could come down to tempo. In Games 1 and 6, the two matchups w
in Mariah Carey Wed Oct 23, 2019 5:58 amby sakura698 • 255 Posts
CHARLOTTE, N. Justin Jackson Kings Jersey .C. - Kevin Love and Shawn Marion expect to play against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night — welcome news for a Cleveland Cavaliers team without LeBron James for the next two weeks because of knee and back strains.Love said at Friday mornings shootaround that the back spasms that kept him out of Clevelands last game have subsided and hes going to give it a go. Marion missed the last two games with a sprained ankle.Love hopes to use James absence as a chance to expand his role. The Cavs are 18-14 and have lost three straight.You have to look at this as a glass half full, he said. I know that our best player is out, our leader is out, but its an opportunity for other players to step up, myself included.James did not travel to Charlotte. The team said Thursday the four-time MVP will be treated with anti-inflammatories, rehabilitation, training room treatments and rest.James could miss 10 games if hes out the full two weeks, which would be the longest stretch of his career. The 11-year pro has never missed more than five straight games during his career.Cavaliers coach David Blatt said Friday that James hasnt felt 100 per cent for some time.Hes been toughing it out and hes been giving us everything he has despite some discomfort — not overwhelming discomfort, but discomfort, Blatt said.It was exacerbated during the Miami game (on Christmas), he added. And from that that point forward we looked at this in a different way and decided together with him the best thing was to try to attack this problem straight on and allow him to heal completely, even at the expense of him being down for more than a few days and get him back to where he feels 100 per cent and go from there.Blatt isnt sure when James will resume travel with the team, saying it will depend on his rehab. Point guard Kyrie Irving said he others must hold the fort down.We have to pick up the work that is not out there right now and it goes back to everyone being ready to play, Irving said.Irving expects to have the ball in his hands more with James not on the court.When you have LeBron out there you can conserve a lot more energy because when hes playing point guard, as being off the ball you see things a little differently, Irving said. You kind of get on the second side pick-and-roll and defences arent loading up on you as much. For me now, I just have to pick my spots on when to attack and when to get other guys involved.The Cavaliers face a Hornets team also without its best player. Center Al Jefferson has an injured groin and will be sidelined at least four weeks. Harry Giles Kings Jersey .TV Series: Duck Dynasty. Dewayne Dedmon Kings Jersey . -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are tightening the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. https://www.kingslockerroom.com/Harrison-Barnes-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Forsman closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions Sunday for his third Champions Tour title. He beat Jay Don Blake by two shots.OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Memphis Grizzlies might have all summer to think their dismal effort Thursday night. The Grizzlies could have closed out the Thunder at home, but Oklahoma City jumped on them from the start and rolled to a 20-point victory. Now, Memphis must play Game 7 on the road Saturday without scoring leader Zach Randolph and possibly point guard Mike Conley. Randolph was suspended for punching Steven Adams in the jaw late in Game 6. The Grizzlies had no comment on the NBAs decision after landing in Oklahoma City, according to team spokesman Jason Wallace. Conley strained his right hamstring in the loss and is struggling to recover. Memphis backup point guard, Nick Calathes, is out for the series because of a drug suspension, meaning No. 3 point guard Beno Udrih will likely carry more responsibility against Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson, two of the quickest point guards in the NBA. Conley said Friday that he plans to play, but he expects to be sore. "Me being banged up, youre going to have to ask more out of different guys, see a lot of guys step up," he said. "Were still excited and confident going into tomorrows game, regardless of injuries and how last nights game went." Memphis coach Dave Joergers team has dealt with injuries and lineup changes all season. Tony Allen missed 27 games this season, Marc Gasol 23 and Conley nine. Kosta Koufos and Ed Davis will likely fill Randolphs minutes. "This is it," Joerger said. "Whatever you want to say about the season, its all come down to one game. Certainly, for us to have the best chance to win, we have to play better than we did last night." Even with the issues the Grizzlies face, nothing has been certain in this matchup. The home team has won just twice in a series that has featured four overtime games. Thunder star Kevin Durant said Game 7 is like playing in the NCAA tournament. "You dont have no other option but to win," he said. "You cant get the game back. Its Game 7. You have to be ready to go." The teams have met in the playoffs three of the past four years. Oklahoma City beat Memphis in seven games in the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. "I remember the feeling afterward, and I dont want to repeat that," Gasol said. If the Grizzliess cant control Westbrook, a repeat is possible. Wenyen Gabriel Jersey. Westbrook, who at times has played recklessly in the series, scored an efficient 25 points on Thursday and engineered an offence that shot 49 per cent. His willingness to set up his teammates helped Durant score 14 points in the first quarter. "He was really mindful of looking for guys and finding guys early, picking and choosing his spots well," Durant said. Durant bounced back from his recent struggles with 36 points and 10 rebounds in Game 6. He made 6 of 10 shots in the first quarter Thursday night to set the tone and went 11 for 23 from the field. "Kevin just came out with a different kind of assertiveness last game," Oklahoma City guard Caron Butler said. "He was just real precise and he was vocal." The Grizzlies said they cant allow Durant to get going like that again or their season might be over. "We have to be better at finding him," Allen said. "We understand what he wants to do. Weve just got to be the aggressors on the defensive end. We understand coming into this series, hes going to be an MVP-type player, and we just have to be ready." Thunder coach Scott Brooks, who rarely makes lineup changes, started Butler at shooting guard over Thabo Sefolosha in Game 6. Butler, a better offensive threat than Sefolosha, helped space the floor and opened lanes for Durant and Westbrook. Brooks said Butler will remain in the starting lineup for Saturdays game. Brooks also played Adams more than usual in Game 6, and he responded with five blocks in 21 minutes on Thursday. Brooks said Adams earned the increase in playing time with his hard work in practice and his improvement throughout the season. The game could come down to tempo. In Games 1 and 6, the two matchups with a quicker pace, the Thunder won by double digits. Memphis turned the other four games into slower-paced, grind-it-out overtime battles and won three of them. "It makes for great storylines, but it comes down to playing good basketball," Brooks said. "Executing on both ends, making shots along the way, just continuing to play together and understanding that theres going to be some runs by either team that you have to stay focused and stay together through, and just being committed to what we want to do each possession." ' ' '
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