t signal-caller Franklin recruited at Penn State won out i | Forum

SAN ANTONIO -- Moments after getting his championship ring on the night this NBA season opened last October, Mike Miller walked to midcourt, grabbed a microphone and addressed the delirious crowd. http://www.scarpeadidasshop.it/adidas-ultra-boost-prezzo.html . "The journey that starts tonight is going to be even more challenging," Miller said. At the time, Miller had no idea how prophetic those words would seem. Stuck on the Miami Heat bench for much of the year, laughing on the outside as little more than a coping mechanism designed to hide his frustration, Miller is getting plenty of time again in these NBA Finals. A star of last years title series -- he made his first seven 3-point tries of Game 5, the clinching win against Oklahoma City -- Miller is relishing the chance to contribute to perhaps a second straight championship. "Its definitely been a good experience, but weve got a lot of basketball left," Miller said. Miller made all three of his 3-point attempts Sunday night in Miamis 103-84 victory that tied the series against the San Antonio Spurs at one win apiece. Game 3 is at San Antonio on Tuesday night. If the current trend continues, Miller will be the first sub off the bench for coach Erik Spoelstra. Over a 2 1/2-month stretch earlier this season, Miller saw first-quarter minutes exactly once. Hes now gotten them in each of Miamis last three games, after taking the role that had been filled by Shane Battier, who was sent to the bench because of a shooting slump. "The little things," Spoelstra said when asked what Miller brings to the table. "He does a lot of those things. Very similar to Shane. Some of those things dont show up in a box score, but his effort, his hustle, extra efforts, closeouts. He has a knack for being around the ball. If you see a collision or loose ball, Mike likely is involved with it somehow, some way. You add all those up, those are winning plays." And he still can shoot, which helps. Millers three shots from Game 2 might not seem like much, but they all came at key times. His first gave Miami a lead in the second quarter, and his two others helped fuel what became a 33-5 run. Miller was on the floor for all but the very first field goal in that massive Heat spurt. He replaced Dwyane Wade with 3:11 left in the third quarter, with the Heat up 63-62 pending a free throw by Mario Chalmers. When Wade returned and Miller came out with 7:43 left to play, it was 91-67. Wades locker is next to Millers, and at least once this year, Wade asked Spoelstra to find Miller some more minutes. The way Wade sees it, having Miller around without a spot for him to play has been "an amazing luxury" for the Heat this season. "I love it. I love seeing Mike Miller on the floor," Wade said. "Im just as excited to see him as I am when Im on the basketball court, because I know what he can bring to this team. And not even just his ability to shoot the ball, but his ability to rebound. Mike is an underrated playmaker as well." The problem with Millers time has been that hes playing behind guys like Wade, Battier and Ray Allen. Good luck cracking into that rotation. Spoelstra was up-front and direct with Miller from the outset. "He told me from the beginning," said Miller, who entertained retirement talk after battling about a half-dozen injury issues last season but is now feeling as good as he has in years. "If you look around this locker room, Im playing behind three Hall of Famers. So hes told me from the beginning that its going to be spot and when he calls on my number Ive just got to deliver." The Heats "Little 12" -- as they tend to call themselves in a nod to Miamis "Big Three" of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh -- have been delivering. "Thats when theyre at their best. Thats when every team is at their best," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "When the perimeter is making shots, when the bench is playing well, when you have a lot of contributors, that helps you win basketball games." Look for more of it in Game 3. Obviously, and wisely, the Spurs defensive game plan will revolve around James, Bosh and Wade. And what just about every team has encountered over the last three years is the pick-your-poison problem of either overloading on Miamis superstars and playing off the role players, or trying to play someone like James 1-on-1 and rolling some very tricky dice. "When Mike gets the ball, our shooters got the fluorescent light on our team," James said. "Theyre not even allowed to pass. When Ray and Mike get the ball, they have to shoot it. No matter how close the defenders are, they have to shoot it. When you have that leeway and that confidence, you just have to let it go." Its expected that the Heat will try to address their luxury-tax issues over the summer, and Miller knows that hes making too much money -- about $13 million over the next two years -- to have his game-night attire essentially adhered to the bench. He could be traded. He could be the player the Heat cut loose through their still-available amnesty provision. Or he could stay. All that might get sorted out in the coming weeks. For now, theres a second ring for Miller to chase. "Ive got a lot of basketball left," Miller said. "Its the best Ive felt in five years. That might have something to do with the fact I havent played. Sometimes theres some light at the end of the tunnel even when youre frustrated. So I feel great and, knock on wood, it stays that way." http:///...yeezy-boost-750.html . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. http:///...o/skneo-grinder.html . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. http:///...ezzo/lite-racer.html . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Redshirt sophomore Trace McSorley has earned the job as Penn States starting quarterback, coach James Franklin announced Wednesday night.McSorley will replace the Nittany Lions record holder in career passing yards, Christian Hackenberg, who declared early for the 2016 NFL draft and was taken in the second round by the New York Jets.It was definitely a relief and a weight off my shoulders, McSorley said after Wednesdays practice.McSorley served as Hackenbergs backup the last two seasons and impressed in the TaxSlayer Bowl when Hackenberg suffered a second-quarter injury and did not return. McSorley finished that game by going 14-of-27 for 142 yards and two touchdowns against Georgias No. 1-rated pass defense.The dual-threat quarterback also played well in the spring game, going 23-of-27 wiith four TDs. Adidas Neo Label Prezzo. While Franklin emphasized afterward that redshirt freshman Tommy Stevens was involved in an open competition with McSorley, the coach also acknowledged that McSorleys experience gave him a natural edge.Franklin said as recently as two weeks ago that Stevens was starting to gain ground on McSorley -- but the first signal-caller Franklin recruited at Penn State won out in the end.Its not one thing, Franklin said. Its a combination of factors. It was spring practice, it was meetings, it was the bowl game, it was being the backup quarterback for two years. It was everything.McSorley (6-0, 201 pounds) and the Nittany Lions open the season Sept. 3 vs. Kent State. Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '