#1

ally ripping it. Amir Johnson led the way with 11

in Here is your first Forum Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:12 pm
by sakura698 • 1.245 Posts

WASHINGTON -- The doubts raised about the Indiana Pacers were more than justified. Clippers Jerseys 2021 . The way they dispatched the Washington Wizards shows that perhaps the Pacers have dismissed any and all dysfunction. Roy Hibbert revived himself in Game 2. Team defence smothered the way to a win in Game 3. Paul George went off for 39 points in Game 4. And, after an ugly Game 5, David West came up big in the clincher. West scored 29 points Thursday night, the Pacers blew a 16-point second-half lead but pulled away late in a 93-80 win that ousted the Wizards in six games. "With all the adversity, we kept pulling together," West said. "Guys just showed unbelievable grit, unbelievable toughness." So, for all their mysterious slumps and chemistry curiosities, the Pacers are back where they were last season -- playing the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 1 against the two-time defending NBA champions is Sunday in Indianapolis. "We just keep a bubble," said Hibbert, whose off-and-on disappearing act was one of the more baffling late-season developments. "We dont try to let our emotions show too much. Sometimes it does. But we stuck together." Indiana took Miami to seven games a year ago. If the Pacers spread the wealth the way they did against the Wizards, LeBron James and the Heat could be in for a tough series. On Thursday, it was Wests turn. He went 13 for 26 from the field -- a career playoff-high in shot attempts. His pair of jumpers, including a tough fade-away, started a game-ending 20-6 run after Bradley Beals 3-pointer gave the Wizards a one-point lead with 8 1/2 minutes to play. "When David West has that look, when hes assertive and he demands the ball, I know were in good hands," said George, who was just 4 for 11 and scored 12 points. "Hes never failed us when hes given us that look and hes told us in the huddles, Get me the ball." Marcin Gortat scored 19 points, and John Wall had 12 points and nine assists for the Wizards, who ended their best playoff run in decades. Washington won a playoff series for the first time since 2005 and a second-round game for the first time since 1982. The Wizards were ultimately undone by an inability to win at home, going just 1-4 at the Verizon Center and 5-1 on the road in the playoffs. The future looks bright, however, with youngsters Wall and Beal manning the backcourt. "Nobody expected us to be here," Wall said. "I think a lot of teams respect us now. We definitely made Indiana earn it." They appeared to have a fix on the home-court demons when Beal stole a rebound from Hibbert, then hit the 3-pointer that put the Wizards up 74-73. But that was Washingtons only lead of the second half. The Wizards went five minutes without a point, including a span of three turnovers in four possessions, and scored only two field goals the rest of the way. "We spent so much energy trying to just make that comeback," Beal said, "we just ended up being dead at the end." The Pacers were 33-7 on Jan. 20 before limping to the finish, barely holding on to the conferences No. 1 seed. Things didnt look much better when they were pushed to seven games in the first round by eighth-seeded Atlanta, or when they lost Game 1 at home to the Wizards. Then after winning three in a row, there was the embarrassing Game 5, when Indy lost by 23 and was outrebound 62-23. "Nobody was happy about it," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "And they came out and played angry." The Wizards had to reschedule a Lady Gaga concert to host the game, upsetting the singers fans and prompting an apology from team owner Ted Leonsis. Instead of Little Monsters in the arena, there were big ones -- such as a 56-40 deficit early in the third quarter. But the Wizards answered with an 11-2 run capped by Walls 1-on-3 transition layup, Washingtons first fast-break basket. Wall was particularly assertive at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Pacers defence held firm when it mattered, with nary a sign of adversity. "Weve been through it all this season," said Lance Stephenson, who added 17 points. "And I feel like everything that we went through made us stronger." Notes: Wall expressed his support for coach Randy Wittman, whose contract is expiring. ... Gortat on the Wizards home woes: "Maybe we have to be locked before the game in the hotel and have a team breakfast in the morning, have two buses from the hotel to the game." Custom Los Angeles Clippers Jerseys . The rookie is rewarding their faith with a stellar first season. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, and Colorado beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday. Clippers Jerseys 2020 . - Dolphins safety Louis Delmas has been carted off the field with a right knee injury against the Ravens. https://www.cheapclippersonline.com/ . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one.NEW YORK -- In the final dramatic couple of minutes Sunday night, offensively-gifted DeMar DeRozan turned into a defensive superstar, sent sprawling to the floor when he took two charges. Not to be outdone, hobbling six-foot point guard Kyle Lowry dropped a lovely sky hook over 6-11 giant and future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. The final minutes of the Toronto Raptors 87-79 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday could define this young team and their season -- fighting to the end, finding a way to win. "Thats just us, man," DeRozan said. "Were resilient. Were not going to give up until the games over, were going to fight it through. . . We did it on the defensive end to win this game." DeRozan scored 24 points and Lowry added 22 to lift the beaten-up Raptors to their first playoff victory on the road since Game 1 against Philadelphia way back in 2001. After the final whistle, a smiling coach Dwane Casey said it was the most proud hes ever been of his team. "(But) were on a mission, its a marathon," the coach added. "We cant get too excited about a win, cant get too down about a loss. Thats what the playoffs are about." Amir Johnson, playing on the wonky ankle that has plagued him all season, finished with 17 points. Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez finished with nine points apiece off the bench, and Patterson grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. The best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series heads to Toronto tied at two wins apiece. Game 5 is Wednesday at Air Canada Centre, while Game 6 will be back at Barclays Center on Friday. The Raptors led by as much as 17 points -- the biggest lead by either team in this series -- in the first half, but struggled through the second and third quarters, running into foul trouble and failing to hit shots. Still, the nailbiter went into the fourth tied at 67-67. From there, the Raptors dug in with one of their best defensive efforts of the season, holding the Nets to just three baskets in the final 12 minutes. And when the final whistle blew, the Raptors fans in attendance at Barclays Center stood and applauded the Toronto players off the floor. "I think were just encouraged," Lowry said. "Were going home 2-2. Were encouraged by that. We got a split, now its a three-game series, now weve got to take care of home. Our confidence is high, were excited." Lowry, who came away from Fridays game with a bad right knee and a busted lip, was noticeably limping at times. "Im OK," Lowry said. "Its something thats controllable, we can do what weve got to do to get through the playoffs, its nothing where I need surgery. Its definitely a pain, but Im not going to worry about it, Im not going to complain about it, Im going to go out there and do my job." Lowry kept his composure despite playing the entire second half with five fouls. "Hes dealing with a lot right now, and he came through with flying colours," Casey said. "Fought through foul trouble, a little bit of adversity throughout the game and still came through." Lowrys teammates heaped praise on their tough-as-nails point guard in the post-game dressing room. "I am not surprised at all that Kyle is limping around," Chuck Hayes said. "Man, he was limping all four quarters. Hes a warrior. Hes everything to this team. The guy gives it his all. We just feed off him." Lowry and DeRozan -- the teams leaders through this remarkable season -- sat side by side at the podium after the game, addressing the media. They talked about the chemistry in this young team. "Were a pretty close-knit team, we understand the situation that were in, its a stepping stone for us," Lowry said. "Were getting our feet wet. This man (DeRozan) is becoming a superstar in front of everybodys eyes. Hes doing it on the defensive end, the offensive end." They both chuckled when Lowry was asked about his late-game hook shot over Garnett that gave Toronto a sixx-point lead. Los Angeles Clippers Pro Shop. "I think that was the first time (Ive done that) in a game," Lowry said. "Thats something I work on in the summertime. Kevin Garnett is 6-11, hes a guy who can block shots, and I thought that was a shot I can go to. I took the shot to be aggressive. It looked good. It felt good." There was more laughter when DeRozan was asked if the two charges he took down the stretch marked a career high. "Nah. I dont think so. I hope its not," DeRozan said. "With Kyle (being injured), I knew I had to pick up the offence early, so I did that, just come out aggressive and I knew they were going to change up and start trying to get the ball out of my hands. . . I knew I could do some things on the defensive end and thats what I did." Paul Pierce led the Nets with 22 points, while Mirza Teletovic had 12. Garnett and Deron Williams finished with 10 points apiece. "Theyre a competitive group," Pierce said on the Raptors play down the stretch. "Weve seen that all season long, how well they play, getting 48 wins, how well they play in the fourth quarter, so many comeback wins. We understand that this is a group thats not going to back down, thats not going to give up. They earn a lot of respect around the league." The Nets won Games 1 and 3, while the Raptors took Game 2 in whats been an incredibly even matchup all season between these two teams. Prior to Sunday, Toronto had outscored the Nets 678-677 in their seven meetings. The Raptors had struggled with turnovers all series, but cleaned up their act Sunday, giving up the ball just 12 times. The one negative on the night was Terrence Ross, who was M.I.A. for a fourth straight game. Couple with his struggles, Landry Fields being sidelined with a bad back, and the number of Raptors in early foul trouble, Casey went deep into his bench, utilizing John Salmons, Chuck Hayes and Steve Novak for stretches of the third and fourth quarters. Ross, who dropped 51 points in a game earlier this season, has struggled in his playoff debut, and had another rough night Sunday, finishing with zero points in 16 minutes. Fields, who got dumped on his back during Fridays game, didnt dress. While the Raptors braced a hostile crowd at Barclays Center -- especially after GM Masai Ujiris now famous F-bomb about Brooklyn -- it never really materialized. The crowds on either Friday or Sunday didnt pack the auditory punch of the Air Canada Centre. Fans waved white towels, and there was the odd chant of "Ref you suck!" A group of Nets fans chanted "Raptors suck!" before the singing of O Canada. There were large pockets of red-clad Raptors fans in attendance, and their cheers for Raptors baskets down the stretch almost negated Brooklyns homecourt advantage. Rihanna sat courtside, along with Michael K. Williams and Felicia (Snoop) Pearson -- Omar and Snoop from "The Wire." Williams did the Nets introductions. Russian boxer Ruslan Provodnikov, the current world light welterweight champion, was also in attendance. Meanwhile, back in Toronto on Sunday, thousands of fans jammed Maple Leaf Square to watch the game on the giant screen outside Air Canada Centre. They chanted "We the North!" Two fans participated in a tug-of-war with a Nets T-shirt on stage, eventually ripping it. Amir Johnson led the way with 11 points as the Raptors sprinted out to an 11-point lead just three minutes after tipoff. They continued to build their advantage, and seven straight points by Johnson put Toronto up by 15. They led 35-22 at the end of the first. The Raptors stretched their advantage to 17 points with 5:40 left in the first half. But the Nets went on a 14-2 run to pull within five points. The Raptors headed to the locker-room with a 51-44 lead at halftime. Toronto went a horrible 1-for-16 to open the third quarter, but managed to remain within five points of the Nets, and the game went into the fourth all tied up. ' ' '

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