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smoothly, though.Wing Brandon Robinson had five points and three rebounds, though he blew a breakawa from LAM's blog

HOUSTON -- The Rockets have labored intently without guard Patrick Beverley over the opening three weeks of the season, but now comes the time where their patience should be validated. Nike Air Max Womens Black .Beverley, who underwent left knee surgery during the preseason, is set to return this week. He practiced on Friday and completed a light training session on Sunday. Rockets coach Mike DAntoni declared Beverley out against the Philadelphia 76ers for Monday night at Toyota Center, but chances appear great that Houston (5-4) will get a backcourt boost either Wednesday or Thursday.Cant wait to play, cant wait to get back with my teammates, Beverley said. Ive missed them a lot. Ive missed being on the road a lot, I miss the team camaraderie a lot. I miss playing basketball, I miss competing so Im excited to get back this week.The impact for the Rockets is greater than the 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game Beverley provided last season. Beverley is the teams best individual perimeter defender, and his influence on that end of the court has been sorely missed as Houston entered Sunday ranked 27th in defensive rating.Additionally, Beverley provides DAntoni the backcourt depth the Rockets have lacked through nine games. Houston has relied on Corey Brewer and Tyler Ennis to fill the void while also heaping a heavy workload on guard James Harden, who on Sunday ranked third in the NBA with an average of 37.8 minutes per game.Over his last three starts, Harden has averaged 39.9 minutes per game while posting averages of 27 points, 9.7 rebounds and 14.3 assists, including consecutive triple-doubles in a home-and-home set with the Spurs that the Rockets split.I havent completely 100 percent decided on things, DAntoni said. I do know Pats going to play and hes going to play a lot of minutes so that will change everybodys rotation. And I think it will also give James a couple, three minutes more rest. Hes been getting about 39 minutes; thats just too many minutes and we dont want to do that. Pat will be able to alleviate a lot of that.The Sixers (1-8) have been far more hamstrung by injuries, not only opening the season without veteran guard Jerryd Bayless (wrist) and young forwards Nerlens Noel (knee) and Ben Simmons (foot), but also managing the minutes restrictions on centers Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid.Okafor enjoyed his most effective performance of the season on Saturday night in a 117-96 loss to the Hawks in Atlanta, posting season highs in points (18), rebounds (six) and assists (two). Okafor played just under three minutes the previous night against the Indiana Pacers in the Sixers first victory of the season, and his showing against the Hawks bodes well as Philadelphia continues to bring him along slowly.The four-minute chunks that weve been giving him, we extended that, Sixers coach Brett Brown said after the loss. I was going to spend my money all to try to get back in this knowing that we may not have him at the end. I felt like the game would leave us otherwise. Nike Air Max Womens Red . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. Nike Air Max Womens USA .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. http://www.nikeairmaxwomensforsale.com/ .4 million title. Ryan Riess emerged with the title after a session in which he started behind, but used expert skill to gather the chips to his side amid the unpredictability of no-limit Texas Hold em. Riess put his final opponent Jay Farber all-in with an Ace-King. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Kenny Williams III spent last season trying to keep his confidence up while buried on the bench for a deep, veteran North Carolina team.The first two games of his sophomore season are undoing some of that frustration.Williams had 11 points for the sixth-ranked Tar Heels in a 97-57 victory over Chattanooga on Sunday in the home opener.I think if you play with effort, then things will start going your way, Williams said. Shots will start going in. You start to get more steals and you start to get more fast-break layups. ... I think effort brings a lot of positivity to the game.Williams also finished with six rebounds, five assists and three steals in 20 minutes. And that came after he had five rebounds and four assists in the opener against Tulane on Friday for the Tar Heels (2-0), inheriting a larger role with junior swingman Theo Pinson out with a broken right foot.His play Sunday included a couple of dive-on-the-floor, active-hands moments that his Hall of Fame coach loves.Thats a Danny Green kind of stat sheet right there, Roy Williams said, where youre involved in a lot of good things.Joel Berry II scored 18 points to lead the Tar Heels, who shot 56 percent through the first 24 minutes in building a lopsided lead. They pushed ahead for good with a 21-5 run late in the first half for a 44-33 lead at the break, then scored nine straight out of the break to blow it open.Greg Pryor scored 17 points for the Mocs (1-1), who won Friday at Tennessee. But after a quick start, the preseason Southern Conference favorite just couldnt keep up with the Tar Heels.Chattanooga made 5 of 9 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes, but went 2-for-18 from behind the arc from there and shot 35 percent for the game.We got off to a great start which I thought was big, Chattanooga coach Matt McCall said. Unfortunately, they got settled in and really started turning up the heat, which made it difficult for us.BIG PICTUREChattanooga: It was a little too much to ask for Chatttanooga to win both the Tennessee and UNC games to start the season, but earning the split against power-conference teams is a good start for a team that won 29 games last season and played in the NCAA Tournament. Nike Air Max Womens Green. I think for us it is important for us to not let this take away from our win over Tennessee, McCall said.UNC: The Tar Heels had a lot of a balance in this one, and thats a promising sign for a team that must replace four-year starter Marcus Paige and Associated Press All-American Brice Johnson from a national runner-up.It was a team, it really was, Roy Williams said of last years NCAA finalist. Weve emphasized from Day One that this groups got to be a team now as well.POLL IMPLICATIONSUNCs first two games did nothing to undermine its No. 6 ranking in the AP Top 25 to start the season. Its a group with veteran scorers back in Berry and Justin Jackson as well as experience up front with Kennedy Meeks (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Isaiah Hicks (13 points), though its still sorting out playing rotations with Pinson out.FIRST LOOKIt was the first regular-season home game for UNCs latest freshman class.Big man Tony Bradley stood out with 12 points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes.It didnt go completely smoothly, though.Wing Brandon Robinson had five points and three rebounds, though he blew a breakaway layup. And fellow guard Seventh Woods scored six points in 12 minutes but bricked a second-half dunk.UP NEXTChattanooga: The Mocs will try to improve to 7-0 against Hiwassee in their home opener Wednesday.UNC: The Tar Heels host Long Beach State on Tuesday night before heading west for a game at Hawaii followed by the Maui Invitational during Thanksgiving week.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org or http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys' ' '

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