SAN ANTONIO -- Somehow, some way, the San Antonio Spurs seem to have discovered
a secret that every team in the league desperately searched for all season long.
Brett Favre Falcons Jersey . They have
figured out a way to slow down LeBron James. Whether its Kawhi Leonards
incredible wingspan, Danny Greens dogged determination or a stash of kryptonite
that Tim Duncan happened upon while taking a walk along the banks of the San
Antonio River, its working. And yet the Spurs return home for Game 3 of the NBA
Finals on Tuesday night perhaps feeling lucky to have earned a split in Miami.
James is averaging a pedestrian 17.5 points and has posted his two lowest point
totals in the post-season during the finals. One would think thats a recipe for
a commanding 2-0 series lead. But San Antonio needed an incredible shot from
Tony Parker with 5.2 seconds to play in Game 1 to hold off a charging James,
then got blown out in Game 2 on Sunday night even though the four-time MVP
scored 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting. "Obviously, LeBron is unbelievable,"
Parker said after the 103-84 loss to the Heat that evened the best-of-seven
series at one game apiece. "Hes going to score. But right now the other players,
they are playing great, too. So we cant have both." James shot an astounding
56.5 per cent during the regular season and made 103 3-pointers -- the first
time in league history someone has made that many 3s while shooting a percentage
that high. The improved shooting has made the 6-foot-8, 250-pound freight train
almost impossible to guard this season, and had the Heat confident that their
star player had the antidote for any type of defensive approach against him. The
last time the Spurs were in the finals in 2007, they won their fourth title over
the Cleveland Cavaliers by daring James to shoot the jumper in an all-out effort
to keep him from attacking the rim. It worked beautifully when James shot an
abysmal 35.6 per cent in a four-game sweep. The Spurs have essentially used the
same approach this time around, with Leonard and Green sharing time on him and
Duncan and Tiago Splitter crashing to double every time James even thinks about
coming into the paint. And so far, that efficiency that he showed in the regular
season hasnt been there. James had a triple-double in Game 1, but only scored 18
points on 16 shots in the 92-88 loss. He is shooting just 41.4 per cent from the
field, is 2 for 8 from long range and has only attempted six free throws in the
first two games, monumental achievements against the most dominant player in the
game. "I know I attract a lot of attention," James said. "This team has been set
up the right way where when I do attract attention, we have guys that can make
plays." In Game 1, Dwyane Wade kept the Heat in it with 17 points in the first
three quarters and Ray Allen hit three 3-pointers before Parker bailed the Spurs
out with the shot of these playoffs. In Game 2, it was Mario Chalmers 19 points
and three big 3s from Mike Miller that helped fuel a 33-5 run and put San
Antonio away early in the fourth quarter. "I think LeBron is the type of player
that you have to pay a lot of attention to," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said.
"And its not something that happens that often that he scores less than 20. But
I dont think that was the difference why they beat us so badly in the second
half." Thats the biggest problem for these Spurs. They have done what many
viewed as impossible. They have stopped LeBron James from scoring. And still,
when the two teams boarded their respective planes to head for San Antonio, the
defending champion Heat were the ones walking with a renewed swagger, with new
life. The Spurs havent hosted a finals game since 2007. Theyre going to need the
energy, the juice, the charge that should come from a passionate fan base eager
to once again see the only show in town playing on the biggest stage. Because
theyve thrown everything theyve got at James in the first two games. And wouldnt
you know it, its worked pretty darn well. Yet there they were on Sunday night,
staggering out of American Airlines Arena, their victory in Game 1 a distant
memory. Instead, the realization was creeping in that theyve done as well as can
possibly be expected against the leagues brightest star, and still they need to
do so much more to stop James and the Heat from running away from them the way
they have run away from everyone else for the last two years. "It wasnt just
LeBron attacking us or getting those 13 points," Ginobili said of James
awakening during the game-deciding run. "It was just the whole Miami team was
killing us. ... So its not just that he turned it on. It was Miami that turned
it on."
Jalen Collins Falcons Jersey . P.A. Parenteau
scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday
night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best
ever start.
Paul Worrilow Falcons Jersey . Houston won
3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in
the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston
players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie.
http://www.falconsprofansonline.com/ . The
winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked
about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things
will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors.VALENCIA, Spain --
Mikhail Youzhny claimed his 10th career title by beating top-seeded David Ferrer
6-3, 7-5 Sunday to win the Valencia Open. The 31-year-old Russian dominated the
No. 3-ranked Ferrer throughout, breaking the defending champion and local
favourite four times on the indoor hard court. Youzhny picked the Spaniard apart
with well-placed ground strokes early on, breaking twice to take the first set.
Ferrer appeared to have recovered with a break in the second, but Youzhny broke
back and the Spaniard then started to berate himself after each miss. Youzhny,
meanwhile, methodically kept hitting his shots and broke Ferrer a final time to
go up 6-5 before serving out the match. "It was a great week for me and a great
touurnament," Youzhny said.
Vic Beasley Falcons Jersey. "It was a great
atmosphere. I felt nobody was against me, of course they were for David, but
when I played well they applauded me." It was his second title of the season
after winning at Gstaad in July. Youzhny finished runner-up here to Andy Murray
in 2009. Ferrer was vying to add to his three titles at Valencia, which is close
to where he was born. After winning titles in Auckland and Buenos Aires, Ferrer
has now lost six straight finals. "Losing at home hurts more," Ferrer said. "He
served well, and I was lacking energy. I needed to return better and move the
ball around more. In the second set I had more opportunities, but only at the
start."
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