chenyan94's blog

Jaren Jackson Jr.’s Summer League debut couldn’t have gone much better.

The same can’t be said for Trae Young.

Jackson Cheap Derrick Nnadi Jersey , the fourth pick in the NBA draft, outshined No. 5 overall pick Young in their first NBA action. The 6-foot-10 Jackson had 29 points and shot 8 of 13 from 3-point range to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat Young’s Atlanta Hawks 103-88 on Monday night in Salt Lake City.

Jackson hit his first two 3-pointers and was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc in the first half, including a buzzer-beater from midcourt to give his team a 47-41 lead. The 18-year-old Jackson showed the shooting stroke that made him a 40 percent 3-point shooter in college and scored 12 straight points during one stretch in the fourth quarter to help the Grizzlies pull away.

”I definitely felt hot at different spots during the game. If kind of felt surreal a little bit,” said Jackson, the team’s highest-drafted player since Hasheem Thabeet, who was No. 2 in 2009.

While Jackson was doing just about everything right, Young was having a miserable debut.

Young, who averaged 27.4 points last season for Oklahoma, missed all nine shot attempts in the first half, including six 3-pointers. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year, whose draft rights were swapped with Dallas for No. 3 pick Luka Doncic, struggled to recover after airballs on his first two shots and finished with 16 points on 4-of-20 shooting.

He was 1 of 11 from beyond the arc.

GRIZZLIES 103, HAWKS 88

Kobi Simmons had 19 of his 21 points in the first half and finished 8 of 13 from the field for Grizzlies Dallas Keuchel Jersey , while second-round pick Jevon Carter chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.

Tyler Dorsey led the Hawks with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Omari Spellman, one of Atlanta’s three first-round draft picks, had a solid showing with 11 points and six rebounds. Their other first-round pick, Kevin Huerter, did not play because of a wrist injury.

JAZZ 92, SPURS 76

Georges Niang scored 17 points, while first-round draft pick Grayson Allen had 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Jazz. Tony Bradley had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick White led the Spurs with 22 points and seven rebounds.

San Antonio’s top draft pick, Lonnie Walker IV, struggled in his debut, limited to seven points while shooting 3 of 16 from the field.

WARRIORS 79, HEAT 68

Kendrick Nunn had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Warriors in a game played in Sacramento, California.

Warriors first-round draft pick Jacob Evans did not play because of a bruised toe sustained in practice last week.

Derrick Jones Jr. had a big game for Miami with 24 points and 11 rebounds Authentic Mark Walton Jersey , including a monster two-hand dunk after slashing down the lane. Bam Adebayo added 14 points and 14 rebounds.

KINGS 98, LAKERS 93

Marvin Bagley III showed why he was the No. 2 pick, turning in a strong debut with 18 points and six rebounds on the Kings‘ home floor.

Harry Giles made a successful debut after being held out of last season with knee injuries. Giles, the 20th overall pick in 2017, was 6 of 10 from the field and finished with 13 points and three rebounds.

De’Aaron Fox had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Frank Mason had 16 points, including a key 3-pointer late to help seal the win.

Josh Hart had 23 points for the Lakers before being ejected from the game with 1:04 left and his team trailing by four after picking up his second technical for disputing a call. Rookie Moritz Wagner had 23 points and seven rebounds.

—

Kevin Durant stood calmly near midcourt – and a very familiar spot – as teammates Stephen Curry and Draymond Green screamed at him in celebration.

Another momentous shot for Durant.

And soon, probably another NBA championship.

Durant scored a career playoff-high 43 points, draining a long 3-pointer in the final minute to cap his magnificent performance, and the Warriors beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-102 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night to move within a victory of a sweep, their second straight title and third championship in four years.

The Warriors are on dynasty’s doorstep.

Afterward, the defending champs could be heard loudly celebrating inside their locker room, perhaps a warmup for a bigger party to come.

The Cavaliers Cheap Mike Gesicki Jersey , meanwhile, are in a hole that might as well be 6 feet deep. Teams that have fallen behind 3-0 in the playoffs are 0-131.

It might be time for the guys from Northern California to order some champagne from Napa Valley.

With the Cavs down 103-100, Durant stood defiantly and almost motionless after dropping his 33-footer – just a few feet from where he made one in Game 3 last year – and effectively ended the fourth straight finals matchup between two teams who have gotten to know each other well since 2015.

After Durant scored, Curry and Green rushed to his side and the trio walked back toward Golden State’s bench where the other Warriors were hugging and high-fiving.

As always Durant stayed cool.

”I don’t want to downplay anything, but I don’t want to act like this is the end of the road,” Durant said. ”So just get back to work tomorrow and figure out a better game plan.”

Durant said the similarity with last year’s shot – a moment that helped define his first championship – didn’t occur to him.

”No, not at all,” he said. ”I just took the shot.”

There was nothing James or the Cavs could do but think about what might have been after losing two games that were within their reach.

”Tonight will be tough,” said James, who scored 33 and rolled his right ankle in the first half. ”Tomorrow I’ll replay some plays and some moments and things of that nature. When I wake up Friday morning I’ll be locked in on the game plan of what needs to be done to help our team win. That’s just who I am.”

Golden State will now have four chances to wrap up its title starting with Game 4 on Friday night. The Warriors are trying to join a select list of teams to win three championships in four years.

Kevin Love added 20 points for the Cavs, who have fallen into a hole in which no team has ever emerged. Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Warriors in the 2016 finals, but that was when Durant was in Oklahoma City and James had a different supporting cast.

The Warriors won despite a 3-of-16 shooting performance from Curry, who did come up big down the stretch as the Cavs were trying to salvage their season.

Now Cleveland could be down to one final game with James Ryan McLeod Oilers Jersey , who recorded his 10th triple-double in the finals. The three-time champion can opt out of his $35.6 million contract and test free agency this summer, and it may be time for the 33-year-old to find a team capable of beating the Warriors.

These Cavs can’t figure it out.

Durant, who tilted this rivalry toward the West Coast when he signed with the Warriors as a free agent before last season, was brilliant from the start. He helped offset a rough night for Curry, who made a finals-record nine 3-pointers in Game 2, but was just 1 of 10 from behind the arc and didn’t score his second field goal until there were under three minutes left.

Curry’s scoop shot put the Warriors up 98-97 and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala, who didn’t play in Games 1 or 2 because of a knee injury, came up with a steal under the basket. Curry finally buried a 3 and after James matched him with a long shot, Iguodala drove the lane for a thundering dunk.

Moments later, Durant delivered his dagger to silence Cleveland’s crowd.

”No, that wasn’t the same shot,” James said when asked to compare Durant’s 3 to last year’s. ”The one he made tonight was about four or five feet behind the one he made last year. He’s an assassin. That was one of those assassin plays right there.”

Durant scored 24 in the first half, when the Warriors attempted 13 free throws to zero for the Cavs Cheap Kyzir White Jersey , a disparity that induced further wrath on the officials from Cleveland fans still stinging from the now infamous reversed call in Game 1.

James arrived at 6 p.m. dressed more casually – camouflage pants, purple hoodie, ”Billionaire Boys Club” baseball cap – than on the road where he and the Cavs have been wearing suits during the postseason.

Everything is more relaxed and familiar at home for James and his teammates, who were counting on a return to their own noisy building, where they play better and shoot better, to get them back into the series.

The Warriors had other plans.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Green passed Wilt Chamberlain (922) for the most rebounds in Warriors playoff history. … Klay Thompson played in his NBA-high 390th game over the last four seasons. Green is second with 387, while James is third at 381. … Curry has made a 3-pointer in 89 consecutive playoff games, and a record 43 on the road.

Cavaliers: Kyle Korver continued to struggle. He missed all four shots and is now 8 of 29 dating to Game 1 of last year’s Finals. … James (238) broke a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jab.

MILWAUKEE — Despite bolstering their lineup by adding Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich over the winter Sam Darnold Jets Jersey , runs have been hard to come by for the Milwaukee Brewers this season.

Except against the Philadelphia Phillies, that is.

Through the first four meetings between the two teams this season, Milwaukee has scored 40 runs and surpassed the 10-run mark in three of those contests, winning all three including a 13-2 decision Friday night.

The Brewers’ only loss to Philadelphia this season came last Sunday when right-hander Zach Eflin (3-2, 3.63) held them to a pair of runs over six innings as the Phillies avoided a sweep with a 4-3 victory at Citizens Bank Park.

“I go out every outing with the intent for it to be my best, but especially when you have a team that beats us twice in a row, you really kind of bear down,” Eflin said afterward. “I wouldn’t say try harder, but you want to make sure you limit your mistakes and put a stop to what’s happening.”

He’ll get another shot at holding Milwaukee’s offense in check Saturday afternoon when the Brewers (42-27) and Phillies (35-32) resume their three-game weekend series at Miller Park.

Eflin’s performance against Milwaukee helped solidify what had been a somewhat tenuous hold on rotation slot. The 24-year-old got off to a good start http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-josh-allen-jersey , posting a 1.56 ERA through his first three outings then scuffled in a pair of five-run efforts against the Blue Jays and Dodgers.

He stabilized himself by holding the Cubs to a run over 7 2/3 innings on June 5 and followed that with his strong showing against the Brewers, striking out nine.

“I think the biggest change is him being responsible for taking that step forward, him deciding how he’s going to get swings and misses,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “It’s explosive fastballs up to left-handed batters and using his four-seam (fastball) instead of the two-seamer, sometimes, to left-handers has made a huge difference.”

Right-hander Junior Guerra (3-4, 2.71) takes the mound for Milwaukee, looking for his first victory since May 14. Guerra has pitched beautifully during that stretch, though Lamar Jackson Jersey Elite , posting a 2.22 ERA with 23 strikeouts and only five walks in 28 1/3 innings of work.

He is looking much more like the pitcher who had a breakout campaign two years ago as a 31-year-old rookie, than he does the Guerra of last season, who was hindered by injuries, inconsistency and command issues.

“I’ve been working a lot with (pitching coach Derek Johnson),” Guerra said after holding the Cubs to a run over six innings in his last start. “We’ve been working a lot on rhythm, throwing strikes. That’s one of the biggest factors for me in doing this well.

“I just feel like I’m healthy, and that’s the most important thing. When I’m healthy, I feel like I can contribute to this team. That’s the most important thing compared to last year.”

Lars Eller got the last stick on a puck that bounced off him and Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski before rolling past Sergei Bobrovsky, and Washington got the 3-2 victory nine minutes into the second overtime Tuesday night.

The Capitals won at Nationwide Arena after Columbus won the first two games – both in overtime – in Washington. It was the Capitals’ turn to prevail in OT Cheap Baker Mayfield Jersey , this time on the Blue Jackets’ home ice, to pull to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

”It means a ton, a win like this after playing for that long,” Eller said. ”I’m sure they feel a lot more tired in that room than we are feeling right now. It gives you a lot of energy. It’s going to be a battle again in Game 4.”

Tom Wilson and John Carlson also scored, and Braden Holtby stopped 33 shots for the Capitals, who were in danger of falling into a nearly insurmountable hole had they let the game slip away.

”We got some good fortune, but we also executed and we were committed today,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.

Game 4 is Thursday night back here with Game 5 set for Washington on Saturday.

”We got a break, it’s what we needed http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ed-dickson-jersey ,” Capitals forward John Connolly said. ”You need breaks, every team is so good now, you need to keep pressing and pressing. ”

Pierre-Luc Dubois and Artemi Panarin scored for Columbus, and Bobrovsky finished with 42 saves after getting 54 in the Game 2 on Sunday.

Panarin knotted the score 4:12 into the third period after he and Cam Atkinson went back and forth with pinpoint passes before he swiped it past Holtby from the left circle.

That’s the way it stayed until the second overtime.

After a scoreless first period, Wilson got credit for the first Washington goal when he deflected Matt Niskanen’s rising shot 5:52 into the second. The Blue Jackets got a break two minutes later when a goal by Connolly was waved off after a video replay showed he was offside bringing the puck down the ice.

Dubois tied it with 8:42 left in the second when he rifled a shot past Holtby’s glove from the right circle.

Later in the period, with Columbus’ Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Murray both in the penalty box for slashing, Carlson connected with 5:17 left on a one-timer 28 seconds into the 5-on-3.

After feasting on the power play in the first two games, the Blue Jackets failed to score on four tries with a man advantage. The Capitals whiffed on three of their four power plays.

”It’s a hell of a series,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said.

NOTES: The Capitals have outshot the Blue Jackets 133-92 through the first three games. … Washington F Jakub Vrana played in place of Andre Burakovsky Sam Hubbard Color Rush Jersey , who is out at least through Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury suffered when he was checked into the boards by Blue Jackets F Boone Jenner on Sunday. Vrana was a healthy scratch for that game. … Blue Jackets F Alexander Wennberg missed a second game after being injured in Game 1. Sonny Milano again played in his place. … The announced crowd of 19,337 was the largest ever for a Blue Jackets game. … Washington star Alex Ovechkin appeared in his 100th career playoff game. … Panarin, who had an assist on Dubois’ goal, has eight straight multi-point games. … It was the 22nd time in NHL history that a playoff series went to overtime in at least three consecutive games.

—

Follow Mitch Stacy at .

McAdoo, who was fired as Giants coach in December after going 2-10 and benching star quarterback Eli Manning, is interviewing Tuesday to be the offensive coordinator for Cleveland coach Hue Jackson.

The 40-year-old McAdoo is meeting with general manager John Dorsey and Jackson, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not confirming any coaching interviews.

Jackson is still considering whether to bring on a coordinator after handling those duties the past two seasons. But after going 0-16, Jackson said he was open to handing over play-calling duties and McAdoo has done that in the past.

McAdoo was New York’s offensive coordinator for two seasons before taking over as coach when Tom Coughlin left. McAdoo went 11-5 in 2016, but things unraveled for him after he demoted Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion.

McAdoo has connections with Dorsey as they worked together for seven seasons in Green Bay. McAdoo coached the Packers tight ends and quarterbacks.

Jackson John Franklin-Myers Color Rush Jersey , who has overhauled his offensive staff, previously met with Houston quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan about the coordinator’s position. Also, former Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey, who was fired Monday, could be on the Browns’ radar.

Last week, Jackson hired former Giants wide receivers coach Adam Henry and Ken Zampese as his new quarterbacks coach. Zampese was fired last season as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator.

—

WASHINGTON — Their winning streak against the Baltimore Orioles ended, the Washington Nationals will turn to Max Scherzer on Thursday night as they look to win the three-game series against the team with the worst record in baseball.

Scherzer (10-3 Quenton Nelson Color Rush Jersey , 2.06 ERA), seeking to avoid losing three starts in a row for the first time since 2015, will be opposed by Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.48).

In each of his last two outings, Scherzer has made one mistake and the Washington bats haven’t been able to overcome it. On June 10, he allowed a two-run homer to Brandon Crawford in a 2-0 home loss to the San Francisco Giants, and last Saturday he was touched for a two-run shot by Toronto’s Devon Travis Eric Sogard Milwaukee Brewers Jersey , also in a 2-0 loss.

“This is major league baseball. One pitch can cost you a game. Now I’ve had it happen back-to-back starts,” Scherzer told the Washington Post. “… You can get beat like that.”

Scherzer allowed a combined eight hits in the two losses while striking out 19 in his first back-to-back defeats since 2015.

He leads the NL in wins, strikeouts (152) and opponents’ batting average (.171) and ranks second in ERA.

Scherzer is 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Orioles. He beat them on May 30, throwing eight shutout innings and giving up just two hits.

Adam Jones is 13-for-32 (.406) with three doubles and four home runs against Scherzer, while Manny Machado is 2-for-25 and Mark Trumbo is 1-for-16.

On Wednesday night, the Orioles got a two-run homer from Trumbo and five pitchers combined for a 3-0 win, snapping a six-game losing streak against Washington that dated to last season.

Baltimore (21-51) won for only the fourth time in 21 games and improved the majors’ worst road record to 10-28 after the teams endured a 2-hour Josh Rosen Color Rush Jersey , 43-minute rain delay.

“It’s never easy, especially when you get over the hour mark, two-hour mark,” Trumbo said. “Then you have to restart. It’s almost two games in one, so great job by our guys tonight.”

One night after pounding out 14 hits, the Nationals (39-33) were held to five and were shut out for the fourth time in their last nine games.

“We’ve got some pretty good hitters,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “We’ve just got to keep pushing and keep going. The runs will come. I know they’ll come and when they do come they’ll come in bunches.”

Gausman has not won since May 11 Kyle Lauletta Color Rush Jersey , though in his last two starts it had as much to do with the Baltimore bats as his pitching. On June 9, he allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays. Then on June 15, he gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins as he allowed five hits and threw 107 pitches.

“Kevin gave us a really good chance to win,” manager Buck Showalter told the Baltimore Sun. “I’m sure he’d like to take back some of the 0-2 hits he gave up, but two runs … I can’t fault him for that. It just gets magnified any runs our pitchers give up because we’re struggling so much to score runs.”

Gausman is 3-1 with a 4.70 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals. Bryce Harper is 3-for-7 against him and Anthony Rendon is 3-for-9.

”When I got drafted, if you would’ve said we’d be in this position, I probably would’ve told you to give your head a shake,” Eichel told The Associated Press.

Instead, it’s the 21-year-old shaking his head in disbelief over a franchise that’s finished no better than 14th in the Eastern Conference since 2012-13 and in jeopardy of finishing last in the overall standings for the third time in five years.

This isn’t what anyone – from since-fired GM Tim Murray to Sabres fans encouraging the team to tank – were anticipating during the 2014-15 season. That’s when Buffalo was in a race to the bottom for the right to draft one of the two touted, generational prospects: Eichel and Connor McDavid, who was selected first overall by Edmonton.

What’s worse for Eichel is seeing other teams jumping ahead of Buffalo in the rebuilding process.

”You look at Colorado and some of these teams, New Jersey, that make a quick turnaround and all of a sudden they’re in the playoff hunt,” he said.

If misery likes company, the Sabres aren’t the only ones stuck in a rut.

Whatever watershed moment the 2015 draft was supposed to represent by infusing game-changing talent to the NHL’s neediest teams, it has yet to make more than a ripple in the standings.

Eichel hasn’t made a dent in the Sabres’ fortunes despite averaging nearly a point a game. For all of McDavid’s offensive exploits and earning NHL MVP honors last season http://www.ravensauthorizedshops.com/authentic-orlando-brown-jr.-jersey , the Oilers will miss the playoffs for the second time in his three years.

Instead, the 2015 draft serves as a cautionary example of how bottoming out doesn’t guarantee instant turnarounds.

With the exception of Toronto, three of the teams, including Arizona, with top-five selections in 2015 have already been eliminated from this year’s playoffs, and a fourth, Carolina, could join them soon.

So much for the tanking tenet held by several NHL executives, who thought the best way to build a champion was to start by losing big.

Pittsburgh did that in building its three most recent Stanley Cup champion teams with two No. 1 draft picks (Sidney Crosby and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury) and a No. 2 (Evgeni Malkin). Chicago’s three most recent Cup winners followed the Blackhawks selecting Jonathan Toews with the No. 3 pick in 2006 and Patrick Kane No. 1 the following year.

And yet, there are exceptions.

Detroit won four titles from 1997 to 2008 despite not drafting higher than No. 19 from 1992 to 2013.

Boston has had a top-10 pick just twice in 10 years.

Just look at the NHL expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who have clinched a playoff berth and are leading the Pacific Division with a team cobbled together from scratch.

”A lot of teams have a lot of good hockey players, but there’s not many Malkins and Crosbys in the NHL. No Eric Sogard Milwaukee Brewers Jersey , we don’t have them,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. ”It’s all about being a team. And we’ve been a team since Day 1.”

This year, Nashville is leading the NHL with a roster featuring one top-five draft pick, forward Ryan Johansen, who was acquired in a trade with Columbus, and no other player selected in the top 10.

”You don’t always have to be real bad for a few years to win,” Predators veteran forward Mike Fisher told The AP.

Goalie Pekka Rinne credits Predators management for assembling the team through trades and identifying talent in the later rounds of the draft. The Predators feature six players Nashville selected in the fourth round or lower, including Rinne, an eighth-rounder in 2004.

”We’ve never had to rebuild,” Rinne said. ”And for a guy like myself being here for a long time, it’s nice to have that. You don’t have to waste any years.”

Having a wealth of high picks is no guarantee.

Florida has made the playoffs twice since 2001-02 despite having a top-10 pick 10 times over that span.

The Oilers have made the playoffs once since 2010 despite selecting first four times.

The New York Islanders will miss the playoffs for a sixth time since selecting John Tavares with the No. 1 pick in 2009.

After 2015, there are even fewer benefits to finishing last after the NHL altered its draft lottery formula. Now Jalyn Holmes Color Rush Jersey , the last-place team is assured of nothing more than the No. 4 pick, as opposed to No. 2.

On Wednesday, the NHL announced the team finishing last will have an 18.5 percent chance of landing the first pick, up from 18 percent last year. The odds also improved for teams finishing second to last (13.5 percent, up from 12.1) and third last (11.5 from 10.3).

Coyotes forward Brad Richardson wondered whether teams adopting a strategy to lose had lasting effects.

”I don’t want to say tanking, but when you do tank, I think it sets a precedent in your organization that it’s OK to lose, and you’re showing the young guys that losing’s acceptable,” Richardson told The AP.

HOLLAND’S FUTURE

Red Wings GM Ken Holland told The AP he has received no assurances from the team he’ll return for a 21st year, despite reports indicating he will be back.

MLive.com on Tuesday cited an unnamed person in reporting Holland will be back ”with or without a contract.” The Detroit Free Press quoted a person familiar with the situation saying ”he’s going to be back as the GM,” but reported it’s unclear how Holland’s contr Winnipeg already was gripped by playoff fever. Now, with the Jets in the Western Conference final Marshall Newhouse Color Rush Jersey , the temperature is rising further.

Jets merchandise is flying off shelves, downtown office workers are decked out in team jerseys and organizers must cap attendance at 20,000 for street parties on game nights.

The passion surpasses that of the glory days of 40 years ago when the Jets were champions of the World Hockey Association. Stars of that team are in town this week to join the festivities.

”I don’t recollect any sporting event … bringing the fans into the downtown area and into the excitement that there is today,” Joe Daley, the 1978 squad’s goalie, said before the Jets hosted Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. ”I think it’s unbelievable what’s going on.”

Anders Hedberg, the right wing who notched 63 goals in 1978 and later returned to his native Sweden, told The Canadian Press he’s not surprised by how fans in the NHL’s smallest market have filled the arena and the streets.

”The relationship to the game is the closest here of all the teams in the National Hockey League,” he said.

The street parties feature fans dressing up in white, watching on big screens next to the arena and listening to onstage entertainment.

Organizers said Friday that for the rest of the playoffs, attendance will be capped and fans must get free tickets in advance if they want to get in. By Friday afternoon, some online ads were offering to resell those free tickets at $25 or more.

Fans can even taste the excitement. A chocolate maker has started selling Jets-themed chocolates in the shape of pucks.

The feeling has been a long time coming for Winnipeg. The Canadian Football League Blue Bombers haven’t won a championship since 1990 and the original Jets never made it this far before leaving for Phoenix in 1996.

The new version of the Jets relocated from Atlanta in 2011 and was swept in the opening round in 2015 http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-isaiah-oliver-jersey , the team’s only playoff appearance before this year.

”The entire city, you can really feel the energy,” said Josh Drury, who along with his wife splits time between home in Winnipeg and running a business in Las Vegas. His loyalty lies completely with the Jets.

”This is really uncharted territory. … Winnipeg sports fans are kind of used to disappointment,” he said.

Daley continued to live in Winnipeg after his playing days. He says this playoff run is great for the city.

”We forget about all the shortcomings that everybody else in Canada thinks we have as a city,” he said. ”Right now, we’re No. 1 in Canada.”

The league released those figures Saturday night, hours before the annual moratorium starts and teams can begin negotiating with free agents. The figures are virtually the same as what teams have been expecting for some time.

With the cap set, the exact amounts of the various exceptions are also now known: The non-taxpayer mid-level is $8,641,000 http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-justin-bethel-jersey , the taxpayer mid-level is $5,337,000 and the mid-level for teams with salary cap space will be $4,449,000.

The minimum team salary for the 2018-19 season is $91,682,000.

The moratorium ends at 12:01 p.m. EDT on Friday, when free agent signings can become official.

The duo was reunited for Game 5 http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-preston-brown-jersey , and together, they helped put the Celtics on the verge of closing out their first-round series.

Horford had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Smart made an impact in his first game since mid-March and Boston beat the Bucks 92-87 on Tuesday night for a 3-2 lead.

Smart came off the bench and had nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in his first action since right thumb surgery. He played 25 minutes wearing a protective splint and had a key assist to Horford late from the bottom of a scrum beneath three Milwaukee players.

”I just tried to make sure I got him the ball and it was going to take everything I had,” Smart said. ”They weren’t taking it from me.”

Terry Rozier added 16 points and five assists for Boston. The home team has won all five games in the first-round series, and Game 6 is Thursday in Milwaukee.

Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points, Jabari Parker added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a series-low 16 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Celtics led by 16 before Milwaukee rallied to make it 74-70 with 7:33 left. Middleton scored later and was fouled to get Milwaukee within 84-79 Rasheem Green Color Rush Jersey , but he failed to complete the three-point play.

A few possessions later, Smart managed to squeeze out the pass to Horford with three Bucks draped over him, and Horford easily dropped in a layup to make it 86-79 with 28.1 seconds left.

Milwaukee got within 87-84 after a layup by Eric Bledsoe, but the Celtics hit enough free throws the rest of the way to secure the win.

The Bucks entered the game shooting an NBA playoff-best 54 percent from the field, but they hit just 37 percent for the game (32 of 87) – a series low.

Boston needed an energy boost after slow starts in Games 3 and 4, and Smart gave the Celtics exactly that.

He checked in for the first time late in the first quarter. Less than a minute later, he deflected a pass and won a scramble on the floor for the loose ball.

A few possessions later, he was helping protect the rim, getting his hand in to deny an alley-oop dunk attempt by Antetokounmpo.

He was also active on the offensive end JK Scott Color Rush Jersey , helping drive the ball into the interior of Milwaukee’s defense, like when he tossed an alley-oop to Horford late in the third quarter .

Boston made a change to a smaller lineup, shifting Horford to center in place of Aron Baynes and starting Semi Ojeleye at forward.

Ojeleye drew the primary responsibility of guarding Antetokounmpo and handled it well. Antetokounmpo had just 10 field goal attempts.

”It’s on me. I had open shots, but they wasn’t my shots,” Antetokounmpo said. ”I think my teammates did a great job finding me, but coming the next game, Game 6, I’ve got to be more aggressive and make more plays.”

TIP-INS

Bucks: F John Henson missed his third straight game with back soreness. … Scored 15 points in first quarter. It was low for a quarter in the series, excluding the Game 1 overtime period (eight points).

Celtics: Finished with 18 turnovers. … Outscored the Bucks 32-28 in the paint.

HE SAID IT

”It’s win or go home Josh Allen Jersey Bills , so I mean you can’t leave nothing on the line. That’s pretty much how you play this whole playoffs – you leave it all out there. Tonight we had too many lapses where we just didn’t want it as bad as they did.” – Middleton

DROUGHT AND A RUN

The Celtics went without a field goal from Rozier’s 3-pointer with 9:14 left in the third until Jaylen Brown hit from beyond the arc with 4:26 to go in the period.

It allowed Milwaukee to go on a 12-2 run, trimming Boston’s lead to 58-52.

STILL BEEFING

Rozier and Eric Bledsoe got tangled up with 9:33 left in the third quarter. Rozier bumped Bledsoe near the baseline. Bledsoe responded with a hard shove. They then got face-to-face and had to be separated.

Bledsoe was assessed a flagrant foul and Rozier was issued a technical foul.

It was the continuation of some off-court chiding between the pair.

Rozier called Bledsoe ”Drew Bledsoe” when asked about him after Game 1. Bledsoe has since responded by saying ”Who?” whenever he’s asked about Rozier.

”We’re looking forward to Game (6),” Bledsoe said. ”It’s as simple as that.”

—

More NBA basketball: .

The 25-year-old Kero split last season between the Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs. He had a goal and two assists in eight games with Chicago and eight goals and 12 assists in 36 games with Rockford.

The 6-foot http://www.buccaneersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-carlton-davis-jersey , 185-pound center from Michigan has appeared in 72 career NHL games.

Kero previously played for the Michigan Tech Huskies, where he played in 153 games and had 55 goals with 56 assists.

The 26-year-old Chaput was scoreless in nine games with Vancouver last season. He played 55 games with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Utica, New York, putting up 17 goals and 25 assists.

The Montreal native has six goals and 11 assists through 135 career NHL games between Columbus and Vancouver.

—

Sonny Gray will get at least one more chance to show he deserves to keep his place in New York’s rotation, though the Yankees are growing increasingly concerned about the struggling starter.

Justin Smoak hit a three-run homer, Yangervis Solarte reached base four times and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Gray and the Yankees 6-2 on Friday night.

Smoak connected in Toronto’s five-run second inning, when the Blue Jays batted around and put an early end to Gray’s outing.

”I am concerned but we also believe in the stuff http://www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jeremiah-attaochu-jersey ,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Gray. ”We’ve got to try and help him right the ship a little bit.”

Gray (5-7) allowed five runs and six hits in two innings, his shortest start of the season and his third straight loss.

”It’s not early in the season anymore,” Gray said. ”This is when you’re expected to go out there and contribute and get in some type of rhythm and put together solid starts back to back. I haven’t even been close to being able to do that.”

Gray lasted just 2 1/3 innings in his previous start, matching a season worst by allowing six runs in an 11-0 loss to the division-leading Boston Red Sox.

Boone said Gray will face Baltimore next week and dismissed the idea of skipping Gray to help clear his head.

”Part of it is right now we feel like he’s our best option,” Boone said.

Solarte went 3 for 4 with a walk as the Blue Jays won for the 12th time in 16 home games.

Aaron Hicks homered and had two RBIs in the opener of New York’s 11-game road trip. Hicks has hit five home runs in his past five games.

Gray retired the first two batters before loading the bases with two walks and a single. He escaped unscathed when Russell Martin struck out swinging.

Things went downhill for Gray in the second, which began with Randal Grichuk’s double. One out later, Devon Travis and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back RBI singles. Smoak capped the inning with a two-out homer Authentic Baker Mayfield Jersey , his 12th.

Hicks hit a solo home run in the third, his career-high 16th, then chased Blue Jays right-hander Sam Gaviglio with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth. Joe Biagini came on and struck out Giancarlo Stanton looking, then got Didi Gregorius to fly out.

New York went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners stranded.

”We just didn’t get that hit to put us over tonight,” Boone said.

Gaviglio allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Gaviglio is winless in seven starts DJ Moore Color Rush Jersey , dating to a May 25 victory at Philadelphia.

Biagni (1-5) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the win, snapping a streak of 10 straight losing decisions.

Five Blue Jays relievers combined to pitch 4 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just one hit.

”Our bullpen did some kind of job,” manager John Gibbons said.

BIG FINISH

Boone said finishing off hitters is Gray’s biggest challenge.

”It’s getting himself into good counts and making pitches when he has a chance to put guys away,” Boone said. ”That’s what he’s really struggled with.”

LONG RELIEF

David Hale pitched 5 2/3 innings in relief of Gray, his longest career outing as a reliever. Hale allowed one run and five hits.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Sallie Gibbons, the 80-year-old mother of John Gibbons http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marshall-newhouse-jersey , threw out the ceremonial first pitch to her son. ”It made my night, that’s for sure,” said Gibbons, who got his mom to autograph the ball afterward.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: New York recalled INF Tyler Wade from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He takes the place of 2B Gleyber Torres (right hip), who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday. … RHP Masahiro Tanaka (left and right hamstring strains) allowed two runs and three hits in five innings in a rehab start at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Tanaka is expected to return to New York’s rotation next Tuesday at Baltimore. … Boone said LHP CC Sabathia will pitch the opening game of Monday’s doubleheader against the Orioles. New York will call up a pitcher from the minors to start Game 2, Boone said, with RHP Luis Cessa and RHP Jonathan Loaisiga among the candidates.

Blue Jays: LHP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) felt good after a bullpen session Friday and will be re-evaluated Saturday. He has yet to begin a rehab assignment. … Utilityman Darnell Sweeney cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Luis Severino (13-2 http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-tremaine-edmunds-jersey , 1.98) faces Blue Jays LHP J.A. Happ (10-4, 4.03) on Saturday afternoon. Severino, who leads the majors in wins, will be pitching on extra rest thanks to New York’s off day Thursday. Happ lost to Detroit last Sunday, matching season worsts by allowing seven runs and 10 hits. The defeat snapped Happ’s streak of six straight winning decisions.

—

.

The deal finalized Wednesday maintains the stability the 30-year-old Forbath has brought to the position since replacing Blair Walsh midway through the 2016 season.

Forbath has missed eight of 53 extra points in 23 games with the Vikings Trent Brown Color Rush Jersey , and he endured some mini-slumps in 2017. But he made a career-best seven field goals from 50-plus yards last year, and he made three of four in the NFC divisional round playoff win over his former team New Orleans. That included makes from 49 and 53 yards in the fourth quarter against the Saints.

Forbath finished 16th in the NFL in the regular season with an 84.2 field goal percentage.

—

The Packers, Cowboys, Raiders and Bengals will each receive four compensatory picks in April’s draft.

The NFL announced Friday that 32 such selections will be split among 15 teams. Compensatory picks are awarded to teams who lost more or better compensatory free agents than they acquired in the previous year.

For example John Kelly Color Rush Jersey , Arizona lost defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who became a 2017 All-Pro with Jacksonville. Same thing with Cincinnati losing tackle Andrew Whitworth, who was an All-Pro with the Rams last season.

All compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. Receiving selections in the third round are the Cardinals, Texans Authentic Baker Mayfield Jersey , Broncos and Bengals at Nos. 97-100 overall.

In the fourth round, Green Bay, Arizona, the New York Giants Cheap Lamar Jackson Jersey , New England and Dallas will have picks, from Nos. 133-137.

Cincinnati has one spot and Dallas and Green Bay each have two spots at the end of the fifth round. All four of Oakland’s choices will be in the sixth round, when Houston and Minnesota have two selections each, and Baltimore Marquez Valdes-Scantling Color Rush Jersey , Green Bay, Dallas and Kansas City each have one.

At the end of the final round, the Bengals have two picks, while the Chargers http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-troy-niklas-jersey , Buccaneers, Cardinals and Falcons each have one.

—

.

ANAHEIM http://www.cowboysauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-gallup-jersey , Calif. — The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks meet for the fifth and final time this season in a pivotal game for both team’s playoff chances Friday night at Honda Center

The Kings (43-28-7) enter the second contest of a back-to-back set on a two-game winning streak. They defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 on Thursday night at Staples Center.

Jeff Carter registered his sixth career hat trick and his first since March 4, 2013 against the Nashville Predators. Anze Kopitar added an empty-netter to set a career high with 35 goals and Jack Campbell stopped 20 of 22 shots for the victory.

The victory extended Los Angeles’ lead over Anaheim for third place in the Pacific to two points with the Ducks holding a game in hand. This will be the final road game for the Kings as they finish the season with three consecutive home contests against Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas.

Kings coach John Stevens knows his team is far more formidable with Carter in the lineup. After missing 55 games because of an ankle tendon injury, Carter has returned with a flourish, registering 13 goals in his last 17 games to help Los Angeles close in on a postseason berth.

“His presence in a lot of areas just checks a lot of boxes, but he’s a production guy,” Stevens said. “He ends up in the scoring areas, he goes to the tough areas. He scores goals that other guys can’t. That last goal for me was very impressive. He pulled the puck off the wall and he got at the net quickly.

“Jeff’s a production guy, but he provides leadership, he provides faceoff help, penalty kill, and really quality minutes against pretty much anyone you play him with. He’s been a big addition back in our lineup.”

The Ducks (39-25-13) are looking to make amends after one of their worst performances of the season. In the midst of a hotly contested Western Conference playoff race, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. Though they enter the game in playoff position as the second wild card in the West http://www.coltsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-tyquan-lewis-jersey , they realize their sense of urgency must be far greater in their final five games of the season.

Anaheim has made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and like the Kings they have an advantageous home schedule to close out the season. The Los Angeles contest starts a four-game homestand as the Ducks face similar opponents in Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas before concluding the season in Arizona on April 7.

The Ducks addressed their lack of intensity with frankness as arguably the biggest non-playoff game in the Southern California rivalry known as “The Freeway Faceoff” approaches.

“We just don’t feel that we’ve played enough consistently to the level we’re capable of,” coach Randy Carlyle said after the Vancouver loss.

Captain Ryan Getzlaf went into more depth about the team’s mental approach that has been questioned given their inconsistent play.

“Most of it’s mental,” Getzlaf told the Orange County Register. “You have to mentally be able to control the grind of a season. And you’re at the time of year where we’re grinding. We’re pedaling to get in. Every game is really important. Every day. You don’t get days off. And that’s the hardest thing this time of year brings. That grind of a season is now on your back and now you’ve got five games left.”

The Kings won the first two games of the season series, 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 7 and a 2-1 shootout victory on Nov. 25 but the Ducks evened the series with a 4-2 win Jan. 13 and a 2-1 victory Jan. 19. Both teams have recorded a road win in their two victories.

Finally, after a 14-year absence, the long-languishing franchise is back in the playoffs.

Fittingly, it took until the last game and then some to get there.

Butler scored 31 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and the Timberwolves outlasted the Denver Nuggets 112-106 in overtime Wednesday night in the first final-day play-in game in the NBA in 21 years.

No team in the league had gone longer without a postseason appearance than the Timberwolves, who took Towns with the first overall pick in the 2015 draft and traded for Butler last summer to put themselves in position to return.

”I’ll probably fall asleep tonight and wake up in the middle of the night and start crying,” said Towns http://www.jetsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-nathan-shepherd-jersey , who was 8 years old the last time the Wolves were in the playoffs. ”It’ll hit me, what happened.”

The Nuggets won six in a row to force this elimination game, including a 100-96 decision in Denver last week that was the last time the Wolves (47-35) played without Butler, and went 23-12 over their previous 35 contests.

Nikola Jokic locked in a classic big man battled with Towns, finishing with 35 points and 10 rebounds, but he missed six of his last eight shots after the third quarter as the valiant finish to this season fell just short. The Nuggets (46-36) haven’t made the playoffs in five years.

Now it’s the Timberwolves who are moving on to play, gulp, the NBA-best Houston Rockets.

”I feel like our effort was outstanding. Theirs was too,” said Will Barton, who had 24 points but shot just 3 for 12 after halftime. ”They just made the plays at the end. Give them credit.”

Barton’s 3-pointer beat the shot clock for Denver’s first lead, 104-103, since midway through the first quarter. After Gibson hounded Jokic to force an air-balled 3-point try, Jeff Teague swished a floater with 1:19 left in overtime to put the Wolves back in front for good.

Andrew Wiggins sank two foul shots with 15 seconds remaining to make it 110-106 and finish with 18 points Sam Darnold Jets Jersey , and the Wolves were finally on their way to a celebration more than a decade in the making. Butler, who has not held back from openly challenging Wiggins and the other junior members of the team to play with more tenacity, walked up to Wiggins before the free throws with some forceful encouragement.

”I was like, `Wiggs, I know you can do this,”’ Butler said. ”And he told me to move. He did. He’s like, `Move!’ I’m like, `OK, excuse me.’ And he stepped up and hit both of them. So, from now on, stay in my lane.”

The Wolves were ahead by as many as 10 points in the second quarter and took a 99-91 lead on Teague’s 3-pointer with 4:26 left in regulation, but just like with this whole regular season the Nuggets wouldn’t go away.

Jokic answered with a 3-pointer, and Butler missed both of his free throws. Back-to-back jumpers by Jamal Murray Tyquan Lewis Color Rush Jersey , the last one from 3-point range, tied it. Butler put the Wolves back in front with a 13-footer, but he missed twice more from the floor in the final two minutes. Murray’s off-balance bank tied it at 101, so the Wolves needed Gibson’s defense to save them down the stretch.

He forced Jokic into the baseline for a forced layup that missed badly. Then Gibson stripped the ball from the 7-foot Serbian in the corner to give the Wolves the ball back with 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Jamal Crawford’s heave from just inside half court was on line, but it fell short.

”I just took one dribble,” Jokic said, ”and Taj made a really good defensive play.”

PLAY NOW, REST LATER

Gibson played through a sore neck that forced him out of the last game in the first quarter, finishing with eight points in 35 minutes. Butler logged 42 minutes after playing 23 minutes apiece in his previous two games.

”He told me after the shootaround that he’s from Brooklyn,” coach Tom Thibodeau said, ”and he said he’d be fine.”

DRAMATIC FINISH

The game marked only the third time since the NBA’s current 16-team format began in 1984 that two teams met on the last day of the regular season with the winner qualifying for the playoffs and the loser being eliminated. Washington beat Cleveland in 1997 and Denver beat Sacramento in 1995 to claim the final spots.

DIVISION DOMINANCE

With the loss, the Nuggets finished last in the Northwest Division, a mere three games out of first. This was the first time in 14 seasons since the NBA realigned into six divisions of five times apiece that the last-place team was less than 11 games behind the leader.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Jokic posted his seventh 30-point game of the season Korey Toomer Color Rush Jersey , three of those in the last six games. … Wilson Chandler went scoreless in 48 minutes. … The Nuggets had 15 turnovers, turning into 24 points for the Wolves.

”You can’t go on the road and beat yourself in the most important game of the season,” coach Mike Malone said.

Timberwolves: Towns finished the season with 68 double-doubles, the most in the NBA. His streak of 246 consecutive games played, every contest of his career, is the longest current run in the league. … This was the 16th sellout crowd for the Wolves, their most since the 1991-92 season.

UP NEXT

The Wolves will start the first round in Houston, on either Saturday or Sunday.

—

.

Humber returns for a third season in Buffalo after starting a career-high nine games last year. He has nine seasons of NFL experience and signed with Buffalo in 2016 to serve in mostly a special teams role.

Last year Authentic Evan Bouchard Jersey , the 30-year-old was credited with 83 tackles, including 12 in a season-opening win over the New York Jets. He also had one sack and forced a fumble while playing about 50 percent of the defensive snaps over 13 games.

Humber’s playing time decreased over the season with 2017 fifth-round draft pick, Matt Milano, taking over the starting job.

Buffalo still has an opening at starting middle linebacker after Preston Brown signed with Cincinnati last weekend.

—

MILWAUKEE — Jorge Polanco is expected to make his season debut Monday night when the Minnesota Twins open a two-game interleague series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Polanco will be reinstated Monday from his 80-game suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs after going 6-for-13 in four games with Triple-A Rochester.

He batted .256 with 13 home runs, 30 doubles in 133 games last year and was especially strong in the second half Lamar Jackson Jersey Ravens , slashing .293/.359/.511 with 10 homers and 43 RBIs.

That performance moved him into the No. 3 spot in the Twins’ lineup, but manager Paul Molitor said he probably won’t bat that high right away upon his return.

“We know what he did last year when he had a chance to move up into a pretty important role,” Molitor told reporters Sunday in Chicago. “I don’t know we’ll jump him up there that fast. For us to see him is going to be different than hearing about him and reading about him and texting him and all those kinds of things.

“We’ll see how it is. To be honest, coming up here and playing, even though he’s doing really well Dallas Goedert Color Rush Jersey , it’s going to be a little different than what he’s been doing.”

Right-hander Kyle Gibson (2-6) starts for Minnesota. He posted a 2.45 ERA through his first four June starts but saw that number grow to 3.35 after allowing five runs in seven innings to the Chicago White Sox his last time out.

Gibson struck out seven in the game and walked just one but gave up a season-high 11 hits.

“I went back and looked at some of the hits I gave up,” Gibson said. “I don’t know if I just picked the wrong pitch at the wrong time or what. I executed quite a few pitches there, and they found holes.”

The Twins dropped a three-game weekend series to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and have lost eight of their last 10 overall.

Milwaukee struggled during the weekend, too, dropping the last two of a four-game series at Cincinnati. The Brewers managed just five total runs in those losses while allowing 20 Trent Brown Color Rush Jersey , including a grand slam in each one.

“Two runs, three runs … You’re going to need more to win most games,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

Despite that showing, the Brewers will return home still leading the National League Central by a half-game over the Cubs, who will be idle Monday.

Brent Suter (8-5) gets the nod in the series opener. He’ll be looking to get back on track after his three-game winning streak was snapped last week by the Kansas City Royals.

Suter overcame a somewhat slow start to the season and has turned into a solid starter in the last two months. He’s 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA in his last eight starts. Before his outing against Kansas City Mike Marjama Seattle Mariners Jersey , he hadn’t allowed more than three runs in his previous seven games.

Part of Suter’s success can be attributed to his pace, which is among the game’s fastest. That makes it difficult for hitters to settle in between pitches and, Suter admits, there can be a slight advantage to working quickly.

“I don’t want to quick-pitch people; I don’t do that,” he said. “But I want to keep the tempo up and let my fielders get back in and hit as quickly as possible. That’s how I operate. If that gets them uncomfortable http://www.buccaneersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-m.j.-stewart-jersey , that’s fine, but I’m just in attack mode and up-tempo.”

Suter is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in two career starts against the Twins, both of which came at Target Field. He held them to a run and five hits while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings on May 18.

Jon Cooper didn’t blame Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Tampa Bay Lightning digging a deep hole early in the Eastern Conference final.

Two games and two losses brought plenty of criticism of the young Russian goaltender. Cooper wasn’t thrilled about that.

”The questions were coming from the other side of the table Authentic Evan Bouchard Jersey , and I felt it was the questioning of Vasilevskiy,” the Tampa Bay coach said. ”We don’t. He’s been the guy for us.”

Vasilevskiy is the guy who turned the series around for the Lightning, who now lead the Capitals 3-2 and can eliminate Washington on the road in Game 6 on Monday night and move on to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. After a 6.00 goals-against average and .839 save percentage in Games 1 and 2, he has a 2.00 GAA and .943 save percentage since as the series’ biggest difference-maker.

”Just tried to stay positive and play my game,” Vasilevskiy said last week. ”It’s very important, especially in the playoffs. Good or bad game, doesn’t matter. Turn the page, start over again and again. That’s how you get success.”

Vasilevskiy has found plenty of success this season, his first as a full-time NHL starter. The 23-year-old is a Vezina Trophy finalist after leading the league with 44 wins and eight shutouts.

But Vasilevskiy hasn’t made it easy on himself. He rarely does.

Cooper saw it during the 2016-17 season when Vasilevskiy struggled during a stretch of 10 consecutive starts when Ben Bishop was hurt and then again late this season when a swoon by him and the entire team almost cost Tampa Bay the East’s top seed. Vasilevskiy bounced back strong each time.

”His ability to be able to turn the page now and understand, `You know what there might be a tough night for you, but I’m going to go out the next night anyway and I’ve got to be there for my team,’ – I think that’s where his growth process has really come in,” Cooper said.

The same happened between Games 2 and 3 in this series. The shy Vasilevskiy who has been reluctant to do interviews told a pool reporter he didn’t make any adjustments from his worst games against the Capitals to his best.

Somehow Sam Darnold Jets Jersey , he has looked like an entirely different goalie. Chants of ”Vasy! Vasy!” filled Amalie Arena in Game 5 on Saturday night when he stopped 28 of 30 shots, and the highest praise was reserved for inside the Lightning’s locker room.

”He’s a world class goaltender, that’s what he does,” defenseman Braydon Coburn said. ”He battles hard every day in practice all season long, and he’s raised his game in the playoffs here.”

No doubt his teammates have improved their play in front of Vasilevskiy, with defenseman Anton Stralman saying: ”We always feel like we owe him.” But against a star-studded Capitals team led by countrymen Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vasilevskiy had to raise his game to give Tampa Bay any chance.

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said confidence in Vasilevskiy never wavered, and he has showed them on the ice evidence of what they’ve seen all season.

”He just expects a lot,” Stamkos said. ”You see his work ethic every day in practice. You guys don’t get to see what goes on in the room, but his mental preparation, his physical preparation, he wants to be the best all the time. He doesn’t want to give up a goal at all, including in practice. That’s the mentality he has and that’s why he’s so good.”

If the Capitals can crack Vasilevskiy like they did the first two times http://www.titansauthorizedshops.com/authentic-harold-landry-jersey , there will be a Game 7 on Wednesday night at Tampa Bay. But they’d better figure that out and get an even better game from Braden Holtby because the Lightning are 11-0 in the playoffs when scoring three-plus goals.

That record is thanks to Vasilevskiy, who doesn’t like cameras but loves playoff hockey.

”It’s definitely a fun time,” he said. ”Lot of emotions. Different hockey. It’s pretty fun to play. Just excitement level is pretty high. A different season.”

—

AP Sports Writer Fred Goodall in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.

—

This year’s deep class of quarterbacks features as many as a half-dozen first-round NFL prospects full of hope, hype and hazard.

There’s Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield , and questions about the Heisman winner’s size and stature. A lot of teams would love UCLA’s Josh Rosen for his skills and strength, but wonder if he’s a good fit in the locker room and with their organization.

Wyoming’s Josh Allen has enviable size, but faces questions about his regression last season. USC’s Sam Darnold has to answer queries about his ball security and why he’s not throwing at the NFL combine this weekend like the other prospects.

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson , the 2016 Heisman winner, needs to prove he’s a better pro prospect throwing the ball than catching it. And teams wonder if Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph can transition to the pro offense after operating exclusively out of the shotgun.

No inquiry is out of bounds.

”Absolutely. They’re investing a lot of money in these guys they’re drafting, so they can ask any question,” Mayfield said. ”This whole process is about finding out what’s wrong with you. It’s pointing out flaws Oren Burks Color Rush Jersey , seeing if they can look past them, seeing if they can work with it. So, anything they ask is fair game.”

Teams are asking themselves whether these guys can be the next Carson Wentz, who ignited the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Super Bowl run in just his second season before getting hurt and rooting on Nick Foles from the sideline.

Or whether they’re the next Paxton Lynch, the 2016 first-round flop whose inability to grasp the complexities of the pro game has Broncos GM John Elway once again among those searching for answers at the position.

Elway has found it difficult to land a franchise quarterback from the college ranks like he did in free agency with Peyton Manning six years ago. Elway could go after a veteran again in free agency such as Kirk Cousins. But the Broncos own the fifth pick in the draft and this group of quarterbacks is unusually deep and top-heavy.

”There is a possibility of some really good quarterbacks coming out of this draft,” Elway said.

Maybe not like his own class in 1983, which produced three Hall of Famers in himself, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, but this year’s crop of quarterbacks is filled with intrigue and promise.

And plenty of questions.

Among them:

TALL ORDER

Is Mayfield too short? He measured in just over 6 feet tall with a hand size of 9\ inches.

”Height doesn’t matter,” Mayfield insisted. ”You see guys like Tyrod Taylor, (Drew) Brees, Russell Wilson. They’ve proven that it doesn’t matter. If you want to say anything else, I’ve got three years of tape you can watch. I think I have fewer batted balls than all the other guys here http://www.coltsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-tyquan-lewis-jersey , and I’m pretty sure I’m shorter than them, too.”

Elway, for one, isn’t concerned, about Mayfield’s measurements, saying, ”I think that (stigma) has been broken.”

Nor is Elway turned off by Mayfield’s crossing the line at times, such as when he grabbed his crotch and swore at the Kansas sideline after the Jayhawks wouldn’t shake his hand last fall.

”A lot of times you get tied up in the emotions of the situation and where he is. I like to see a guy with that kind of passion,” Elway said.

HOT WATER

Rosen’s time in Westwood was defined as much by his proclivity for creating headlines away from the field.

A viral photo showed a hot tub he brought into his dorm room. Another photo showed Rosen playing golf and wearing a headband that disparaged then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Questions have arisen about how well Rosen will get along with his new teammates in the NFL, but two Bruins here at the combine vouched for their QB.

”I don’t really have anything negative to say about him,” said tackle Kolton Miller.

Neither does center Scott Quessenberry, who labeled as unfair the negative rap of Rosen ”because of the type of guy that he is and the type of stand-up human being that he is, and the type of pro that he’s going to be.

”He’s a great dude James Daniels Color Rush Jersey , I love hanging around him and being with him, and whoever gets him is extremely lucky,” Quessenberry said. ”They’re getting a once-in-a-millennium talent.”

CATCH AND THROW

Some teams envision the dual-threat Jackson as a wide receiver even though he never caught a single pass at Louisville, where he threw for 9,043 yards and 69 touchdowns, ran for 4,132 yards and 50 TDs in 38 games.

“I thought I did a good job at quarterback, I thought I did,” Jackson said with a chuckle Friday while dismissing the notion he’ll run routes with receivers Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium or even operate the wildcat as a pro.

”No sir. I’m a quarterback,” he said.

While Darnold has chosen not to throw at the combine because he’d rather show off his arm with his own receivers at USC’s upcoming pro day, Jackson said he’ll be slinging it around Saturday but won’t run the 40-yard dash or the other drills designed to measure quickness.

”Film speaks for itself as far as showing off my speed and showing I can make people miss,” Jackson said. ”I’ve just got to show off my arm – because that’s where they’re doubting me.”

—

.