Dive gear articles

some games but when its important, when youre talking about

lou0930

SAN ANTONIO -- Even though it was an ugly victory, the banged-up San Antonio Spurs were just happy to end a three-game losing streak given their troubling rash of recent injuries. Jarrod Dyson Jersey . Tim Duncan had 23 points and 17 rebounds, Tony Parker added 18 points and 10 assists, and San Antonio rallied past the skidding Sacramento Kings 95-93 on Saturday night. The win came in San Antonios final home game before departing for its annual "Rodeo Road Trip" that lasts nearly a month. "Its huge to start the road trip like that," Parker said. "We needed a win. Obviously we were in a little slump with those three losses. We wanted to get back on the right track." Patty Mills scored 15 points and Boris Diaw added 14 for San Antonio, which wont play at home again until Feb. 26 against Detroit. Despite playing Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento almost spoiled the going-away party for the Spurs. Isaiah Thomas had 26 points, Rudy Gay scored 23 and Derrick Williams added 14 for the Kings, who have lost seven straight. "Were playing the San Antonio Spurs; theyre going to make their runs," Gay said. "Theyre going to make tough plays. They do that time and time again. Its not were surprised that they did that. But we still had a chance to win and I still wish I had the shot back." After scoring 22 points primarily against Marco Belinelli, Gay was limited to one in the fourth with the 6-foot-8 Diaw guarding him. Gay missed a potential game-winning, 15-foot jumper over Diaw with 0.5 seconds remaining. "The rim. The rim," Gay said when asked what he saw on the final shot. "I mean, honestly, I wish I had that one back; I dont think I miss that too many other times." After being outplayed by Gay and Thomas for much of the game, the veteran Spurs took over down the stretch to end their longest losing streak of the season. Parker and Duncan scored San Antonios final eight points, but they also gave Sacramento hope by going 1 for 3 on free throws in the final 12 seconds. Duncan missed both his attempts with the Spurs clinging to a 94-93 lead. "Very, very, very (frustrating)," Duncan said. "Not many times I get that situation. Just disappointed I couldnt step up and knock them out." The Spurs were sluggish on offence with newly signed Shannon Brown starting and Tiago Splitter returning from injury, giving them their third different starting lineup in three games. Brown, signed to a 10-day contract, had two points and two rebounds in 14 minutes. "We need minutes," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We have to use those minutes so that guys that know the system can be out there at the end of the game. Otherwise, theyre going to be too tired at the end. He gave us good minutes so that we could get everybody else in." San Antonio shot 6 for 20 in the third quarter while falling behind by as many as 10 points. Gay and Thomas matched that production themselves, going a combined 6 for 13 in the third. Williams first 3-pointer gave Sacramento a 76-66 lead with 2 minutes left in the third. Matt Bonner hit a 3 for the Spurs and a jumper that tied the game at 85 with 6 minutes remaining. Then he drove the lane for a runner off the glass after Thomas went flying past him at the 3-point line. That gave San Antonio an 87-85 lead, its first since early in the third quarter. "(Bonner) was great," Duncan said. "He stepped up and scored a bunch of points in a row for us. Made some plays for us. Its going to be big for guys to step up as we have people out." The Spurs are still without Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, but Splitters return lifted their spirits. Splitter scored only two points but grabbed four rebounds and helped solidify the teams interior defence. "It was great to be back on the court with the guys," Splitter said. "I wasnt that aggressive on offence, but I just tried to help the guys on defence with the coverage and helps. Most importantly, we won, so Im happy." The Kings were missing leading scorer DeMarcus Cousins, who sat out his sixth straight game due to a sprained left ankle. Gay and Thomas made up for his loss offensively, accounting for half of the teams 53 first-half points. NOTES: Splitter got his loudest ovation of the season when he was announced in the starting lineup after missing 12 games with a sprained right shoulder. He came off the bench in the second half. ... Cousins suited up but did not play. He is day to day. ... Ginobili (strained left hamstring), Leonard (broken hand) and Green (broken left index finger) all sat behind the Spurs bench. Kendrys Morales Jersey . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. Kansas City Royals Hoodie . Samir Nasris 88th-minute equalizer at Etihad Stadium will be of little consolation to City, which is now six points behind league leader Liverpool and four points behind second-place Chelsea. Third-place City has a game in hand but the surprise result against Sunderland, coupled with Sundays 3-2 loss at Liverpool, may be a setback too far in its bid for a second championship in three seasons.SALT LAKE CITY - Terrence Ross is earning his pay cheque this week. Stepping out of DeMar DeRozans shadow on the wing, Ross has been featured more in Torontos attack while being tasked with three daunting defensive assignments. The third-year swingman opened this stretch with a matchup against one of the leagues all-time greatest scorers in Kobe Bryant. On Tuesday he squared off against Rudy Gay, a former teammate, before seeing Utahs breakout forward Gordon Hayward less than 24 hours later. Oh, and before the week is out hell try his luck at stopping the unstoppable LeBron James. Ross is no longer fazed by life in the NBA. Its become a nightly reality. Thats what he do, man, Kyle Lowry said of Ross after the two led Toronto to a convincing 124-104 win over the Jazz Wednesday night. T-Ross is a good player. Hes come in as an athlete but hes learned how to play defence. I think he really takes pride in being able to guard those guys. Thats how its going to be every night, Ross said. Im always going to get the best player every night. Thats just how it goes. For most of the Lakers game Ross did an admirable job on Bryant, 13 years his elder, although it hardly mattered. The future Hall of Famer was locked in and torched the Raptors for a triple-double in a winning effort. Gay, another player with a size, strength and experience advantage over Ross, was the focal point of Sacramentos offence with DeMarcus Cousins out of the lineup. He finished with 20 points and a career-best 10 assists. For the second time this season, Hayward was barely noticeable against Ross and the Raptors. Utahs leading scorer, averaging a career-best 19.6 on the campaign, was held to 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Ross was draped all over him for most of the evening. We made Hayward work, which was our focus going in, said Dwane Casey, his team taking two of three games, after stealing one in Sacramento Tuesday, to close out a mini road trip. I thought T-Ross and James Johnson came in and gave us a great effort against him. This challenge is not a new one for Ross, who has been asked to chase around the oppositions best perimeter player since he stepped into Torontos starting lineup following the trade of Gay a year ago. Facing off with the leagues best on a nightly basis, Casey is not expecting him to neutralize these great players, most of them older and wiser than the young Ross. Instead, the goal is to make life difficult for them, make them work, something Ross has been doing a better job of on both ends of the floor. It takes a lot of energy, a lot of focus on his part on the defensive end, Casey said. Hes done okay. He and James kind of tag team together on guys like that so well see how that goes. But hes been a good defender on guys, making guys work. Lowry and DeRozan both blossomed into All-Star calibre players once Gay was shipped out of town, but Ross has been the biggest beneficiary of last Decembers trade. Going from a reserve with sporadic playing time to a reliable starter and fixture in Caseys rotation, Ross minutes increased by over 10 a night post-trade while his scoring average nearly doubled and he went from a 34 to 40 per cent three-point shooter. Now, Ross is taking full advantage of an opportunity to handle greater responsibility with DeRozan on the shelf. I would say its the same type of jump [as when Gay was traded], Ross said. I just have more responsibility. Somebody is out, part of your team is gone so I got to do more. We all do. [Hes] probably playing more freely as far as not worrying about DeMar, Casey said ahead of Wednesdays contest. Usually we try to get DeMar going, now its him. Some of the sets are now called for him, where before he was kind of playing off DeMar. So thats part of it but none of it is forced, its kind of in the flow of the game. Hes done an excellent job offensively. After scoring 20 points in each of the first two games without DeRozan - reaching that plateau in back-to-back contests for the first time in his career - Ross registered an efficient 11 points, shooting 4-for-8 in Wednesdays win over the Jazz. The experience hes gaining and will continue to gain for as long as DeRozan is out should go a long way in the 23-year-olds development. If nothing else, having his number called more often should be a confidence booster moving forward. Hes someone, like most young players, that has battled inconsistency and is usuallly at his best when hes feeling good about himself - when he sees the ball go through the net or when hes getting stops on the other end. Custom Kansas City Royals Jersey. Its a big part of what he does, is him having the confidence, him having the rhythm, Casey said. Hes a rhythm player. With that rhythm, it can go out too so his key is being consistent and letting the game come to him for four quarters and not just be in streaks. Hes got to have that confidence but hes getting that now with DeMar being out. Hes kind of the wing focal point. LOWRYS CAREER NIGHT Whether hell admit it or not - he didnt and he wont - the NBAs decision to award Bulls guard Jimmy Butler Eastern Conference Player of the Month honours Wednesday afternoon was on Lowrys mind as he poured in what seemed like a quiet 39 points, his career-high. I didnt know either, Casey said after the game. He was efficient, 13-for-22. As he did on Tuesday in Sacramento, Lowry eased into things offensively, looking to get his teammates involved early in the game. The starting point guard hit six of the eight shots he launched in the first half before taking over in the second, where scored 24, including 15 in the fourth quarter. Lowry has attempted 20 or more shots in four straight games, dating back to the night DeRozan sustained his injury. He had taken 19 or fewer in each of the teams first 15 contests. Hes taking what the game is giving him, said Casey. Even with the 28 [shots] in overtime [against the Lakers], I dont know if he forced the shots, he was taking what the defence was giving him but hes finding a balance. Hes helping quarterback from the two-one position. Im just going out there and doing my job, said Lowry, who has scored at least 25 points in each of his last four games. I know I have to score a little bit more and be more aggressive. I can do it with DeMar but as a point guard I like to get my teammates involved. Right now I have to be a little more assertive. UNLIKELY OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUTS You wouldnt know it from watching them, but the Raptors are playing without their leading scorer. The absence of DeRozan, who has now missed the last three games with a torn groin muscle that will keep him sidelined indefinitely, has barely put a dent into the Easts most efficient offensive attack. By the end of the first half, Toronto had dropped 69 points on the hosting Jazz, shooting an impressive 64 per cent from the field and 8-of-11 from beyond the arc. Oddly they recorded just eight assists on 28 buckets but it hardly mattered given the rate in which their jump shots were falling. Of the nine Raptors to step on the floor in the opening half, only Jonas Valanciunas, 3-for-7, shot under 50 per cent. The starting backcourt of Lowry and Greivis Vasquez combined to shoot 12-of-17 for 29 point, the bench was 8-of-10 for 23 points. The Raptors have now reached 120 points in five of 19 contests to begin the season, a feat they accomplished just once all of last year (and it came in a triple-overtime game). However, defence - a long-time staple for Casey - has been the ongoing concern for the Raptors coach and his team over this recent stretch, surrendering 100 or more points in six straight contests. All the phases of our defensively approach has taken a step back, Casey said. Our offence has taken off and is flowing like water but weve got to have a balance between the two. Utah opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run, prompting Casey to burn a quick timeout, one he spent reaming his team out in the huddle. Their 16-point halftime lead had been shaved to nine in less than three minutes and Casey was as animated as ever. Even with the Jazz hitting 13 of its 25 shots in the frame, they were only able to knock one point off their halftime deficit. The Raptors red-hot offence would not relent, but Casey knows thats not a recipe for sustainable success in the NBA, not unless the defence follows suit. Well, I worked for George Karl for many years so Ive seen that side, said Casey, referring to his time as an assistant with some high-scoring teams in Seattle. But I also do know that being a free-flowing offensive team doesnt win in the NBA. Youll win some games but when its important, when youre talking about winning championships youre not going to do it if you dont have defence as your backbone, as your substance of who you are. And I know that and thats why Im going to continue to preach. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '