jinshuiqian0713 Senior Member

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| 发表: 2020-05-28 02:09 | IP已记录
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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Serge Ibaka walked slowly and carefully, but without a
limp, before facing reporters Saturday afternoon.
Much has been made of the Oklahoma City defensive stars absence in the
first two games of the Western Conference finals series against the San
Antonio Spurs. The 6-foot-10 power forward strained his left calf in the
previous playoff series, and the Thunder said they expected him to be
out for the playoffs. The team changed course Friday and declared him
day-to-day. He worked out Saturday, but he didnt practice before
addressing the media for the first time since his outlook changed.
With Ibaka, the leagues leading shot blocker, the Thunder were one of
the best defensive teams the NBA. Without him, the Spurs shot at least
50 per cent in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals and
won them by a combined 52 points. As he stood for the five-minute
session wearing a black compression sock over the calf, he deflected
claims that he could be a saviour heading into Game 3 on Sunday.
"Ive been hearing a lot of people saying my team lost two games because I
was out," he said. "Thats not true. I believe in my guys. I believe in
my teammates. They can be better with me or without me. Its no excuse
because Serge Ibaka was not there. Just San Antonio, the first two
games, they played better basketball."
Ibaka said he sometimes screamed at his television set when he watched
scenarios in which he could have made plays during the losses. He is not
sure if he will play in Game 3 -- he said it is up to doctors, and much
will depend on how he feels in the morning. For now, he will depend
largely on rest, ice and luck.
His presence is needed, even if he is less than fully healthy.
Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Perry Jones have struggled against
the Spurs big men. Kevin Durant, normally a small forward, has played
some power forward in the series because of Ibakas absence, and his
relative lack of physical strength and unfamiliarity with playing post
defence has been exploited.
The Spurs prepared all along as though he would return.
"It gives them another hell of a player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
said, "but we are who we are and weve got to be who we are. We cant
change what we do."
Even if Ibaka returns, it will not fully solve Oklahoma Citys problems
defending the perimeter. San Antonio has made 18 of 40 3-pointers in the
series and guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are slashing into the
paint with stunning frequency, often scoring or finding their teammates
for open shots.
The Thunder say it starts with basics.
"Its just an individual effort," Perkins said. "Got to put it in your
mind that you want to stop the guy in front of you, and thats it.
Backside got to be ready. But the thing is when they penetrate, thats
what opens those threes. Well do a better job of keeping the ball in
front of us, but weve just got to be individual and youve got to want
the match up."
To be fair, San Antonio shares the ball like no one else. The Spurs led
the league with 25.4 assists per game during the regular season. That
average is up to 27.5 against Oklahoma City. Parker and Ginobili
generate many of the assists, but many others come from simple ball
movement.
"We dont have a Durant," Ginobili said. "We dont have a Kobe (Bryant) or
LeBron (James) that can go one against one and finish every single
time. We need to pass the ball to find open teammates, and thats what we
do, and thats what weve been doing. We all feel proud about it. We know
when we have 25 assists or 30, we are much better and we try to do that
every time."
Because the Spurs generally have five capable scorers on the floor at a
time, it forces opponents to have a greater attention to detail than
usual.
"Theyve got threats," Durant said. "Everybody on their team is a threat
because of their offence. They move the ball. Theyve got 3-point
shooters. You take away 3-point shooters, they get the role guys and
they get the paint points. You take away that and they start hitting the
threes. So we have to do both. We have to be able to close the paint up
and get out to shooters. Easier said than done, but we can do it."
The Spurs are off to a good start, but experience tells them they wont
have as easy a time in Oklahoma City. And in 2012, Oklahoma City fell
behind San Antonio 2-0 in the Western Conference finals before winning
the series 4-2.
"Weve got to know that in their arena its going to be different,"
Ginobili said. "Theyre going to be way more aggressive, theyre going to
be pushed by their fans. We just won two games. They are going to make
more shots, they are going to attack harder, they are going to go to the
free-throw line more.So, there are a lot of things that they can do
much better and were not going to make as many shots."
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Gordon reportedly failed another drug test and is facing a one-year ban.
Gordon led the NFL in yards receiving last season despite being
suspended two games for violating the leagues substance-abuse policy.
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. - Jordan Addesis shootout goal helped the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2
win over the Sault Ste. https://www.houstonfootballshop.com/66-Jersey.
Jovanovski, the 2012 champ seeded fifth, will meet surprise Japanese
qualifier Misa Eguchi on Friday.
Eguchi, ranked 183rd, qualified for her first WTA main draw this week,
then beat No.
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Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has
given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List.
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Appearing on TSN 1050 on Tuesday, Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet New
England reported that the Blue Jays, along with a number of other
playoff contenders were in the mix for the Boston ace.BUFFALO, N.Y. --
Ryan Miller was a no-show at Buffalo Sabres practice Monday because the
star goalie was still travelling from the Sochi Games.
Though Miller was scheduled to return later in the day and start
Tuesday, when Buffalo hosts Carolina, his absence could be something the
Sabres will have to get accustomed to with the NHL trade deadline
approaching on March 5.
A person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press that
general manager Tim Murray continues to pursue offers for Miller with
the intention of trading him by next week.
"Tim is testing the waters as hard as he can," the person said, speaking
on the condition of anonymity because Murray declined to speak to
reporters Monday.
The person said the teams first option is trading Miller, who is in the
final year of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free
agent. Option No. 2, the person added, would be making a bid to re-sign
Miller if a trade cant be completed.
Murray, who took over the Sabres last month, had previously not ruled
out trading Miller or anyone else on the roster.
"This teams in last place right now," Murray said, during his inaugural
news conference on Jan. 9. "Everybody can be traded."
That means Miller isnt the only player with an uncertain future on a
Sabres team that, at 15-34-8, remains in last place coming out of the
NHL Olympic break.
Captain Steve Ott, veteran winger Matt Moulson and defenceman
Henrik Tallinder are also in the final years of their contracts and
could be used as trade bait by a team intent on building through youth.
Following practice, interim head coach Ted Nolan said it would be safe
to assume the Sabres will be active in making trades.
"I think thats the key right there, not knowing," Nolan said. "We cant
worry about who might be gone, who might be coming in. Today is the day
we have to work with what weve got. And tomorrow, whatever weve got
here, then well work with that, too."
Nolan also had a different take on his thoughts regarding Miller. After
previously saying he favoured the Sabres retaining Miller, Nolan said
the decision was out of his hands.
"My thoughts dont really count right now," Nolan said. ";Certainly, what
Ryan Miller means to this team and this town, no question youd like to
keep him.dddddddddddd But its business. And we have to look forward to
rebuilding this organization."
In 11 seasons in Buffalo, the 33-year-old has set franchise records with
283 wins and 539 games played.
This season, Miller has been the teams MVP.
With a 14-22-3 record, Miller accounts for all but one of Buffalos
victories. His .923 save percentage ranks seventh among goalies with 30
or more starts.
Miller won the NHLs Vezina Trophy in 2010, the same year he earned MVP
honours at the Vancouver Games, where he played a key role in leading
the United States to a silver medal.
At Sochi, he was relegated to a backup role behind Los Angeles
Jonathan Quick.
The Sabres are in a tough spot as far at goaltending entering their game
against the Hurricanes (26-22-9). Aside from Miller, backup goalie
Jhonas Enroth was also at the Olympics as a backup to Swedish starter
Henrik Lundqvist.
Nolan made the decision to have Miller start against Carolina because
the U.S. has been off since a 5-0 loss to Finland in the bronze medal
game on Saturday. Sweden played Sunday when it lost the gold medal game
to Canada.
The trade deadline has become a hot topic of discussion in the Sabres
locker room.
"I think you guys in the media as a whole have been telling me Ive been
getting traded since the first day I got here," said Moulson, who was
acquired in October in a trade that sent Thomas Vanek to the New York
Islanders.
"Sometimes its a little stressful. But I think when you tell yourself to
control what you can control, it kind of calms me down a bit. Im going
to go out there and play hard, and whatever happens, happens."
NOTES: The game against Carolina was originally scheduled to be played
Jan. 7, but postponed after a blizzard hit Buffalo. ... Moulson is
scheduled to return after missing four games with an upper body injury.
... Sabres enforcer John Scott broke his stick in anger as he left the
ice during practice, and then slammed the gate at the bench behind him
on the way to the locker room. Nolan said he asked Scott to leave after
he didnt like the way the player was practicing.
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