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Geregistreerd op: 28 Dec 2018 Berichten: 421
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Geplaatst: 07-01-2019 07:18:06 Onderwerp: Serge Ibaka walked slowly and carefully, bu |
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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Serge Ibaka walked slowly and carefully, but without a limp, before facing reporters Saturday afternoon. Air Force 1 Clearance Sale . Much has been made of the Oklahoma City defensive stars absence in the first two games of the Western Conference finals series against the San Antonio Spurs. The 6-foot-10 power forward strained his left calf in the previous playoff series, and the Thunder said they expected him to be out for the playoffs. The team changed course Friday and declared him day-to-day. He worked out Saturday, but he didnt practice before addressing the media for the first time since his outlook changed. With Ibaka, the leagues leading shot blocker, the Thunder were one of the best defensive teams the NBA. Without him, the Spurs shot at least 50 per cent in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals and won them by a combined 52 points. As he stood for the five-minute session wearing a black compression sock over the calf, he deflected claims that he could be a saviour heading into Game 3 on Sunday. "Ive been hearing a lot of people saying my team lost two games because I was out," he said. "Thats not true. I believe in my guys. I believe in my teammates. They can be better with me or without me. Its no excuse because Serge Ibaka was not there. Just San Antonio, the first two games, they played better basketball." Ibaka said he sometimes screamed at his television set when he watched scenarios in which he could have made plays during the losses. He is not sure if he will play in Game 3 -- he said it is up to doctors, and much will depend on how he feels in the morning. For now, he will depend largely on rest, ice and luck. His presence is needed, even if he is less than fully healthy. Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Perry Jones have struggled against the Spurs big men. Kevin Durant, normally a small forward, has played some power forward in the series because of Ibakas absence, and his relative lack of physical strength and unfamiliarity with playing post defence has been exploited. The Spurs prepared all along as though he would return. "It gives them another hell of a player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "but we are who we are and weve got to be who we are. We cant change what we do." Even if Ibaka returns, it will not fully solve Oklahoma Citys problems defending the perimeter. San Antonio has made 18 of 40 3-pointers in the series and guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are slashing into the paint with stunning frequency, often scoring or finding their teammates for open shots. The Thunder say it starts with basics. "Its just an individual effort," Perkins said. "Got to put it in your mind that you want to stop the guy in front of you, and thats it. Backside got to be ready. But the thing is when they penetrate, thats what opens those threes. Well do a better job of keeping the ball in front of us, but weve just got to be individual and youve got to want the match up." To be fair, San Antonio shares the ball like no one else. The Spurs led the league with 25.4 assists per game during the regular season. That average is up to 27.5 against Oklahoma City. Parker and Ginobili generate many of the assists, but many others come from simple ball movement. "We dont have a Durant," Ginobili said. "We dont have a Kobe (Bryant) or LeBron (James) that can go one against one and finish every single time. We need to pass the ball to find open teammates, and thats what we do, and thats what weve been doing. We all feel proud about it. We know when we have 25 assists or 30, we are much better and we try to do that every time." Because the Spurs generally have five capable scorers on the floor at a time, it forces opponents to have a greater attention to detail than usual. "Theyve got threats," Durant said. "Everybody on their team is a threat because of their offence. They move the ball. Theyve got 3-point shooters. You take away 3-point shooters, they get the role guys and they get the paint points. You take away that and they start hitting the threes. So we have to do both. We have to be able to close the paint up and get out to shooters. Easier said than done, but we can do it." The Spurs are off to a good start, but experience tells them they wont have as easy a time in Oklahoma City. And in 2012, Oklahoma City fell behind San Antonio 2-0 in the Western Conference finals before winning the series 4-2. "Weve got to know that in their arena its going to be different," Ginobili said. "Theyre going to be way more aggressive, theyre going to be pushed by their fans. We just won two games. They are going to make more shots, they are going to attack harder, they are going to go to the free-throw line more.So, there are a lot of things that they can do much better and were not going to make as many shots." Nike Air Force 1 Wholesale Uk .C. - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Danny Granger, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem are still not ready to play and will miss Wednesday nights game against the Charlotte Hornets. Air Force 1 Clearance Uk . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. http://www.cheapairforce1uksale.com/ . Last year, Islanders forward Colin Mcdonald released a "Do It For Colin" campaign to promote his teammate and friend John Tavares for the EA sports honour:The most popular sports voting video ever has to go to Chris Bosh who showcased his comedic abilities in his effort to get fans to vote him into the 2008 All Star Game:You can vote for TJ and other star players for the NHL 15 cover vote here.Its no secret within the locker room that several members of the Vancouver Whitecaps love to dance. Youll have seen some quality evidence during the wildly successful campaign that surrounded their 40-year, 70s themed anniversary match in May. There have also been some impromptu dance parties involving the Latin-based players grooving to their preferred music sometimes in makeshift dance-halls, like a hotel business centre. So perhaps its appropriate that the Whitecaps as a team prefer a willing, and similarly skilled, dance partner when they pair up on weekends. The proof comes in the form of victories over New York, Houston, Portland, Columbus, Seattle and most recently, Kansas City. The common thread amongst those teams; their own desire to get forward and play. Conversely, teams like Chivas, Chicago and Montreal, ones that didnt appear in the mood to tango, obviously tripped up the Whitecaps rhythm. You could argue that those teams are equally devoid of a midfield maestro; the guy who can dictate tempo. Its an issue that could rear its head this Saturday in Los Angeles when Carl Robinsons young team visits the "Goats." One would think that teams without a dominant middle third would be over-run by the likes of Pedro Morales, Gershon Koffie and Mattias Laba. But thats not the way the story has unfolded for much of 2014. Midfield was where the Whitecaps ultimately won their seventh game against the likes of KCs talented Benny Feilhaber and Honduran World Cup participant Jorge Claros. It was Morales who dropped deep to accept the ball before launching what turned into the 17th minute own goal. Then 23 miinutes later, Labas foresight led to the perfectly executed counter that finished with Darren Mattocks slotting home from 18 yards. Cheap Air Force 1 Shoes Wholesale. But when Robinsons group is in the mood to hustle while the opponent wants to waltz, it puts a lot of pressure on the leader to freestyle. Morales would benefit greatly from the occasional bounce (as he did on Sunday) or the odd goal from a corner or free kick. They lost their dead ball specialist and proven poacher in the off-season, but in new centreback signing Kendall Waston, the Caps may have found a partial solution. The towering Tico has, by Costa Rican League standards, a simply outstanding goal scoring record. He is difficult to defend on dead ball opportunities, and will potentially remedy an area the Whitecaps have been deficient in since joining MLS. (Vancouver has just three goals from its centre backs in its 3+ year history). He will also aid in preventing those same types of goals from occuring in his own penalty area, where the Whitecaps have also been vulnerable. (Remember the late stages of the Amway Canadian Championship second leg vs Montreal, or the early second half of this years Chivas home game?) Look back since 2011 and its shocking how many points have been erased from those types of goals. Having someone whos willing to take the lead in either box like Waston might help the Whitecaps finally convert even a fraction of the dead ball chances theyve been creating. In doing so, opponents will be forced to drop their attacking inhibitions more often and join the dance party. Which is precisely when the Whitecaps seem to put their best foot forward. 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