FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. Mens Air Max 2018 Grey . TORONTO RAPTORS: They lose on the road by five to Miami and by seven at Indiana. It just has a different feel to it. Even though they lost, Im impressed with their improvement and the way theyre playing right now. Good role definition and team play are evident. Have they arrived? No, far from it, but they are headed in the proper direction. Its a lot more difficult to play when folks have expectations for you and how you handle them on a daily basis. If they can become consistent in their production then theyll be fine. Greivis Vasquez has to start playing a lot better and with consistency off the bench for them. Hes the guy that can make a difference for them with the second unit if he can pick it up a few notches. 2. ROY HIBBERT (Pacers): We talk so much about his defence, shot blocking and rebounding that at times we lose sight of how much hes improved. Hes always been a nifty passer back to his days at Georgetown but the thing thats really impressed me has been his steady growth as a post player. His footwork is exceptional and he can score with either hand in the lane and is fluid with his skills. He gets great position in the lane and his confidence as an offensive player is at an all-time high. 3. LUOL DENG TRADE: I like this trade for the Bulls. Theyre not going anywhere with the loss of Derrick Rose and had to move on from this group. Deng was a terrific player for them yet was going to cost too much for them in the free-agent sweepstakes. They save close to $20 million with this transaction and it was time to move on and begin the process of a new look in Chicago. This is the business side of sports that isnt pleasant when you see a wonderful guy who was a very good player get moved for economics yet in this cold-hearted business, it was the right thing to do long term for them. 4. KEVIN DURANT (Thunder): I know his team lost on Tuesday night to the Jazz and that isnt a pleasant thing but how can you not be impressed with the fact that he drops 48 points in the game? Its been challenging for him and his team without Russell Westbrook yet we get to see just how special Durant is when he has to do even more. Hes truly the second-best player in the game today and his offensive skill set is off the charts. Truly a joy to watch. Great competitor and a winner. 5. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Theyre on a roll with 10 wins in a row and Im thrilled for their loyal/rabid fan base. If I could put a finger on it the one guy who makes such a huge difference on their team is Andre Iguodala. He gives them a perimeter defensive stopper, hes an unselfish player who gladly gives the ball up to teammates and has wonderful versatility in his game. He plays the game the right way and has really allowed the other aspects of this roster to settle into their roles. Coach Mark Jackson has a guy that he can trust to do all the little things that win games for you and do it at a high level. I guess the word Glue Guy comes to mind when I watch their team. Any way you want to say it - hes made a huge difference in their team. Grey Air Max 2018 . Niese pitched seven steady innings on a rainy Tuesday night and Daniel Murphy had three hits to lead New York to a 6-1 victory over the Phillies. Cheap Air Max 2018 . According to TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug, agent Rick Valette met with Oilers senior VP of hockey operations Scott Howson and general manager Craig MacTavish on Monday to kick off the talks. http://www.wholesaleairmaxsale.com/ .C. - NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick headlines this years electees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to make it a competitive series against the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night when Game 3 of the Western Conference finals shifts to Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder badly need a lift and they may get one in the return of Serge Ibaka. Ibaka, who missed the first two games and was expected to miss the entire postseason with a calf strain, improved significantly and will return. Watch the game on TSN starting at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. "The abundance of blood and therefore swelling in Serges calf has reduced substantially and unexpectedly, allowing a level of movement and stability not thought possible after the initial diagnosis," OKC general manager Sam Presti said in a release earlier on Sunday before Ibakas return was confirmed. "With this new information, and in an effort to keep his status current, we are now listing him as day-to-day with the understanding that there is a possibility for him to play in this series." "Im waiting what the doctor going to tell me and how my body going to feel," Ibaka said after Saturdays practice, acknowledging pain is more of a concern than further injury. Oklahoma City desperately needs him. The Spurs marched to a 2-0 series lead and have done so in convincing fashion. San Antonio has won the two games by an average of 26 points, thanks in large part to Wednesdays 112-77 drubbing in Game 2. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili made history on Wednesday night and led the Spurs to another win. San Antonios Big 3 combined for 47 points and the trio passed Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper as the all-time winningest trio in NBA playoff history, winning their 111th postseason game together. Parker scored a game-high 22 points, Duncan went for 14 with 12 rebounds and Ginobili added 11 points off the bench in the blowout, as the Spurs leave the comfy confines of AT&T Center for Oklahoma City. In league history, 94 percent of teams to open a seven-game set 2-0 have gone on to advance. The Spurs sadly know all about the six percent. San Antonio held this exxact margin in the 2012 Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City, only to lose the next four and watch the Thunder lose to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Black Air Max 2018 Outlet. "We know what were walking into," Duncan said. "Theyre so much better at home. Theyre going to have a lot of days to let it all fester." Duncan also racked up just under 29 minutes, passing Abdul-Jabbar for second most playoff minutes in league history in the process. Duncan is just 27 minutes back of Kobe Bryants all-time mark of 8,641 and barring injury will pass him later in this series. Danny Green made 7-of-10 from 3-point range for the Spurs, who won Mondays Game 1, 122-105. He finished with 21 and Boris Diaw was the other San Antonio player in double figures with 11. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook didnt do nearly enough to make up for Ibakas absence. The MVP and his electric point guard netted just 15 points apiece on 16 and 24 shots, respectively. The other three OKC starters only scored four points between them. "Were disappointed in our performance. We have to make a few adjustments and come back better," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "We will continue to figure things out as a group like we always have done and come back Sunday and play a much better basketball game." The Thunder led 26-24 after the first quarter but were outscored 88-51 the rest of the way. The poor play has led to some blowups on the floor for OKC. At the end of the first half, when the game started getting out of hand for the Thunder, prior to a timeout, Westbrook and Durant got into a heated exchange. "I was just getting on Kevin about some stuff and he got on me right back," explained Westbrook. "And thats what teammates do. Thats what leaders do. We get on each other, we come back and we talk about it, and then we come out like nothing ever happened." The two have combined to shoot 35-for-80 from the field in the first two games. Westbrook has taken 10 more shots than the league MVP. Game 4 will be Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. ' ' '