Carson Wentz lunged to his right and then backpedaled to avoid a rush. After darting forward again Colts Quenton Nelson Jersey , he quickly rolled to his right and took off down the sideline at full speed.

The only reminder Saturday that the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was returning from knee surgery was the brace attached his left leg.

"Obviously he's got some of that Kobe Bryant (stuff) in his knee," defensive end Michael Bennett said with a smile, referring to the offseason knee treatment in Germany the NBA great used to receive. "He probably went to Germany or Switzerland or some (stuff), because he's looking really good out there."

How upbeat were the Eagles after Wentz went through 11-on-11 drills with the starters at the first padded practice of training camp? Coach Doug Peterson interrupted new offensive coordinator Mike Groh's press conference with the key question for the Super Bowl champions.

"I know you don't want to put a timetable on Carson, but what's your timetable?" Pederson asked, smirking.

"Great question," Groh said.

Wentz sure looked close to ready, if not already there Cheap Shaquem Griffin Jersey , during a humid morning practice. Barely seven months removed from tearing the anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee, Wentz participated in full team drills without limitations. While he tossed two interceptions, he drew rave reviews from his teammates and coaches for his arm strength, accuracy and mobility.

"He's in the right frame of mind. He's making some good throws," Groh said. "As you can see, we're pretty good on defense. Those guys are making it challenging for us on offense, particularly early, first day in pads."

Wentz dazzled in 13 games last season Broncos Josey Jewell Jersey , throwing for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. The Eagles led the NFL in scoring and were 11-2 after Wentz went down on Dec. 10.

Behind backup Nick Foles, the Eagles went on to win their first NFL title. But it's clear that even though Foles was the Super Bowl MVP, Wentz will become the starter again when he's ready.

"When you're rehabbing something, it's not an exponential line. It's not you're slowly getting better and then you rapidly accelerate," tight end Zach Ertz said. "There's going to be times in training camp probably where he doesn't feel great or his knee doesn't feel great and they'll back him off."

Because of that, the Eagles remain tight-lipped about whether they expect Wentz under center for the season opener Sept. 6 against Atlanta. It's also uncertain if he'll appear in a preseason game. Wentz didn't speak to reporters after the 2 1/2-hour workout.

"To have everybody out there, Carson there Rich Hill Los Angeles Dodgers Jersey , in some people's minds is ahead of schedule," Groh said. "But I know this was his target date. So we're happy to have him out there working. It's only going to make everybody better."

NOTES: With several receivers banged up and not practicing, including Alshon Jeffery and Bryce Treggs, the Eagles signed WR DeAndre Carter. The move gives the Eagles the maximum 90 players. ... The team displayed the Lombardi Trophy in a glass case outside the practice fields, allowing fans to snap pictures while standing next to it.

The Raiders spent the first two days of the NFL draft maneuvering up and down and they may not be finished wheeling and dealing.

Heading into Saturday, coach Jon Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie still have six picks remaining 鈥?a fourth-rounder, two in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. And they still have several holes to fill Kyle Long Bears Jersey , most of them on the defense.

Having added help on the defensive line, the Raiders may be tempted to look for additional help at linebacker and cornerback, where the team is particularly thin. Both were positions the team went into the offseason looking to upgrade.

Oakland may also be looking to acquire a punter after releasing Marquette King in the offseason.

__

.

No Avonte Maddox Jersey Eagles , Vance Joseph never felt as if he was drinking out of a firehose when the Denver Broncos stumbled through a 5-11 season in his first year as head coach last year.

That’s how general manager John Elway has repeatedly described what it must have been like for a first-year head coach in the NFL.

”That’s not my personality, so I didn’t feel that way,” Joseph told The Associated Press. ”My focus was purely on trying to flip it and get us back on a winning path. I think being a young head coach and being a young coach is a different deal. I’m not a young coach. I’ve been a part of teams that have gone through adversity so I kind of knew what the issues were.”

Turnovers.

A sieve of an offensive line.

Locker room rifts.

A lack of chemistry, the byproduct of another protracted quarterback competition.

Still, ”I think overwhelmed, that’s not the word,” Joseph said.

Denver’s dive, which included eight losses by double digits, was a shock to a city and a franchise that had a ticker-tape parade just two years earlier, and Elway acknowledged that he pondered firing Joseph at season’s end.

”That’s the direction I want to go, but it’s my responsibility to think about other options to see what would be best for the football team,” Elway said in January. ”We thought about different options, but ultimately, my goal was to stick with Vance and give him that shot.”

Elway Tre'Quan Smith Jersey Elite , who had riled up his players by calling them soft during an eight-game skid, said he shared in the blame for Joseph’s deficient debut and needed to surround him with better personnel.

Joseph replaced nearly half of his coaching staff while Elway embarked on a massive roster upgrade .

He signed quarterback Case Keenum in free agency and all 10 members of his ballyhooed 2018 draft class spent four years in college and most were captains. That’s a far cry from the previous two classes that were loaded with raw athleticism, long-term projects and plenty of question marks.

Joseph seems much more comfortable in his second season.

”I don’t see it as a do-over. It’s hard in this league. You don’t get do-overs, unfortunately. But it’s a new year and obviously last year wasn’t good enough,” Joseph said.

The hands-off philosophy Joseph brought to Denver last year has vanished.

”I think it’s a fine line between micromanaging and coaching coaches. And I didn’t want to ever be micromanaged as an assistant coach because in my mind I was doing the best I could for that head coach and the best I could for that football team. And I took great pride in coaching my guys and being the best group on the field every day in the meeting rooms or on the field,” Joseph said.

”So, in my mind every coach would feel that way and every coach would want to coach that way. So, I was cautious in interrupting coaches’ drills, interrupting coaches’ ways of doing things because I had an experienced staff.”

That led to the notion that Joseph was still acting like an assistant coach last year while offensive coordinator Mike McCoy continued operating as though he were still a head coach before getting fired at midseason.

Joseph vehemently denies that was the case.

”I thought Mike did a great job every week of accepting his role and we talked every week about the game plan, so that’s not true,” Joseph said.

”I worked for a lot of coaches who didn’t micromanage me, Gary Kubiak, Marvin Lewis, great guys who have won a lot of games. So Panthers Game Jerseys , that’s not true. Our staff last year we discussed every game plan that we put forward and again it was the best thing for our players at the time.

”So, our thought process early on was to be an explosive offense. We were 3-1. It wasn’t perfect. But it was working. Now, turning the ball over, not protecting the quarterback, those things affected how we played on offense. But not Mike trying to be in total control, that’s not true.”

Still, Joseph said he has to coach his coaches better, and by that, he means challenging them.

”I don’t coach the receivers, I don’t coach the running backs or offensive line. I’m a defensive backs guy, I’m a defensive guy. So, I think asking the right questions and triggering more thought process on how we can do things better. Or simply seeing it differently than the coach and saying, `Why don’t we do it that way?”’ Joseph said.

”Now, I can be wrong Alex Cappa Jersey Elite , but I think simply asking more questions is a simple way of helping the coaches get better and helping our football team get better and not letting anything slide.”

Joseph realizes he won’t get another chance if things don’t change.

”Winning football games is a must this year,” he said. ”We have to do that. That’s why they hired me.”

And why Elway stuck with him.

—

Bills defensive end Lorenzo Alexander is ready to give rookie first-round pick Josh Allen the benefit of the doubt based on how apologetic the former Wyoming quarterback has been acknowledging a series of racially insensitive tweets he posted while still in high school.

Alexander, a respected team leader, expects his teammates to do the same and provide Allen a fair opportunity to clear the air.

"He has shown maturity to own it. He wrote those words. He's not using a cop-out," Alexander said Friday.

"I think the biggest thing now is to earn the respect of his teammates by the way he comes in and works. And when guys ask him, just being open and honest about it," he added. "And I think most guys will accept his answer based on who he is."

Allen agreed when informed of Alexander's comments, and is eagerly awaiting the opportunity.

Twice repeating the phrase "as soon as possible," Allen called it important to apologize for what he posted and show Bills players who he is today.

"It's something that I wouldn't be afraid or ashamed of doing," he said upon arriving at the team's facility a day after Buffalo traded up five spots in the NFL draft order to select Allen with the seventh pick.

"I put it on my shoulders," he added. "I made a mistake and I just want them to know who I am, because once they get to know who I am, I think they're going to like what they see."

Allen traveled to Buffalo along with fellow first-round draft pick, Tremaine Edmunds. The Bills traded up six spots to select the Virginia Tech linebacker with the 16th pick.

The trades left Buffalo with just the 96th pick on Friday Jorge De La Rosa Jersey , with which they selected Stanford defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 307 pounds and was a two-year starter with the Cardinal. Phillips led Stanford with 103 tackles while adding 7 1/2 sacks and earned first-team Pac-12 honors in his senior season last year.

Phillips will have a chance to develop in Buffalo on a defensive line that features two veteran starters in Kyle Williams and offseason free-agent addition Star Lotulelei.

Allen has been the focus of attention since Wednesday night, when Yahoo Sports reported the quarterback sent the now-deleted tweets in 2012 and 2013. They contained racially insensitive language and offensive statements.

He has repeatedly apologized for the posts, while saying he was "young and dumb" in parroting rap lyrics and catchphrases from TV and pop culture.

Allen also expressed relief in how the Bills stuck by him in making him only the franchise's fourth quarterback to be drafted in the first round. The selection only happened after general manager Brandon Beane spent much of Thursday speaking with Allen, his coaches and former teammates to be reassured of the player's character.

Allen acknowledged becoming emotional during a half-hour phone conversation with Beane.

"I just really wanted him to know the type of person I was," he said. "I was embarrassed by everything that happened. It's something that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy."

Coach Sean McDermott said he consulted with his team leaders once Allen's tweets became public, while informing them of the possibility of the quarterback being selected.

"We take these things seriously in respect to adding any player," McDermott said. "And when this came up, it went to another level."

Alexander said the Bills established a strong leadership group last year in confronting various issues 鈥?from a major roster overhaul to finding consensus on how to handle anthem protests. They finished 9-7 to end a 17-year playoff drought which the longest active streak in North America's four major professional sports.

Alexander said Bills defensive end Eddie Yarbrough vouched for Allen after the two played together at Wyoming in 2015.

"I respect Eddie and his opinion," Alexander said. "So I would be foolish not to extend grace in getting to know this young man who's coming into our locker room."

It wasn't lost on Alexander, either, that the Bills previously welcomed Richie Incognito after the offensive guard was out of football for 18 months following his role in the Miami Dolphins' bullying scandal in 2013. Incognito became a Bills leader before abruptly announcing his retirement this month.

"I don't see why this situation can't be any different," he said.

"I think we have a strong locker room. We have leaders who promote healthy conversation," Alexander said. "We will move past this. And we'll look back and it won't even seem like it was as big as it was made out to be."

.

Alexander Radulov sent a sigh of relief through the arena on Tuesday night.

Radulov scored 40 seconds into overtime as the Dallas Stars beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 to end an eight-game winless streak.

On a two-man breakaway Youth Sam Hubbard Jersey , Tyler Seguin passed from the right side across to Radulov, who beat Philadelphia goalie Petr Mrazek for the game-winner.

”I was going in shooting the whole time,” said Seguin, whot got his 500th career point on the play. ”but when I knew it was Radulov and the goalie was probably all over me. I knew he wasn’t going to miss that.”

The Stars were 0-6-2 during their longest stretch without a win since moving to Dallas in 1993. With five games left, the Stars are five points out of the Western Conference’s final playoff berth.

Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock felt the reaction.

”For everybody it’s relief, and now you can move forward,” he said. ”We can’t live on frenetic effort every shift with no structure. … Today didn’t have much structure in it.”

Seguin had two assists and Radulov had one. Kari Lehtonen stopped 31 shots to end a personal seven-game winless streak.

”It wasn’t a pretty one today, but Kari had some huge saves, you know,” Radulov said. ”The guys blocked shots, and at some point we had luck too.”

Philadelphia extended its points streak to six games (3-0-3) and remained two points ahead of New Jersey for the Eastern Conference’s top wild card.

”We don’t like the way we gave up the second point, which we do too much in OT,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. ”Sometimes when you try to do too much 3-on-3 things like that happen.”

Radek Faksa had the game’s first goal just past midway into the first period for Dallas and Brett Ritchie tied it 2-2 on the power play midway through the second.

In between, Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov scored for Philadelphia Martin Fehervary Capitals Jersey , with Shayne Gostisbehere assisting on both goals. For 38 minutes after that, Lehtonen gave up nothing.

”Things have been tough and now we just kept going and get rewarded at the end, so it was sweet,” Lehtonen said. ”The fun part was that they were getting shots and I was able to keep making the saves. It goes to focus on the next shift and believe that we are gonna get that one or two chances, able to score a goal.”

Mrazek made 20 saves for the Flyers.

Until Radulov scored, there wasn’t much indication that Dallas could win.

”We had five people for 2 1/2 periods staring at the puck and all moving towards the puck, trying to help,” Hitchcock said. ”It’s a little bit like kids’ soccer.”

Faksa scored with 9:10 remaining in the first. Antoine Roussel’s shot from above the left faceoff circle went wide left, bouncing off the boards and out to Faksa at the right of the net. He put in a backhand off Mrazek’s left skate as the goalie scrambled to get back to that side.

Konecny tied it with 3:09 left in the opening period with a wrist shot from just inside the right circle that went under the crossbar.

Dallas had seven of the first eight shots on goal, but Philadelphia outshot the Stars 10-3 for the remainder of the first period.

The Flyers took the lead just 2:03 into the second. Wayne Simmonds passed to Provorov in the slot. Before he fell to the ice, Provorov put a wrist shot inside the left goalpost.

It took the Stars just 19 seconds into their first power play of the second to tie it. Standing just to the left of the net, Ritchie tipped in Radulov’s shot from the right circle.

NOTES: Konecny has 17 of his 23 goals in the last 31 games. … Claude Giroux’s assist on Konecny’s goal was his eighth in the last four games and 66th of the season. … Radulov reached 40 assists for the first time in his career. … Before Ritchie’s goal, Philadelphia had killed 12 of 13 penalties over six-plus games.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Finish a three-game trip on Wednesday at Colorado.

Stars: Visit Minnesota on Thursday before returning for the home finale on Saturday vs. the Wild.

So far the trade for Chris Paul to give the Houston Rockets another superstar to help James Harden has worked famously.

Now the two, who have both had their fair share of playoff disappointments Geron Christian Color Rush Jersey , will try to carry their regular-season success into the postseason when the Rockets open a first-round series with Minnesota on Sunday night.

The guards have been effusive in their praise for one another, with Harden recently joking that his relationship with the nine-time All-Star was ”love at first sight.” Paul didn’t go quite that far, but a huge smile crossed his often serious face when asked how their pairing has worked.

”Unbelievable,” he said. ”You just (don’t) get this opportunity too often in a career to play with somebody like James … you get a chance to appreciate greatness.

”What he’s doing on a nightly basis and stuff like that, it’s crazy and I’m in awe,” Paul continued. ”I’m grateful I get to play alongside him.”

When told of what Paul said about him, Harden was quick to answer.

”You can tell,” he said. ”It feels like it’s been forever but it’s not even been a year yet.”

Their work in the regular season led the Rockets to a franchise-record 65 wins, their first No. 1 seed and sixth straight playoff appearance. They are looking to win the title for the first time capturing back-to-back championships in 1994-95.

For the 32-year-old Paul, it’s a chance for him to finally shake off years off playoff woes after making nine playoff trips without advancing past the second round. But if he is haunted by the ghosts of playoffs past, he wouldn’t acknowledge it and was dismissive when asked if he thought this was his best chance to win it all.

”I don’t know,” he said. ”I don’t think about all that.”

What he and the Rockets do know is that they’re facing a talented team in the eighth-seeded Timberwolves, who had to win their last regular-season game to get into the postseason. They ended the NBA’s longest active playoff drought with their berth, putting them back in the postseason for the first time since 2004 when they lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

Getting the Timberwolves into the playoffs is a huge accomplishment for the entire team David Justice Jersey , but might mean just a little more to star Karl-Anthony Towns, who made a vow the night Minnesota selected him with the top overall pick in the 2015 draft.

”It means more than I think words can express honestly,” he said. ”I made a promise to … Flip Saunders and it meant a lot to me that I was able to keep my word.”

Some things to know as the Timberwolves and Rockets open their series:

BACK HOME

The series is a homecoming for Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler, who grew up in Tomball, a suburb about 35 miles from downtown Houston. But he insists he won’t have any time to get back out there this week.

”Nope,” he said. ”Zero (time). I ain’t even going home. I’m here to work.”

But he did spend a little time on Saturday reminiscing about his high school days when he idolized a former Rockets star.

”I used to walk around the hallways and in the gym thinking I was Tracy McGrady,” he said. ”I remember it like it was yesterday. He was my favorite player. I wanted to wear his number, wear his tennis shoes, all of that good stuff.”

Butler, who returned on April 6 after missing 17 games with a knee injury, said he’s fully recovered from his injury and is ”well-rested” entering the playoffs.

PLAYOFF HISTORY

This is the second time these teams have met in the playoffs. Their other meeting came in Minnesota’s first trip in 1997, when the Timberwolves were swept in three games. That Houston team was led by Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley, and the Wolves featured Kevin Garnett Authentic Will Dissly Jersey , Stephon Marbury and Tom Gugliotta.

LIMIT KAT FROM LONG RANGE

The Rockets are resigned to the fact that Towns, who led the NBA in double-doubles, will get his points under the basket and plenty of rebounds.

”He’s going to get a double-double,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. ”That’s who he is.”

However, they are not OK with letting him shoot 3-pointers. The 7-foot Towns ranked 14th in the league with a 42 percent average from 3-point range and knocked down a career-high 120 3-pointers this season.

”We (can’t) leave him open or let him walk into a 3 because we’re not guarding him,” D’Antoni said. ”We have to be aware of that. You can’t take away his post-ups and his moves in there. He’s going to score on anybody, but you can do a really good job on the 3s.”

HARDEN’S MOTIVATION

Despite finishing as the runner-up for MVP last season and being a front-runner for this year’s award, Harden still faces plenty of criticism for some of his past performances in the playoffs, notably, a terrible performance in an embarrassing 114-75 elimination loss to San Antonio in the conference semifinals last season.

But he has never been motivated by criticism, and he finds his drive in a far different place.

”Just going out there and being the best that I can be,” he said. ”There’s no negativity that someone can say that can motivate me. Some people can get motivated by that. I don’t really care.”

—

.

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers kept hoping Eric Sogard would find a way out of his funk and return to the form that made him a key component to last year’s surprising team.

It never happened and the Brewers finally ran out of time and roster space Tre'Quan Smith Color Rush Jersey , leaving no choice but to designate the 32-year-old for assignment when Tyler Saladino was activated from the disabled list Thursday.

With Jonathan Villar unable to reproduce his 2016 magic, Sogard provided a spark atop Milwaukee’s lineup last season. He batted .273 with a .393 on-base percentage in 94 games and signed a $2.4 million deal to return to Milwaukee in 2018.

But he got off to a painfully slow start and saw his playing time diminish even further as Villar showed improvement at second base. Through 55 games this season, Sogard was batting .134 with a .241 OBP and .165 slugging percentage.

With Tyler Saladino returning from the disabled list and recently promoted Brad Miller swinging a hot bat, Sogard became the odd-man out.

“Eric got in a little slump, had some bad luck, and he could never get out of it,” manager Craig Counsell said. As we’re getting healthier Raiders Cheap Jerseys , we kind of ran out of space. He’s made a big contribution here, and was a real pro throughout all of this in how he prepared and provided us value.”

Counsell’s squad extended its winning streak to four games with a victory in the series opener and will try to move 18 games above .500 for the first time since the 2014 season Friday as it continues a four-game series with the Braves at Miller Park.

Rookie right-hander Freddie Peralta gets the nod for his sixth career start. He earned his first career loss in his last outing but still made a good impression, putting up zeroes for four innings after allowing three runs to score before recording an out in an 8-2 loss to the Reds on Sunday in Cincinnati.

“I thought he handled it very well,” Counsell said. “That’s a game where we’re probably two hitters from probably removing him from the game, and then he goes five innings and keeps us in the game.”

Peralta has been magnificent otherwise since returning for a second big league stint June 19. He’s 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts and has struck out 22 batters while walking only four in 18 innings.

He also made a pair of starts for the Brewers in May and takes the mound Friday with a 3-1 record and 2.28 ERA overall.

Right-hander Mike Foltynewicz gets the nod for the Braves, as he tries to lock down a spot on the National League All-Star team.

Foltynewicz has an 0.87 ERA over his last nine starts, holding opponents to a .146 average during that stretch with 64 strikeouts in 52 innings.

Opponents scored more than one run against him in one of those outings and he’s held opponents scoreless in five of them Cheap Justin Bethel Jersey , including his last time out when the Cardinals managed one hit against him in five innings.

He credits his slider for the recent run of success.

“I’m really proud of how far that pitch has come,” Foltynewicz said. “I’ve been working like a dog on it the past couple of years, and it’s come a long way. I’m throwing it for strikes when I need to, especially in 3-2 counts. I get to 3-2 a lot, so it’s a good pitch for me.”

Foltynewicz has dominated the Brewers during his four seasons in the big leagues, posting a 1.48 ERA in four career starts against Milwaukee. He faced them twice last season, allowing two earned runs (five total) over 11 innings while striking out 15.

Jarvis Landry is now under contract with the Miami Dolphins Colts Braden Smith Jersey , easing the path to a potential trade.

The three-time Pro Bowl receiver signed his $16 million, one-year franchise tag Thursday, a person familiar with the situation said. The person confirmed the signing to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins hadn’t announced it.

The Dolphins have been shopping Landry, and the procedural move allows them to trade him as early as next Wednesday, when the NFL’s new year begins.

Miami gave Landry the franchise tag last month. He made $894,000 last season, when he led the NFL with 112 catches.

Landry has said he wanted to remain with the Dolphins Jason Sanders Jersey Dolphins , and they said they wanted him back. But the parties have been unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, and Landry’s volatile personality has become a cause for concern in Miami.

The franchise tag allows Landry to sign an offer sheet with another team. The Dolphins could match that offer, and if Landry leaves, they would receive two first-round picks from his new team.

More likely is another team working out a contract extension with Landry and then trading for him.

He has been selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls and has 400 career receptions, a record for a fourth-year player.

—

.

The Houston Rockets were up by 14 in the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors when they started missing from 3-point range. They shot themselves all the way from prime position to advance to the NBA Finals to the end of a solid season.

James Harden was the first to miss. Eric Gordon soon bricked one Jihad Ward Color Rush Jersey , and P.J. Tucker did the same. It was miss after miss after miss as the cold streak stretched to nine by halftime. There were 14 more in the third quarter in a surprising performance for a team that relied on the 3 all season. By the time Tucker connected with about 6 1/2 minutes left, the Rockets had missed an NBA-record 27 straight 3-pointers and the Warriors were on their way to a 101-92 victory.

Though Gordon believes the result would have been different if Houston had Chris Paul for the last two games of the Western Conference finals, saying: ”if he was out there, we’d have been playing on Thursday,” the rest of the Rockets agreed that even the nine-time All-Star probably couldn’t have changed things on a night their shooting was historically bad.

”It’s a grown man’s league,” Tucker said. ”It doesn’t matter, next man up. You’ve got to play. You’ve got to win. It doesn’t matter who plays, step up.”

The Rockets led the NBA by making an average of 15.3 3-pointers on their way to a franchise-record 65 wins in their second year in coach Mike D’Antoni’s high-octane offense. They made it to the conference finals for the first time since 2015, but were unable to overcome their worst shooting game of the postseason.

Houston made just 7 of 44 attempts in Game 7 on Monday night. Trevor Ariza was 0 for 9. Harden missed his last 11 tries in a 2-for-13 night, and Gordon connected on just 2 of 12 attempts.

”The first half, just our energy defensively was different. That created more opportunities for the 3 and they went in,” Harden said. ”As a result of that Steelers Game Jerseys , we got a double-digit lead going into halftime. Those same opportunities were there in the second half, we just didn’t make them. They made tough shots. That’s it pretty much.”

It was a bitter end to a sweet year for Houston.

Harden turned in an MVP-caliber regular season to help the Rockets get the NBA’s top seed for the first time in franchise history. Many doubted that he would play well with Paul after the point guard was acquired in a trade with the Clippers. But the two meshed nicely and helped the Rockets to a 3-2 lead in the conference finals before Paul’s season ended with a hamstring injury in Game 5.

”They were devastated … we thought we were so close,” D’Antoni said. ”We had it. We thought we had it. We had the first half … tip your hat to them, but at the same time guys gave everything they’ve got, so it’s normal to be devastated. I think they’re still proud of the work we did, but at the same time, it hurts.”

Now the Rockets have to figure out what it will take to get over the hump next year. They have some big decisions to make with Paul, Ariza and center Clint Capela eligible for free agency. Some believe Houston could make a run at LeBron James if he chooses to leave Cleveland, but the Rockets would have to make a lot of changes to their roster to be able to afford him.

D’Antoni didn’t want to get into what he thinks general manager Daryl Morey should do with the roster to improve this offseason.

”It’s way too early. That’s Daryl’s department,” he said. ”I love each guy. So it’s hard to even be objective, me to be objective. That’s the upstairs. That’s their job to be cold and objective, and do what they think is best for the team. Then once we get in the trenches Authentic Dalton Schultz Jersey , I’ll be happy with whoever we’ve got.”

But he knows the Warriors will continue to be the league’s benchmark and they’ll have to figure out a way to beat them if they hope to win a championship.

”Golden State has set the bar for the whole league, not just us. We know where we have to go,” he said. ”We feel like we’re really close … so I’m obviously optimistic because of the guys we’re dealing with, and they’re winners. You keep knocking on the door, and they’ll eventually open.”

—


Jon Gruden is football through and through. It doesn’t matter what level, what age, or where.

The former and now current coach of the Raiders displayed that again Tuesday by overseeing the distribution of funds and equipment to four Oakland youth football programs through the DICK’S Sporting Goods Sports Matter Program. Gruden has been a major spokesman for that initiative for more than four years.

In the afternoon at Raiders headquarters, Gruden presented grants of $15,000 to the head coaches of McClymonds High School and Oakland Tech. He invited the coaches of both teams to the Raiders main office for a ”special behind- the-scenes tour” and discussion of football in Oakland. When the tour ended, Gruden handed over the checks to the surprised coaches.

At night, coaches and players from the East Bay Panthers and San Leandro Crusaders headed to a ”friendly scrimmage” at Burrell Field. When the teams ran onto the field, they were stunned to see new football helmets Authentic Marshall Newhouse Jersey , pads, balls and water bottles laid out on the field for them.

Each league received a $50,000 grant.

”Being back in Oakland and getting back into coaching has only fired me up more to work with DICK’S Sports Matter program to help more kids have the opportunity to play,” said Gruden, who also gave the Panthers and Crusaders a pep talk. ”Like so many other cities in the U.S., we have an issue with youth sports funding here in Oakland. Costs are rising – kids can’t afford to play and coaches can’t afford to coach.

”Seeing these kids’ faces light up and knowing that sports will teach them so many valuable lessons they will carry with them off the field is really special.”

Gruden encourages other youth sports program struggling to get by ”to visit SportsMatter.org to apply for help.”

”If you give your absolute best effort on the field, the lessons that sports teach will stay with you forever, and help you to be your best in every part of your life,” he said.

Oakland has an 18.9 percent poverty rate, and the highest crime rate of any city in California.

Many areas in cities across the country need funding for their youth sports and school athletic programs. According to Up2Us Sports, a nonprofit whose research, training Adidas Carey Price Jersey , and on-the-ground initiatives empower sports programs to become an agent of positive social change, billions of dollars have been cut from school sports budgets in recent years. These cuts disproportionately impact students in low income areas, and students from low-income families are four times more likely to decrease participation in sports due to costs.

Student athletes have an 11 percent higher graduation rate than non-athletes, Up2Us Sports reports. The U.S. Department of Education adds that students who participate in sports are four times more likely to attend college.

DICK’S and its foundation created Sports Matter in 2014, pledging more than $50 million to support youth sports programs in need and raise awareness of the funding crisis. To date, Sports Matter has helped fund tens of thousands of youth sports programs and impacted hundreds of thousands of young athletes nationwide.

”It’s days like today that make it all worth it, and we can’t thank coach Gruden and DICK’S enough,” said Jacob Davis, president of the East Bay Panthers. ”We love these kids and know how important sports are to keep them off the streets and doing positive things in their lives. This money will go a long way in helping our leagues survive and thrive.”

—

.

A day before players report to training camp Logan Cooke Jersey Elite , the Arizona Cardinals have signed defensive ends Arthur Moats and Jacquies Smith to one-year contracts.

The 6-foot, 246-pound Moats has played eight seasons with Buffalo and Pittsburgh. He played in 14 games with the Steelers last season.

The 31-year-old lineman has played in 121 games, 45 as a starter, with 191 tackles, 16 1-2 sacks, four fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and 37 special teams tackles.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Smith played three seasons for Tampa Bay from 2013-17 and part of last season with Detroit. The 28-year old Smith has played in 31 games with 40 tackles Texans Jordan Akins Jersey , 13 1-2 sacks, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

The Cardinals also waived/injured defensive end Praise Martin-Oguike.

—


San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said Tuesday that the Sharks have had to work for everything they have accomplished this season. After an inconsistent start, the club reached 100 points for the first time since 2014.

However, through three playoff games, they have barely broken a sweat.

The Sharks look to complete a four-game sweep of the Anaheim Ducks in their first-round Western Conference series on Wednesday night at SAP Center in San Jose.

After taking the first two games in Southern California, San Jose scored four power-play goals and rolled to an 8-1 rout in Game 3 on Monday night at the Shark Tank.

San Jose has outscored Anaheim, 14-3, and is 6 for 17 with the man advantage in the series.

“One night it’s (Logan) Couture’s line. One night it’s (Joe) Pavelski’s line. One night it’s somebody else Authentic Orlando Brown Jr. Jersey ,” DeBoer said. “I think our group has played well the entire three games, just different lines have stuck pucks in the net at different times.”

Couture and Pavelski are tied for the team lead with five points apiece, while Evander Kane has a club-best three goals. Seven Sharks each have a minimum of three points in the series.

“You want to finish it at home in front of your fans, especially against a rival,” Couture said. “We know it’s going to be loud. We know they’re going to be energized.”

With the benefit of all four lines rolling, Martin Jones has been nearly flawless in net. The 28-year-old set a franchise postseason record for most saves in a regulation contest with 45 in Game 3 and has stopped 98 of 101 shots in the series.

“It’s not just the saves, it’s the timing of the saves,” DeBoer explained. “When you make saves at key times or the right times of the game Michael Gallup Jersey Cowboys , you just have that confidence as a group to try and make some more plays or take a chance here or there.”

Jones is one playoff win short of becoming the second player in team history with 20 victories, joining Evgeni Nabokov (40 postseason wins between 2000 and 2010.)

With their backs to the wall, the Ducks would appear to have no option but to come out flying in Game 4. Or do they?

“We have to take a singular approach, and focus on the first shift, first period,” coach Randy Carlyle said Tuesday.

A key to staying focused would be forgetting how Anaheim has gotten to this point — especially after a game in which it set a club record for most goals allowed in a playoff game.

“You can’t think about that game anymore,” defenseman Hampus Lindholm told the Ducks’ official website. “That’s in the past now. We just have to go out there for the fourth game. It’s going to be a do-or-die game for us. We’re going to compete as hard as we can.”

Lindholm is one of three goal-scorers in the series, along with Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg. Ryan Getzlaf Cowboys Connor Williams Jersey , Anaheim’s all-time playoff scoring leader with 120 points, has just two assists.

“We’ve got to create more chances and score more goals. And tighten up defensively,” defenseman Francois Beauchemin told the Los Angeles Times.

John Gibson has a 4.17 goals-against average and .882 save percentage in the series. While it’s almost a certainty that he’ll get the nod once more, backup Ryan Miller is 7-2-1 with a tie and a 1.78 GAA and .948 save percentage in his career in San Jose.

Game 5, if necessary, is set for Friday night in Anaheim.

.

Dear reader, I am not too proud to express to you that I spent a good portion of yesterday evening playing Fortnite inside bathtub. This happened as a result of my acquisition of a new phone.

I will likely ask for your indulgence beforehand, because I’m gonna effusively praise some consumer electronics. It was not furnished by the manufacturer, nor did I spend the site’s money. With all that taken care of, I think we can easily begin.

The Galaxy Note 9 is regarded as the obscenely over-the-top smartphone that's currently available on the market. It has no new ideas, and it also doesn’t feel particularly clever. It just takes all that exists in current phones and provides you much more of it. If anything, this feels as though the last hurrah of current phone technology; something is going to have to present if another manufacturer would like to compete when it comes to pure specs. I have a theory that a great many of the design decisions behind it exist just to slight Apple.
Do that suits you big screens? The Note 9 provides a 6.4-inch screen that’s so bright you would like sunglasses when you crank up. Anything larger can be nearly impossible to carry. There’s no notch, thank the software creator.
While Apple often usually design phones that concentrate on being thinner and lighter, Samsung is guessing that you just don’t mind a huge phone whether it means the car battery lasts forever. The 4,000 mAh battery provides a full day of use even when you’re playing graphically intensive games. It will stretch across 48 hrs of “normal” use, but this isn’t a cell phone for people with normal habits. I want to be capable of Fortnite Items use every feature so long as I want and now have enough juice to be handled by a podcast from the shower at the end in the day, by gosh someone has finally completed it.

Apple is famously stingy with storage, however the “entry-level” Note 9 is sold with 128 GB of storage, as well as Micro SD support in order to add Fortnite Materials much more.

It includes a standard headphone jack, which shouldn’t certainly be a question in new phones but is, many thanks to Apple.
It’s a tremendous, heavy phone that may be ridiculous and I find it irresistible.

I’m always astonished at how few phone manufacturers are prepared to really go for it with regard to larger batteries, considering that the difference in bit of mind is noticeable. I’m not doing mental math about how exactly much power I have left, regardless if I’m playing Fortnite and feeling the one thing heat up inside my hands.

It was all change at the very best of the UK all-formats chart for that week of January 20-27 as Lost Planet: Extreme Condition found its sources that are to Buy FIFA 19 Coins . The previous week's top achiever, Blizzard's World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, slipped into five, while football titles FIFA 07 and Pro Evolution Soccer 6 took second and third, respectively.

Wii Play rose seven places to four, even though other Wii-exclusive title, WarioWare Smooth Moves, dropped to 6. World Snooker Championship 2007 (World Pool Championship 2007 from the US) fell one destination for a seven, and Need for Speed Carbon did likewise, dropping to eight.

Another title that did well was the animated movie tie-in Cars, which found its in the past into the most notable 10 immediately in ninth place. Call of Duty 3 rounded things off at 10, down two from yesterday.

There were no new entries inside the highest 40 recently, but there's a handful of titles that ought to make some impact on FIFA 19 Coins in the near future's list. These include strategy game Europa Universalis III, arcade classics bundle Sega Megadrive Collection (Sega Genesis Collection from the US), and Atari's game version with the Arthur as well as the Invisibles film.

When a game gets big and popular, that success catches the eye of an individual who can do bad things. This isn't any different for Epic's popular shooter Fortnite. In recent weeks, many Fortnite players have posted on places like Reddit along with the Fortnite Items Epic Games forums to complain concerning accounts getting compromised. The posts detail different types of fraud, where charges for things such as V-Bucks (Fortnite's in-game currency) and also the paid base game Save the World were appearing despite players without having purchased those ideas.
In one instance, as reported by Kotaku, someone noticed charges of $150 and $100 on their own account. This person says they do not recognize how this happened. This person's plastic card data was stored on his Epic Games profile, though it truly is not clear should the breach came about there. Whatever the situation, Epic refunded this person's money.
In your firm stand out, Epic said it truly is aware of Fortnite accounts getting hacked using "well-known hacking techniques." Epic is dealing with affected players and may presumably offer refunds to players that can show their accounts were compromised. If you think you're hacked, Epic says you must contact player support instantly.
Additionally, it's a great idea to own two-factor authentication enabled in your account--here's tips on how to do that. Epic's general Fortnite Skins Account Security page covers much more of what it is possible to do and also hardwearing . account safe for instance never sharing passwords, use anti-virus software, whilst your PC around date.
In other Fortnite news, the 100-player Battle Royale is originating to cellular devices soon--you may sign up with the iOS test right this moment. For more, read this video to view how Fortnite looks on iOS.

The Dymocks Building is the most prominent place to fulfil all your Sydney wedding needs. We have a collection of more than 120 specialised store. Visit us for getting best wedding dresses, custom jewellery, men suits, bridesmaid dresses, engagement & wedding rings. Browse us to know more!

Remember those long nights outside Kerning City? Or the time if you and your friends would get together to complete the Moon Bunny’s Rice Cake quest just over and above Henesys? Well, you can have the nostalgia once more as Nexon’s Maplestory 2 is only around the corner!

Maplestory 2 took components from the classic game that played in early 2000s and brought it into your modern era of MMORPGs. Right off the bat, you will observe the change of aesthetics. The game has evolved from a pixel-generated graphical map in a 3D block-like environment, that seems comparable to Minecraft though with it's own charm and aesthetic.
The game differs from its predecessor and doesn’t promote heavy grinding to level up your characters. The quests shown in the game will first progress your character, making for some pretty quick leveling. These quests are a compulsory playthrough and eventually it does feel a lttle bit draggy as I started skipping cutscenes and Maplestory M Mesos dialogs in order to finish the quest and collect my rewards.

Talking about cutscenes, you will find way too many of those. In the first 10-20 minutes of my playthrough, 50 % of that time was spent just watching cutscenes. Of course, the alternative to skip them perhaps there is, but like a hardcore fan on the original, I wanted to make sure I didn't overlook any from the new story bits. As it is right this moment, it feels like the overall game tries too much to immerse me in the new Mapleworld together, when I really i would like to start playing the overall game and see all of it for myself.
The core gameplay mechanic of spamming spells and Maplestory M Mesos for sale healing pots through the original game were also removed. Now we have a "Spirit" bar instead in the usual "Mana" bar to carry out skills and spells. The bar recharges relatively fast, however we're limited by skill cool downs that are also a new thing. Unlike before where skills and spells may very well be spammed in our hearts content, now I found myself carefully timing my skill activations, rotating them wisely to completely maximize my character's damage output.

Healing in Fortnite is strange. It may seem somewhat counterintuitive, in case you elect to literally stand from the fire which a Cozy Campfire produces you will likely be treated with a fairly substantial heal, rather than third degree burns. With 50 health restored over 25 seconds in case you use it with the full duration, the Cozy Campfire is really a great solution for anyone quieter moments in Fortnite Items. While bandages and med kits are perhaps better saved for just a quick heal in a very tense situation, the Cozy Campfire is the solution for straightforward heals during downtime, and may certainly beneficial life in a very dire situation.
Of course almost always there is a method to be more efficient together with your healing options, or simply to work with them at Fortnite Skins an even more opportune time. It is not always obvious how to result in the best of the consumables, however these Fortnite campfire tips can certainly make sure you won't ever waste a healing flame again.

One in the surprising stories of FIFA 17 is the fact Lionel Messi will not be the global cover star. Messi has been about the series' covers to the past four years, but this current year, a different athlete is taken over. Publisher EA announced today which the German player Marco Reus has won the top's vote.

Reus plays with the German national team along with FIFA 19 Coins . He won probably the most of 3.one million votes cast inside the competition, beating Manchester United's Anthony Martial, Real Madrid's James Rodriguez, and Chelsea's Eden Hazard.

The FIFA 17 website proclaims, "Strong with either foot, lethal from the dead ball, and having a knack for scoring important goals, the German international has featured inside Bundesliga Team with the Year 4x and may be the heart and soul of his hometown club."

FIFA 17 launches on September 27 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. It'll add a host of brand new features and changes, for instance a story mode following a character Alex Hunter as they attempts to ensure it is big from the English Premier League. You can check out of the story trailer here and study our preview from FUT 19 Coins . The story mode will only be situated on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, however.

Fortnite’s latest update brings some interesting balance updates on the game and a few other changes which may have may have gone otherwise unnoticed the land scan the modification list. There are many changes that may seem small in the beginning, but interact in such a way that high-level as well as casual play may very well be changed significantly.

This is a fairly beefy update, and fan reaction was decidedly mixed ahead of the servers returned online so people could actually begin to see the changes in action. The question is how everything will hold up in the event the players stream in. It’s gonna take a little little time for every individual to play enough to acquire a sense depending on how strategies have changed, and those will stay precisely the same. Watching streams for few days is planning to be an outing.

Let’s examine some of the most important, or at best interesting, details in the patch notes.
The starting health of most building materials apart from Fortnite Items metal continues to be decreased, and metal build time has become increased to 25 seconds from 20. Even pickaxe harm to structures is increased.

Epic is open about needing to create new opportunities for late gameplay, and the changes show how serious they may be about decreasing turtling and upping the action.

The risk is the fact Fortnite’s building mechanic could Buy Fortnite Skins possibly be de-emphasized on the point where gunplay becomes a lot more important than building skill. It’s not easy to know how this will play out before best players have a 7 days to try things out.
Epic Games continues to be tinkering with Fortnite’s SMG selection since last week’s patch, and adding the Compact SMG using its 50 round magazine and 23-24 base damage is certainly about to mix things up. Combine this new gun with all the flimsier wooden walls described above and you could find yourself with a additional aggressive form of play being rewarded.

Which is amongst the entire point! But it’s one more way many of the character of Fortnite may very well be washed away. Players have to be able to construct a structure quickly and gain cover at least a 2nd or two, but it really seems like Epic is rebalancing the experience to turn that type of building into even more of a momentary respite.

When you finally enter the game world of Fortnite and compete with players from all over the world in Battle Royale mode, you will understand why this game can attract so many players. Fortnite relies not only on excellent game quality, but also on the variety of personality Fortnite Items and rich Fortnite Weapons systems in the game.
There are many special weapons in the game, and even legendary Fortnite Weapons. These Fortnite Weapons are not only rare and precious, but more importantly, they have powerful attributes that can make players stronger in battle, so all players want to get these Fortnite Items. In addition, the game also has a Fortnite Skins system, and the player can change the appearance of the character after obtaining the corresponding Fortnite Skins. These weapons and skins are hard to come by, and as more and more players become available, the demand for Fortnite Items and Fortnite Skins is even greater.
Fortunately, the arrival of MMOAH solved this problem. MMOAH is a highly experienced third-party game service provider and they have recently started serving Fortnite players. You can find any Fortnite Weapons, Fortnite Items or Fortnite Skins you want on their official website. Their prices are definitely the cheapest on the market, because their staff will update prices multiple times a day, so you don't have to worry about spending too much money. Once you have placed your order and paid for it, simply log in to the game and wait for a while, and their staff will contact you and hand over the Fortnite Items you need, usually no more than 10 minutes.
If you are worried about paying your money but can't receive your Fortnite Items, this is completely redundant. MMOAH has 24 hours online customer service, you can provide all your needs to customer service, they will solve all order problems for you. Still hesitating? Go to the official website of MMOAH and pick your Fortnite Skins!