys old flame the Philadelphia Union. There can be no more excuses. Unless a fully 90-minute focused team shows up and even without the services of one of the most feared strike forces at their disposal you can be sure the Red Bulls will exploit a team low in confidence and likely at its most vulnerable since Davy Arnaud led them out in Vancouver back in March of 2012. An expected crowd of 25,000 plus will be hoping that team which started 2013 so magnificently rediscover that form. As does the Impacts new recruit who will take the Olympic Stadium action in from his suburban Philadelphia home. Dont be surprised after last Saturdays unprecedented show of emotion and walk down Expos memory way if the aroma of peanuts and crackerjack is still in the air. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls live on TSN Radio 690 (TSN690.ca) Saturday 4pm et - Rick Moffat [@RickMoffat] and Grant Needham [@GrantNeedham] with your call. Brian Westbrook Womens Jersey .com) - Marian Gaborik scored his sixth goal in the last four games to help the Los Angeles Kings top the Arizona Coyotes, 4-2, Saturday at Staples Center. Clayton Thorson Jersey . According to a release sent by the league, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were the only team to exceed the cap. Their total salary expenditure of $4,417,975 was $17,975 over the salary cap of $4. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Harold-Carmichael-Inverted-Jersey/ .ca/CurlingSkins - with the Top 16 curlers earning a ticket to Banff, Alta. to compete in the TRAVELERS ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME Presented by Pintys, running Jan.Two months ago, Dillon Ward was named MVP of the World Lacrosse Championships as he led Team Canada to the gold medal. On Thursday, the Mammoth signed the 23-year-old to a new five-year agreement, pending league approval. "As a rookie in 2014, Dillon showed great poise between the pipes as he helped lead us to the postseason," said Mammoth president & general manager Steve Govett. "He is as good as advertiseed, and maybe better!" Colorado selected Ward third-overall in the 2013 NLL Entry Draft, the highest a goaltender was taken in 14 years. Fletcher Cox Womens Jersey. In a 592-save season, Ward boasted a .773 save percentage and a 3-1 record in April. He is one of three finalists for the 2014 NLL Rookie of the Year award, which will be presented this Sunday, Sept. 21 at the NLL Season Awards Ceremony in Oakville, Ontario. ' ' '

As the March 5th trade deadline nears, there are only a couple of Western Conference teams (both based in Alberta) out of the playoff race, which means a lot can change before the deadline actually arrives. Phillies Jerseys 2019 . Scott Cullen presents the 2014 Trade Deadline Playbook for the Western Conference. There is greater depth at the top of the Western Conference, however, which could lead to something of an arms race as St. Louis, Chicago, Anaheim and San Jose each have at least 80 points, Colorado is at 79 and even Los Angeles, well back with 68, has been a contender in recent seasons, so theyre not likely to go quietly without doing something either. Dallas is clinging to the final playoff spot at the moment, with 64 points, but there are still four others within four points, so there is some sorting to do before teams make their final call whether they are pushing their chips into the middle to go all-in, or folding for another season. A couple of notes about the following chart: Restricted Free Agents (RFA) have contracts that expire this summer, barring a contract extension in the meantime, but their current team retains the right to match a contract offer so long as they make the requisite qualifying offer. While restricted free agents havent moved a lot, its worth noting when decision time is coming on a young players contract. Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA) have contracts that will expire this summer and, without a contract extension, they will be free to sign with whatever team they choose on July 1. These are the players that often move in "rental"-type deals, ideally providing a short-term fix with minimal commitment required. Top prospects are the top five players in each organization. Other top prospects or those that are now with the NHL team may be listed among other players of interest. Contending teams may be more likely to dangle a top prospect or two as they try to find that final piece for their playoff mix, while its safe to assume that young and rebuilding teams arent going to move top prospects unless they get a significant long-term piece in return. Other players of interest will include additional prospects as well as players under contract for future seasons that may have some level of attractiveness on the trade market. IMPORTANT: Just because a player is listed as being of interest, it doesnt mean he will be traded or should be traded. Some may just be of interest for teams looking to hit a home run when trying to swing a deal or they are players that may be considered to be underachieving for the money they are due over the rest of their contract. Generally, then, heres a rough guide for which players each Western Conference team might have at their disposal in order to make a trade leading up to the deadline. The Eastern Conference Playbook can be viewed here. ANAHEIM DUCKS UFA in 2014: Saku Koivu, Dustin Penner, Teemu Selanne, Daniel Winnik, Tim Jackman, Jonas Hiller. RFA in 2014: Mathieu Perreault, Jakob Silfverberg, Sami Vatanen. Top Prospects: John Gibson, G, Norfolk (AHL)Emerson Etem, LW, Norfolk (AHL)Rickard Rakell, C, Norfolk (AHL)Shea Theodore, D, Seattle (WHL)Nicolas Kerdiles, C, Wisconsin (WCHA) Others of Interest: Kyle Palmieri, Matt Beleskey, Patrick Maroon, Bryan Allen, Luca Sbisa, Devante Smith-Pelly, William Karlsson, Jesse Blacker, Kevin Roy. No-Trade Clauses: Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne, Sheldon Souray (modified), Francois Beauchemin (modified). The Plan: Its been a tremendous year to this point, but Ducks have relied quite a bit on their supporting cast so it would be entirely understandable if they might want to raise the bar by adding a left winger to play with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the top line. If the Ducks are bona fide Cup contenders, and with more points than any other team in the league thats the position they pretty much have to take, they could bolster their blueline with another top-four calibre defenceman too. Working in the Ducks favour, if they are prepared to add before the deadline, is that they have enough prospects and young pros that can be included to make those kinds of deals happen. G Jonas Hiller has been mentioned at various times this season as a trade candidate, but with Viktor Fasth injured for most of the year, that hasnt been a viable option, yet this is a team that has so much depth that they havent been able to find regular playing time for Emerson Etem and Devante Smith-Pelly, so there should be some flexibility up front. CALGARY FLAMES UFA in 2014: Mike Cammalleri, Lee Stempniak, Kevin Westgarth, Chris Butler, Reto Berra. RFA in 2014: T.J. Galiardi, Paul Byron, Joe Colborne, Lance Bouma. Top Prospects: John Gaudreau, LW, Boston College (HE)Jon Gillies, G, Providence (HE)Sven Baertschi, LW, Abbotsford (AHL)Markus Granlund, LW, Abbotsford (AHL)Emile Poirier, LW, Gatineau (QMJHL) Others of Interest: David Jones, Ladislav Smid, Joni Ortio, Max Reinhart, Corban Knight, Morgan Klimchuk, Tyler Wotherspoon. No-Trade Clauses: Mike Cammalleri (limited), Matt Stajan (modified), Curtis Glencross, Dennis Wideman, Mark Giordano. The Plan: Its been a tough year for the Flames, but that makes it easy enough to set sights on next season. Building for the future is the priority so at least a couple veterans should be moved out so that Calgary can acquire assets that will be part of the long-term solution. Without a new GM to replace the fired Jay Feaster, team president Brian Burke will be making the calls leading up to the deadline, a day that he has decried as the source for many GM mistakes. Of course, if one GM makes a mistake, then that would be another general managers good fortune, right? In any case, once the Flames move out a couple of pending free agents, there should be opportunities for some late-season auditions and the Flames have some prospects that are ready for a look. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS UFA in 2014: Michal Handzus, Brandon Bollig, Peter Regin, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Sheldon Brookbank, Mike Kostka, Nikolai Khabibulin, Jason LaBarbera. RFA in 2014: Ben Smith, Antti Raanta Top Prospects: Teuvo Teravainen, C, Jokerit (SML)Kevin Hayes, C, Boston College (HE)Jeremy Morin, LW, Rockford (AHL)Brandon Pirri, C, Rockford (AHL)Mark McNeill, C, Rockford (AHL) Others of Interest: Kris Versteeg, Marcus Kruger, Ryan Hartman, Adam Clendening. No-Trade Clauses: Patrick Sharp (modified), Bryan Bickell (modified), Michal Handzus, Brent Seabrook (limited), Duncan Keith, Johnny Oduya (modified), Michal Rozsival. The Plan: The Blackhawks already added to their forward depth, at virtually no cost, getting Regin and Bouchard from Islanders and dont have to make dramatic moves to have a legitimate chance to defend their title. Theres still a reasonable argument to be made that the Blackhawks could use a better second-line centre, but they won with Michal Handzus logging those minutes last year, so its not as though they cant press forward with what they already have in-house. COLORADO AVALANCHE UFA in 2014: Paul Stastny, John Mitchell, Marc-Andre Cliche, Cory Sarich, Andre Benoit, Matt Hunwick, Jean-Sebastien Giguere. RFA in 2014: Ryan OReilly, Jamie McGinn, Tyson Barrie. Top Prospects: Joey Hishon, C, Lake Erie (AHL)Duncan Siemens, D, Lake Erie (AHL)Chris Bigras, D, Owen Sound (OHL)Calvin Pickard, G, Lake Erie (AHL)Michael Sgarbossa, C, Lake Erie (AHL) Others of Interest: PA Parenteau, Ryan Wilson, Nick Holden, Nate Guenin, Stefan Elliott. No-Trade Clauses: Alex Tanguay (modified). The Plan: Its been a great turnaround season for the Avs, but if they are seriously going to compete with the best in the West, they could really use a top-tier defenceman, which is never easy to acquire, let alone trying to do it in-season. RW PA Parenteau has found his name in trade rumours recently, and he could be used to help upgrade the blueline. With rookie Nathan MacKinnon emerging to take on a bigger role offensively, the Avalanche appear to have enough weapons that they could deal from that position of relative strength in order to bolster a blueline that lacks established talent behind workhorses Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda. Of course, with news that winger Alex Tanguay is done for the season, maybe the Avs would be better off holding Parenteau for the stretch run. DALLAS STARS UFA in 2014: Ray Whitney, Vernon Fiddler, Stephane Robidas. RFA in 2014: Antoine Roussel, Cody Eakin, Brenden Dillon. Top Prospects: Jamie Oleksiak, D, Texas (AHL)Brett Ritchie, RW, Texas (AHL)Devin Shore, C, Maine (HE)Jason Dickinson, LW, Guelph (OHL)Radek Faksa, C, Sudbury (OHL) Others of Interest: Alex Chiasson, Sergei Gonchar, Aaron Rome, Matej Stransky, Patrik Nemeth, Jack Campbell. No-Trade Clauses: Shawn Horcoff (modified), Ray Whitney (modified), Erik Cole, Rich Peverley (modified), Alex Goligoski (limited), Stephane Robidas, Trevor Daley (limited), Kari Lehtonen. The Plan: Hanging around the playoff race, the Stars could still consider sending out a couple of older veterans in order to build for the long-term. In the short-term, getting some more scoring help up front would be nice and, ideally another defenceman would offer some insurance in case Stephane Robidas doesnt recover soon enough from a broken leg to help a playoff push. The Stars may be stuck in between being buyers and sellers, which could open up opportunities to do a bit of both. Its a new opportunity for first-time general manager Jim Nill and it will be interesting to see how he approaches the trading game. EDMONTON OILERS UFA in 2014: Ales Hemsky, Ryan Smyth, Ryan Jones, Ben Eager, Nick Schultz, Mark Fraser, Anton Belov, Denis Grebeshkov, Ilya Bryzgalov, Ben Scrivens. RFA in 2014: Luke Gazdic, Jeff Petry, Philip Larsen, Justin Schultz. Top Prospects: Darnell Nurse, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)Oscar Klefbom, D, Oklahoma City (AHL)Anton Lander, C, Oklahoma City (AHL)David Musil, D, Oklahoma City (AHL)Martin Gernat, D, Oklahoma City (AHL) Others of Interest: Sam Gagner, Jesse Joensuu, Martin Marincin, Roman Horak, Mitch Moroz, Taylor Fedun. No-Trade Clauses: Andrew Ference. The Plan: It seems fait accompli that the Oilers will finally deal RW Ales Hemsky and, given his strong play in the Olympics, they may want to up the asking price because more than a few contending teams ought to be interested in adding Hemskys offensive creativity. Otherwise, anything that could provide long-term value on the back end -- ideally a top pair defenceman -- remains a worthwhile objective, if not necessarily an easy acquisition. The emergence of rookie D Martin Marincin and the possibility of adding top prospect Darnell Nurse next season provides some promise, but if the Oilers are going to take advantage of the prime years for their skilled young forwards, they need defence that can handle the tough minutes ASAP. Sam Gagners name has popped up as potential trade bait, but Edmontons first-round pick this year could be the difference-maker, either at the deadline or at the draft, if they increase their efforts to land a top-pair defenceman. LOS ANGELES KINGS UFA in 2014: Trevor Lewis, Colin Fraser, Willie Mitchell, Matt Greene, Jeff Schultz. RFA in 2014: Dwight King, Matt Frattin. Top Prospects:Tyler Toffoli, RW, Manchester (AHL)Derek Forbort, D, Manchester (AHL)Tanner Pearson, LW, Manchester (AHL)Linden Vey, C, Manchester (AHL)Nick Shore, C, Manchester (AHL) Others of Interest: Jarret Stoll, Kyle Clifford, Jordan Nolan, Robyn Regehr, Alec Martinez, Nikolay Prokhorkin, Valentin Zykov, Jonny Brodzinski. No-Trade Clauses: None. The Plan: While Los Angeles remains a dominant puck possession team, they need goals. Everything else about the Kings wear-em-down style of play can work in the playoffs, but they need more offensive production to provide a little wiggle room. Prospect Tyler Toffoli can be one improvement in that respect, and he was playing a significant role prior to the Olympic break, but if the Kings are going to challenge for the Stanley Cup, they can dip into a pool of young guys on the way up, move one or two, along with picks, to land a premier finisher. Whether that means Thomas Vanek, or former Kings Matt Moulson or Mike Cammalleri, there are some options out there that should help alleviate the Kings recent offensive woes. MINNESOTA WILD UFA in 2014: Dany Heatley, Mike Rupp, Clayton Stoner, Nate Prosser. RFA in 2014: Nino Niederreiter, Jason Zucker, Justin Fontaine, Darcy Kuemper. Top Prospects: Mathew Dumba, D, Portland (WHL)Erik Haula, LW, Iowa (AHL)Mario Lucia, RW, Notre Dame (HE)Brett Bulmer, LW, Iowa (AHL)Zack Phillips, C, Iowa (AHL) Others of Interest: Kyle Brodziak, Torrey Mitchell, Marco Scandella. No-Trade Clauses: Zach Parise, Dany Heatley, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville (modified), Matt cooke (modified), Ryan Suter, Keith Ballard (modified). The Plan: The Wild are hanging in playoff position, though as long as they are without C Mikko Koivu and G Josh Harding that hold on a playoff spot could be tenuous. Rookie G Darcy Kuemper has played well but, if Harding isnt back, are the Wild prepared to head into the playoffs with Kuemper and underperforming veteran Niklas Backstrom between the pipes? Additionally, and perhaps as companion to the idea of questionable options in goal, the Wild could improve their defence corps. Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon take on big minutes and Marco Scandella has played well too, but if an established top-four defenceman is available, the Wild should be interested. NASHVILLE PREDATORS UFA in 2014: David Legwand, Devan Dubnyk, Carter Hutton. RFA in 2014: Nick Spaling, Michael Del Zotto, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis. Top Prospects: Filip Forsberg, LW, Milwaukee (AHL)Miikka Salomaki, LW, Milwaukee (AHL)Taylor Beck, RW, Milwaukee (AHL)Pontus Aberg, LW, Farjestads (SEL)Austin Watson, C, Milwaukee (AHL) Others of Interest: Matt Cullen, Victor Bartley, Jimmy Vesey, Brendan Leipsic, Colton Sissons. No-Trade Clauses: David Legwand, Patric Hornqvist (modified), Mike Fisher, Paul Gaustad (modified), Viktor Stalberg (modified), Eric Nystrom (modified), Pekka Rinne (modified). The Plan: Though they are in last place in the Central, the Predators are but four points out of a crossover playoff spot. There are too many teams in the mix to go all-in on playoff pursuit, but the gap is close enough to not throw in the towel completely (especially if G Pekka Rinne can get healthy enough to play a part in the stretch drive). Nashville has a terrific nucleus on defence, but need to upgrade their forward talent and its not necessarily easy to land young forwards with scoring potential, but the Predators did it last season when they picked up Filip Forsberg from Washington. At the same time, long-time Predators C David Legwand, who has a no-trade clause, figures to be an attractive commodity for contending teams that might want a second or third-line centre that can play both ends of the rink. PHOENIX COYOTES UFA in 2014: Radim Vrbata, David Moss, Paul Bissonnette, Jeff Halpern, Tim Kennedy, Derek Morris, Rostislav Klesla, Thomas Greiss. RFA in 2014: Jordan Szwarz. Top Prospects: Connor Murphy, D, Portland (AHL)Max Domi, C, London (OHL)Brandon Gormley, D, Portland (AHL)Henrik Samuelsson, C, Edmonton (WHL)Lucas Lessio, LW, Portland (AHL) Others of Interest: Keith Yandle, Michael Stone, David Rundblad, Tobias Rieder, Chris Brown. No-Trade Clauses: Mike Ribeiro (modified), Shane Doan, David Moss (modified), Zbynek Michalek (limited), Derek Morris (limited), Mike Smith. The Plan: Since the Coyotes are currently in a playoff spot, they probably have to look at adding something before the deadline, a scorer most likely, though they dont appear to be ready to match the teams at the top of the conference. But, this is also a team with new ownership and new owners tend to be more aggressive when it comes time to make decisions on player acquisition -- make a move, let em know youre there! Even if it means targeting second-tier additions, thats still the wise approach for a Coyotes club that has made its business around finding value year after year. ST. LOUIS BLUES UFA in 2014: Derek Roy, Brenden Morrow, Carlo Colaiacovo, Jaroslav Halak, Brian Elliott. RFA in 2014: Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Jaden Schwartz. Top Prospects:Dmitrij Jaskin, RW, Chicago (AHL)Ty Rattie, RW, Chicago (AHL)Thomas Vannelli, D, Medicine Hat (WHL)Jordan Schmaltz, D, North Dakota (WCHA)Jake Allen, G, Chicago (AHL) Others of Interest: Chris Stewart, Magnus Paajarvi, Ian Cole, Jani Hakanpaa. No-Trade Clauses: David Backes, Brenden Morrow, Jay Bouwmeester, Alex Pietrangelo, Barret Jackman, Jordan Leopold (modified). The Plan: The Blues could probably contend for the Cup with the roster as is, but if St. Louis is indeed that close, why not upgrade? Are they satisfied with their goaltending? Could they add another forward? Surely, if youre in the championship discussion, those are additions that have to be considered. Last seasons leading scorer, RW Chris Stewart, has been mentioned in trade talks and it makes some sense, considering his reduced role this season, its not easy to make big changes to a team that has the leagues best points percentage and goal differential. SAN JOSE SHARKS UFA in 2014: Mike Brown, Bracken Kearns, John McCarthy, Dan Boyle, Scott Hannan. RFA in 2014: James Sheppard, Tommy Wingels, Jason Demers, Alex Stalock. Top Prospects: Mirco Mueller, D, Everett (WHL)Chris Tierney, C, London (OHL)Matt Tennyson, D, Worcester (AHL)Freddie Hamilton, RW, Worcester (AHL)Daniil Tarasov, RW, Worcester (AHL) Others of Interest: Tyler Kennedy, Adam Burish, Matt Nieto, Justin Braun, Matt Irwin, Dylan DeMelo, Konrad Abeltshauser. No-Trade Clauses: Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Brent Burns (modified), Martin Havlat, Dan Boyle (modified), Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brad Stuart (limited). The Plan: A contending team that hasnt been quite the same once injuries hit, so their forward group could use some help, whether thats coming from Martin Havlat, a returning Raffi Torres or a new acquisition. A skilled winger, to effectively make up for the loss of Tomas Hertl, would be ideal. The Sharks seemingly could always use help on the blueline, where longtime standout Dan Boyle has declined and there arent any real stars. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is as reliable as they come and Jason Demers, Matt Irwin and Justin Braun have improved, but an upgrade wouldnt hurt the cause. VANCOUVER CANUCKS UFA in 2014: Mike Santorelli, Raphael Diaz, Andrew Alberts. RFA in 2014: Zack Kassian, Jordan Schroeder, Zac Dalpe, Chris Tanev, Yannick Weber. Top Prospects: Bo Horvat, C, London (OHL)Brendan Gaunce, C, Erie (OHL)Hunter Shinkaruk, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)Nicklas Jensen, RW, Utica (AHL)Frank Corrado, D, Utica (AHL) Others of Interest: David Booth, Jannik Hansen, Cole Cassels. No-Trade Clauses: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Chris Higgins (limited), Alexander Edler, Kevin Bieksa, Jason Garrison, Dan Hamhuis, Roberto Luongo. The Plan: Careening over a cliff before the break, the Canucks went from solidly in the playoffs to the outside looking in and have several injuries to deal with. If number one C Henrik Sedin isnt healthy soon -- and he was unable to play in the Olympics -- the nthe Canucks might as well start selling because they could use offensive upgrades even with a healthy roster. Minus Sedin, that would be a pointless exercise. Should the Canucks become sellers, perhaps their most attractive asset to trade would be a legitimate top four defenceman, though the quartet of Kevin Bieksa, Alexander Edler, Jason Garrison and Dan Hamhuis all have no-trade contracts. WINNIPEG JETS UFA in 2014: Olli Jokinen, Devin Setoguchi, Chris Thorburn, Mark Stuart, Adam Pardy, Al Montoya. RFA in 2014: Michael Frolik, Matt Halischuk, James Wright, Keaton Ellerby. Top Prospects: Josh Morrissey, D, Prince Albert (WHL)Nicolas Petan, C, Portland (WHL)Adam Lowry, LW, St. Johns (AHL)Scott Kosmachuk, RW, Guelph (OHL)Eric Comrie, G, Tri-City (WHL) Others of Interest: Evander Kane, Ondrej Pavelec, Eric ODell, Brenden Kichton, Connor Hellebuyck. No-Trade Clauses: Blake Wheeler (modified), Bryan Little (limited), Olli Jokinen (modified), Andrew Ladd (modified), Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien (modified), Zach Bogosian. The Plan: On the edge of the playoff race, the Jets might be a legitimate playoff team with improved goaltending, but if they remain committed to Ondrej Pavelec as their starter for the rest of the year, they ought to move out some of their non-essential veterans, including Olli Jokinen and Devin Setoguchi. If the Jets are of the mind to go for a blockbuster, and that doesnt seem likely given better results under new coach Paul Maurice, there are often rumours about the availability of LW Evander Kane or RW/D Dustin Byfuglien, both of whom would have many suitors, if made available. * - Contract information comes from the outstanding www.capgeek.com. Check out their trade machine here. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Fake Phillies Jerseys .ca contributor Grant McCagg provides a look at some risers and fallers on the prospect watch. Wholesale Phillies Jerseys .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/ . Perhaps their first trip to the city of Winnipeg in 16 years can serve as the shakeup they need.HALIFAX -- Antoine Bibeau made 39 saves, including 17 in the third period, as the Val-dOr Foreurs defeated the host Halifax Mooseheads 3-2 in Game 7 to advance to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League final. Maxime Presseaults goal at 13:59 of the second period broke a 2-2 deadlock for the Foreurs, who trailed the series 3-2 before winning back-to-back games, and Guillaume Gelinas and Pierre-Maxime Poudrier also scored. Nikolaj Ehlers and Philippe Gadoury each had a goal and an assist for the Mooseheads while Jonathan Drouin tacked on an assist for his playoff-leading 41st point in 16 contests. Halifaxs Zachary Fucale turned away 13-of-16 shots in a losing cause. Val-dOr went 0 for 3 on the power play while the Moooseheads scored once on five chances with the man advantage. Custom Philadelphia Phillies Jerseys. --- DRAKKAR 2 ARMADA 1 BAIE-COMEAU, Que. -- Charles Hudons power-play goal at 12:46 of the first period stood up as the winner as the Drakkar slipped past Blainville-Boisbriand with a Game 7 victory in their third-round matchup. Alexandre Ranger also scored for Baie-Comeau, which will meet Val-dOr for the President Cup. Frederic Bergeron scored the lone goal for the Armada. Drakkar netminder Philippe Cadorette made 24 saves for the win as Blainville-Boisbriands Etienne Marcoux stopped 16-of-18 shots in defeat. Baie-Comeau went 1 for 1 on the power play while the Armada failed to score on four chances with the man advantage. ' ' '

Every time Jon Jones steps into the Octagon, legacy and history are both on the line. Texas Rangers Pro Shop . The light-heavyweight champion and number one ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world is on an 11-fight UFC winning streak, the longest in the history of the weight class. Jones for his part is well aware of what is at stake each time they ring the bell and is more interested in continuing his run, than any money that can be made on the fight. Im not going to sit here and say I dont negotiate my fight purse, but once the fight is set, pay-per-view buys and selling the fight I really could care less, said Jones during Mondays pre-fight conference call that also featured his opponent Daniel Cormier. Im trying to get these titles and break these records. TSN kicks off its UFC coverage on Saturday with COUNTDOWN TO UFC 182: JONES VS. CORMIER at 7pm et/4pm pt on TSN4 and TSN5. The countdown show leads into two hours of UFC 182 preliminary fight coverage at 8pm et/5pm pt. Some of the records that are still on the horizon for Jones include the all-time winning streak record currently held by Anderson Silva at 16 fights and victories in championship fights held by Canadian Georges St-Pierre with 12 wins. Jones currently sits fifth in the UFC having eight victories with the gold on the line. With all of that success you would think Jones would be a fan favourite but he has found himself cast as the villain before a lot of his bouts, a fact that he has grown more comfortable with as the years have progressed. No one wants to be the bad guy, but at the same time people have tabbed me to be the bad guy and Ive learned to just let go, said Jones. Ive been hearing that Im fake so for many years, its like who cares if Im fake, I win fights thats what Im here to do, Im not here to win you over with my personality Im here to fight and thats ultimately my job. As far as the infamous brawl at the MGM Grand during the media day for UFC 178, Jones was happy the fans were able to see a more human side of his persona. A part of me was glad this came out because as a professional athlete, champion and a Christian, I try to be a professional and thats why I have so many great endorsements, because I do try carry myself as someone you would want to endorse, said Jones. But me when Im with my friends and family, Im a real dude, Im just me. This is who I am, I will swear or tell a guy that spit in my face that Ill kill him. It was a bad hit in a way, but relieving. In the aftermath of the brawl, Jones parted ways with Nike as a sponsor and it was thought at the time that the two incidents were connected. Jones has a new endorsement deal and is ready to set the record straight on parting with his old company. Nike didnt drop me because of the brawl and I owe an apology to them for saying they dropped me, said Jones. Theyve been known to stand by their athletes for worse than just a brawl at the MGM. The truth is that Nike didnt seem as though they wanted to move forward in the field of MMA, they werent activating me in the way they said they would. It was a mutual thing, something we had discussed months before the actual brawl and now Im with Reebok and Im so excited. The light-heavyweight champion is also amused by people that feel he cant win this fight on the ground, a stance that he does not agree with. I love the fact that people assume that if Daniel takes me down he wins the fight, said Jones. I love that people assume he needs to get close to me and then Im suddenly at some kind of disadvantage. Honestly Im so secure in my abilities as a fighter in the clinch, dirty boxing, my jiu-jitsu, my top game, my bottom game, I have no insecurities when it comes to my skill set. I mean Rashad Evans, he was like to beat Jon, you have to get into his chest I was like o.k. knowing that Im prepared. I find it very fascinating. As for what hes planning to do when he gets into the Octagon, the 27-year-old is ready to tackle this fight the way he contests them all. Im going to go out there and do what Ive always done, love the sport, enjoy the moment, be myself, confident, young, fast, athletic, said Jones. Ive done everything I can to win the fight, Ive trained, my cardio is great, my tactics are great, my playbook is rehearsed and now Im going to go out there and do what Ive always done. Jones will defend his light-heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 182 on Saturday. Fake Rangers Jerseys .C. -- With a chance to start over and maybe drive in any series he wanted, Juan Pablo Montoya thought long and hard about what mattered most at this stage of his career. Wholesale Rangers Jerseys . Tristan Jackson returned a missed field goal 129 yards early in the fourth quarter as the Roughriders beat the B.C. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/ . -- Craig Anderson has quite a record against his former team, the Florida Panthers. CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox have struggled against their AL Central foes, especially the Minnesota Twins. They caught a break from their losing ways on Saturday. Conor Gillaspie lined a go-ahead single in the sixth inning and the White Sox rallied to beat the Twins 5-4. Jordan Danks homered and rookie Andre Rienzo pitched 5 1-3 innings in his home debut as the White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak against the Twins. The White Sox and closer Addison Reed withstood a final drive by Oswaldo Arcia that left fielder Alejandro De Aza caught at the wall for the final out. "I thought about crying. If that ball had gone over, I would have," White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham said. The White Sox have won just three of their 11 games against Minnesota this season and will try to split the four-game series Sunday. Chicago is 13-33 against the AL Central. "A win is a win. It doesnt matter how you do it," Reed said. "Hopefully, it gets a little spark in us and starts a little winning streak." Justin Morneau and Arcia homered for the Twins. David Purcey (1-1) struck out two in an inning for the win. Reed earned his 28th save in 33 chances. Mike Pelfrey (4-10) allowed five runs, four earned, in five-plus innings. He walked five, struck out two and hasnt won a start since July 6. "This is by far the worst season of my career," Pelfrey said. "It started off brutal, and I thought I was getting better for two months, but these last three starts have seemed as (bad) as the first two months." Gillaspie put the White Sox ahead 5-4 in the sixth on an RBI single off reliever Anthony Swarzak. The White Sox had tied it on Blake Tekottes sacrifice fly after Avisail Garcia led off with a single for his first White Sox hit, Danks drew a walk and Josh Phegley sacrificed them over. Garcia went 1 for 4 in his first White Sox start. Chicago acquired him on July 30 from the Detroit Tigers in a three-team trade that sent right-hander Jake Peavy to the Boston Red Sox. Garcia was called up Friday from Triple-A Charlotte after outfielder Alex Rios was traded to the Texas Rangers. "I was a little tired yesterday, but I feel great today," Garcia said. "Bad day, I got a base hit, but just got to keep playing and see what happens." The White Sox went ahead 1-0 in the first inning on Paul Konerkos sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Danks hit a leadoff home run in the second inning for a 2-0 lead. The homer was his seccond of the season and first since May 6. Rangers Jerseys 2019. . The White Sox added another run in the inning when right fielder Chris Colabello missed a catch on Gillaspies fly ball for an error, allowing Beckham to score from first base. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was unhappy the game started at 3 p.m., leading to shadows that caused trouble for outfielders. "These 3 oclock games, for sightlines, are absolutely terrible," Gardenhire said. "The shadows are brutal for both teams. It was a real tough day for both teams once those shadows came in. Its really, really hard to see the ball. "They really need to fix that part of the game. Play 1 oclock games or 6 oclock or 7 oclock games or get away from the shadows. It was really tough out there, and that was both sides." Morneau tied the game in the third inning on a three-run homer. He also hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in Game 1 of Fridays doubleheader against the White Sox. Rienzo allowed a solo home run to Arcia to put the Twins ahead 4-3. Arcia also hit a home run in each game of Fridays doubleheader and slugged the winning homer in the second game. Rienzo allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings in his third major league start. He walked five and struck out five. "We had two games last night, and I tried to be out there for a long time on the mound to help out the bullpen," Rienzo said. "I battle as hard as I can, but unfortunately my control today wasnt that good. But Im glad the team won." Rienzo had a visitor waiting for him. His brother surprised him by arriving from Brazil. "I want to be better because my family is here," he said. "Next time." Beckham finished with four walks batting leadoff for the second time this season and fifth time in his career. "I was joking, I dont know if Ive had four walks in a week," he said. "It was different. I dont mind it." NOTES: LF Dayan Viciedo was scratched from Chicagos lineup because of a sore left thumb. Tekotte replaced Viciedo in left field and batted ninth. .Josh Willingham remained the DH in the Twins lineup Saturday after he was activated from the disabled list on Friday following knee surgery. Gardenhire said theres no issue with Willingham playing the field. "Getting swings right now is more important and running the bases," Gardenhire said. "Hes already played the outfield down (in the minors), so Im not worried about that." ' ' '

While Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri and Montreal Canadiens defenceman PK Subban are competitors in one of the biggest rivalries in professional sports, the two put the rivalry aside for a photograph at this years Much Music Video Awards. Fake Jerseys China .Heres the two posing for a great pic.Kadri also arrived in ridiculous style, pulling in to the award show in a Lamborghini. Nazem knows how to come to a red carpet #MMVAS2014 #mmvaredcarpet @43_Kadri ???? pic.twitter.com/kUjxpPGB9Q — Karen (@RemarkableJB) June 16, 2014Heres Kadri pulling out of his Lamborghini (note the girl on the left, who might not be his biggest fan). Subban is no slouch either, as he arrived in a Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Driving up to the red carpet at the #MMVA s with @PKSubban1 in the #Hyundai Genesis Coupe pic.twitter.com/QBuM1CGTPR — Hyundai Canada (@HyundaiCanada) June 16, 2014Heres Subban walking the red carpet. Heres another #MMVA selfie.Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe also arrived in style, as he posed with a TFC fan while walking the red carpet.Heres a little more from Cabbies night with the stars.Here he is with Kadri.Here is with Subban and Defoe.Here he is with Raptors point guard Greivis Vasquez. Fake Jerseys .ca/CurlingSkins - with the Top 16 curlers earning a ticket to Banff, Alta. to compete in the TRAVELERS ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME Presented by Pintys, running Jan. Wholesale Jerseys .J. - Henrik Lundqvist has done more than set a couple of franchise records for the New York Rangers this week. https://www.fakejerseysfromchina.com/ . -- When Steve Blake checked in at the scorers table with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stephen Curry shook his head and shouted across the court, asking Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson not to take him out.MIAMI -- History would suggest they did everything right. Oops. Since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up for the "Big 3" era with the Miami Heat, there had been some absolute truths when it came to their home playoff games. When they shot at least 48 per cent, they were 18-0. When they made at least 10 shots from 3-point range, they were 12-0. And in this post-season, they were a perfect 8-0 in their building. No more. On any count. No Miami miracle this time, either. A blowout got interesting for a few minutes, but in the end, it wound up as a blowout -- and the road to a third straight NBA championship for the Heat got considerably tougher. Down by a staggering 25 points at one point in the first half, the Heat whittled their way within single digits. But they never got all that close to the San Antonio Spurs and wound up falling 111-92 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night. The Spurs lead the series 2-1, and need only to hold serve at home to end Miamis reign as NBA champions. "What it feels like is the finals," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "And you have to deal with all the emotions there are in the finals -- frustration, anger, pain, elation, all of it, and it can swing back and forth. Its a long series. We have to be able to manage this and it starts with tomorrow, owning it. Thatll be the process we all have to go through together." James and Wade each scored 22 points, Bosh didnt miss a shot, they connected on 52 per cent of their tries from the floor, and they still got drilled. Rashard Lewis scored 14, Ray Allen had 11 and Bosh had only nine -- getting just four shots in 34 minutes. "We will get better from tonight," James said. "We hate the performance that we put on. But its 2-1. Its not 4-1. Its 2-1, and we have to make some adjustments, come in and learn from our mistakes as we always do after a loss." So far, these finals are just like the 2013 version: Spurs win Game 1. Heat win Game 2. Spurs blow Heat out in Game 3. Only this time, Miami doesnt have the luxury of potentially having a Game 7 at home. "We have to take this one oon the chin," Bosh said. Fake Jerseys Cheap. "We are kidding ourselves if were going to win a championship with that kind of effort, home or away." Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 29 points. Danny Green and Tony Parker each scored 15 for San Antonio and Tim Duncan added 14 for the Spurs. The signs of trouble for the Heat were obvious from the get-go. James had 14 points in the early going, and Miami was still down by seven. The Heat gave up 41 points in the first quarter, defence nowhere to be found. At one point in the second quarter, it was Spurs 55, Heat 30. That matched the largest deficit Miami has faced at home at any point in the Big 3 era, tied only with the 25-point lead Oklahoma City held over the Heat during this regular season. The numbers were absurd. Out of San Antonios first 21 shots, the Spurs missed two. Yes, two. They were shooting 91 per cent for the game at one point in the second quarter. They made 11 straight shots in one stretch. They had the best-shooting first half by any NBA team since ... well, them, more than three years ago against Detroit. "That will never happen again," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I mean, thats crazy." Predictably, the Heat locker room was not the worlds happiest place at halftime, with Miami down 71-50. "We had every conversation," Allen said. "We yelled at each other. We encouraged each other. We went through a range of emotions trying to find a spark." A spark, they found. But they needed an inferno. Miami got within seven in the second half, and the 19,900 white-clad fans in the building had to be thinking of the ridiculous finals comeback last season against the Spurs. The Heat were down by five with 28.2 seconds left in Game 6, then rallied to not just save the game, but save their title hopes. "We knew they were going to make a run," Duncan said. Thats all it was, just a run. The outcome was never really in doubt. And the building was just about empty when the final buzzer sounded. "Little frustration," Wade said. "But thats the nature of the playoffs. Its not always good." ' ' '

In recent memory, teams of the National Basketball Association on the right side of the Mississippi River have been referred to as The Leastern Conference. Fake College Jerseys . It is a place where once only 2-3 teams seemed to legitimately have a chance to win the conference and/or the NBA title while many of the other teams fought to be the biggest loser, positioning themselves for draft lottery glory and/or ignominy. With iconic figures in the game switching geography, key free agents looking to change fortunes and a young star looking to shine brightly once again, Duane Watson and Will Strickland of TSN Radio 1050 bring you the news, views and truths on whos doing what, when, why, where and how in the shifting landscape of the now-wide open Eastern Conference. Derrick Rose Re-Affirms Elite Status In The NBA. Watson: As long as Derrick Rose is healthy, he is one of the most dangerous guards in the league. His speed and strength make him unstoppable after just one dribble. His mental conditioning seems to have caught up to his physical conditioning and, after only playing 49 games over the last two seasons, hes ready to reclaim his spot and take the Bulls far in a wide open Eastern Conference. Strickland: On name alone, Derrick Rose, the youngest NBA MVP ever, will have elite status. But that is ancient history for many. Rose says hes back and better, but we shall soon find out how loyal those knees are, especially after multiple back-to-back games. If Rose presses too much to regain his MVP form, it may end up hurting him team. With less of an offensive load and lots of time on the sidelines to contemplate how he can better manage his game to suit other, Rose will keep his Bulls in the hunt all season and his name. Kevin Love Will Fail To Meet The Challenge Of The Moment. Watson: Love already has made comments about getting touches on the perimeter instead of getting them on the wing, and his comfort with starting the game from the outside in. His adjustment will be greater than Irvings but 75 per cent of Kevin Love is more than enough to make the Cavs a competitive team in this league. Strickland: Is he really a Top 10 player in the NBA or is he just a very good complimentary piece to the Cleveland Cavaliers new Big Three who put up huge numbers on a horrid team for years in Minnesota? These questions abound. And regardless of Chris Boshs assertion that Love will have a hard time submitting to the will of the team (read: James, LeBron Raymone), all will be revealed in his first disco on the playoff dance floor, where he will prove his worth and more in a pressure situation. Life is a cruel teacher at times, though, for she gives you the Test first and the Lesson after. Lance Stephenson Helps The Charlotte Hornets To A Top 4 Seeding For The Playoffs. Watson: The Hornets were on the cusp of something last year, but faced a hot Heat team in the first round of the playoffs. One year more seasoned with Al Jefferson manning the pivot, they acquired a player who shifts the scales for them on both sides of the court and also led the league in triple-doubles last year in Lance Trick or Treat Stephenson. He may not be a leader for the Hornets, but he will be their most valuable player. Strickland: Apropos that Halloween is nigh as young Lance is affectionately known as Trick Or Treat on #1On1. Expect more tricks than treats from Stephenson, the league leader in triple doubles last season in Indiana. His role and responsibilities in the Queen City will be expanded, as will his talents in a major co-starring role with Big Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, built less on antics and more on a very solid all around skill set. Jason Kidds Head Coaching Job Will Be In Jeopardy Again For A Second Consecutive Year. Watson: At 15-67, the Bucks were the worst team in the league. They are young, raw and inexperienced, much like their second year coach. Under Kidd, the Brooklyn Nets were 10-21 for 2013, managed to turn it around in the latter part of the season, but Kidd had former All-Stars on his roster to right the ship. He doesnt have that luxury, and wont be able to keep running isolation plays. If he didnt sign such a good contract, he would be on the outs early. Strickland: Would love to say thats hard to imagine with a young team that needs guidance and then we look at their bench boss and the plausibility of Milwaukee scouting for a new coach doesnt seem so far-fetched. That said, however, Kidd will get at least three years to turn Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brandon Knight and Larry Sanders into a competitive unit before hes sent to spill Diet Coke on someone elses sideline. The New York Knicks Will Master The Triangle. Watson: If the Knicks figure it out often enough, they will be a problem. There will have to be buy-in from all of their players but learning the triangle and adjusting to a new coach in an environment of me-first players is going to be a challenge. But if anyone can do it, it will be Phil Jackson. Strickland: You mean the Knicks of the I dont think I can win the scoring title in The Triangle superstar Carmelo Anthony? The same Knickerbockers who have a fellow by the name of Earl Smith, Jr., who, despite knowing new head coach Derek Fisher would run that offence, said it would take him about two months to learn it? The same Knicks who have a $23.5M per year power forward who feels rejuvenated enough after taking red wine baths on his days off to come off the bench? Yeah. Wondering if these Knicks will master The Triangle is like wondering what the number 8 smells like. Nikola Mirotic Will Be A Strong Candidate For Rookie Of The Year. Watson: While everyone will be focused on Wiggins and Parker, Mirotic has three solid years of Euroleague experience under his belt. At 610, he can pass, dribble and score with his rookie counterparts and there wont be one ounce of pressure on him. On a Bulls team that finds offence hard to come by at times, hell be the antidote. Strickland: Who? No Bueno. With the Bulls high on the upside of McBuckets Doug McDermott, Mirotic could end up being a better, more versatile player than McDermott. That said, Mirotic wont get the recognition as rookie of the year in a class that features Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, who will get the shots and minutes to amass numbers on very bad teams. The 76ers Will Be Worse Than They Were Last Year. Watson: Philadelphia lost 63 games last year, including 26 in a row, and thats a tough number to beat, particularly with last years lottery pick Nerlens Noel, suiting up after sitting out his rookie season due to injury. But both of their lottery picks from the 2014 Draft wont be suiting up for them this season - Joel Embiid (#3) and Dario Saric (#12) - while their top player and NBAs reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is recovering from shoulder surgery. Philly is bound for the lottery again and not by accident. Strickland: Rhetorical. Sixers GM Sam Hinkies asset management plan of collecting high draft picks, whittling contracts, jettisoning players to free up as much cap room as possible to attract high-end free agents while the Philly faithful fan base suffers through yet another season in the basement doesnt sound like much of a plan for a place not really considered a destination city despite the franchises rich history. If any team can be worse than the 2013-2014 Sixers, itll be the 2014-2015 version. The Heat Will Miss The Playoffs This Year. Watson: Miami will have to learn about life after LeBron. Players take for granted how much easier a player of his caliber makes the game for them. The defence, the scoring, the playmaking and the double teams are all gone now. More will be expected of Dwyane Wade and Bosh will not benefit from sagging defences waiting to help LeBron and from there, the talent gets decidedly thinner. While good, Luol Deng is aging and with Wades health a perennial concern, expect him to miss games and the Heat to miss the playoffs. Strickland: No. Miami lost its King, but not the Prince of The City, Dwyane Wade. He, along with Christopher Wesson Bosh, newly minted as The Man on South Beach at least for the next five years and $118M, will barely lead the Heat Gang limping into the playoffs. Free agents Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger and two-time All-Star Luol Deng, who should not be seen as The Replacement LeBron, will be along for the ride, hoping for the opportunity to show James what hes missing... or not. Paul George Will Come Back From Injury To Lead The Pacers To The Playoffs. Watson: More like a fairytale! Larry Bird cannot afford to rush back his star player and, with this team taking a step back this season, will likely keep George out as long as possible in the hopes of picking up a solid draft pick. Strickland: PG-13, most recently seen shooting jumpers and breaking his dog off the dribble in one-on-one, has recovered far more rapidly that most anyone could have anticipated in the face of his horrific injury on August 1. After signing a new $90M deal to stay in Indianapolis for at least the next five years last September, George experienced a tough close to a disappointing second half of the 2013-2014 season, both on and off the court. Top that with Indiana losing Lance Stephenson in the off-season to free agency and one would hope there is not a great deal of pressure to hurry George back on the court prematurely. However, if he did come back in the Pacers fold this season, the squad would barely, if at all, make the playoffs, only to be promptly bounced by the top team in the conference. The Cavaliers Will Win The Eastern Conference. Watson: When you have the best player on the planet, thats an easy call. Couple that with two all-stars in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and its the Cavs conference to lose. The big question is can they win it all in Year 1? Strickland: The Central Division race will have all eyes on it as the expected playoff matchup between the Bulls and Cavs will be must-see TV. The Bulls scored a huge coup in picking up the most all-around skilled big man in the NBA in 34-year-old Pau Gasol. Couple that with excitement of the return of Derrick Rose, coach Tom Thibideaus grit, add Jimmy Butler, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson x the heart and soul of the squad, Joakim Noah, and it still wont be enough to overcome the worlds best basketball player and his new court of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and potential hired gun for the playoff run in Cleveland: Walter Ray Allen. You can find Duane Watson(@duanewatson) and Will Strickland(@wallstrizzle1) plying their trade in the Art of Basketball Commentary on #1On1 with Will & Duane every Saturday afternoon at 3pm et on TSN 1050 Radio. College Jerseys Outlet . It led to his downfall on Tuesday. The Major League Soccer club fired Rennie after a second straight up-and-down season that saw the Whitecaps start strong before limping across the finish line. Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. https://www.ncaajerseys2020.com/ .Y. - Geno Smith shouted a couple of mighty expensive expletives.One of Russias top male gymnasts could miss the Olympics after he became the latest to test positive for the banned substance meldonium. Nikolai Kuksenkov withdrew from the national championships after being informed of the failed doping test on Saturday, a day after winning the individual all-around title.Kuksenkov, a former European champion, had not taken meldonium since August, Russia team coach Valentina Rodionenko told the Russian Ves Sport agency. As yet, no one knows how long a period is needed for meldonium to leave the body, she said. Its a kind of wild, wrong situation, which needs to be sorted out with joint effort.Kuksennkov competed for Ukraine under the name Mykola Kuksenkov before taking Russian nationality in 2013. Cheap College Jerseys 2020. He won European Championship gold in the team all-around in 2014, and gold in the same event at last years inaugural European Games.Kuksenkovs is the first known doping case in gymnastics involving meldonium. More than 20 other Russians across all sports have tested positive for meldonium, which was banned on January 1 2016, with at least 123 cases worldwide.Also, Russian Pavel Kulikov, an Olympic hopeful in skeleton, said in a statement he failed a test for meldonium.Kulikov finished 12th at the World Championships in Austria in February. ' ' '