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Durant reached the milestone on a pull-up jumper from the left wing at the 1:41 mark of the second quarter. The Warriors announced his accomplishment on the main scoreboard and Durant received a standing ovation, shaking his head in acknowledgment while still very much in game mode.

By late in the fourth quarter, that crowd was making its way for the exits with the game out of reach.

The NBA Finals MVP returned from a three-game absence due to a strained right calf and scored 25 points in the first half against the Clippers – KD’s biggest half of the season and the exact number he needed for 20,000.

Durant, who had a four-point play during the second quarter on the way to 14 points in the period, is at 29 the second-youngest player behind LeBron James and first to reach the 20 Cheap Ryan Switzer Jersey ,000 mark as a member of the Warriors.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Golden State star Stephen Curry was out for the Warriors’ home game against the Clippers after he slipped during the shootaround and re-sprained his troublesome right ankle.

The Warriors updated their injury report to include Curry’s status. It’s the same injury that recently sidelined him for 11 games, though coach Steve Kerr said ”I don’t think it’s serious.” No MRI or X-rays were scheduled for now though Curry was sore and the Warriors won’t take any chances.

NEW YORK (AP) – The NBA has suspended Miami Heat forward James Johnson and Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka one game apiece for throwing punches at each other.

The punishment was announced by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the league’s executive vice president for basketball operations.

The fight began with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter of the Heat’s 90-89 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night in Toronto. Ibaka and Johnson started shoving each other while waiting for the ball to be inbounded under the Miami basket. Both received technical fouls and ejections.

PRO FOOTBALL

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) – The Fritz Pollard Alliance called for the NFL to investigate whether the Oakland Raiders violated the ”Rooney Rule” when they hired Jon Gruden as coach.

Fritz Pollard Alliance counsel Cyrus Mehri and N. Jeremi Duru said they were concerned that Raiders owner Mark Davis came to an agreement with Gruden before the team interviewed any minority candidates as required by the NFL since 2003.

”As soon as we learned of the reports, we formally requested that the NFL thoroughly investigate the matter to conclusively determine whether the Rooney Rule was violated – and if it was violated, to impose an appropriate punishment Danny Salazar Jersey ,” they said.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance is dedicated to promoting diversity and equality of job opportunity in the coaching, front office and scouting staffs of NFL teams.

Davis said Tuesday at the news conference introducing Gruden as the team’s new coach that he had been trying to make the move for six years and finally believed it would happen after a meeting in Philadelphia on Christmas Eve, the day before Gruden worked a game between the Raiders and Eagles on ESPN.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) – What’s expected to be an offseason makeover for the Seattle Seahawks is starting with its coaching staff.

The Seahawks fired offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and offensive line coach Tom Cable. Bevell was in charge of calling plays, while Cable was responsible for a run game and offensive line that failed to meet expectations.

It was a stunning sweep for head coach Pete Carroll, who has been immensely loyal to his assistants during his tenure.

Carroll’s only other significant firing was offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates following the 2010 season, Carroll’s first in Seattle. Most times when assistants have left Domingo Santana Jersey , it’s because they’ve received promotions elsewhere.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

HOUSTON (AP) – Scott Frost has one final award to share with the University of Central Florida.

The former UCF coach and new Nebraska boss received the Paul ”Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award on Wednesday night.

Frost is first since former Boise State coach Chris Petersen in 2009 with a non-Power 5 program.

This completes the awards season for Frost. In the past few weeks, Frost also claimed the Home Depot Coach of the Year, American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year, AP Coach of the Year and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year awards.

UCF rolled past Memphis 62-55 in the American Athletic Conference Championship game, and beat Auburn 34-27 in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to finish 13-0. UCF finished ranked No. 6 in the final AP Poll of the season, receiving four first place votes.

BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) – Jay Bruce and his proven bat are headed back to the New York Mets.

The free-agent outfielder is set to return to the Big Apple after agreeing to a $39 million, three-year contract Bernie Williams Jersey , according to two people familiar with the negotiations. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical and no announcement had been made.

A three-time All-Star, Bruce hit a combined .254 with 36 home runs and 101 RBIs for the Mets and Cleveland Indians last season. After falling out of playoff contention, New York traded him to the AL Central champions on Aug. 9 for minor league pitcher Ryder Ryan.

Bruce, who turns 31 on April 3, fills a hole in the outfi. Dustin McGowan Jersey Womens , Cheap Isaiah Thomas Jersey , Authentic Womens Quenton Nelson Jersey , Womens Weston Richburg Jersey ,

The end of the series, season and maybe his second stint in Cleveland, are near.

The Golden State Warriors have made his eighth straight NBA Finals – and their seasonal rivalry with the Cavaliers – very one-sided.

Still weary and wrestling with emotions after losing Game 3 on Wednesday night, when Kevin Durant scored 43 points and shot the Warriors within one win of their third title in four years, James pointed out Thursday what has become terrifyingly obvious.

The Warriors are at another level. And may be for a while.

”Obviously, from a talent perspective, if you’re looking at Golden State from their top five best players to our top five players, you would say they’re stacked better than us. Let’s just speak truth,” James said before rattling off Golden State’s embarrassment of riches.

”Kevin Durant,” he said. ”You’ve got two guys with MVPs on their team. And then you’ve got a guy in Klay (Thompson) who could easily be on a team and carry a team Cheap New York Giants Hoodie , scored 40 in a quarter before. And then you have Draymond (Green), who is arguably one of the best defenders and minds we have in our game. So you have that crew.

”Then you add on a Finals MVP coming off the bench (Andre Iguodala), a No. 1 pick in (Shawn) Livingston and an All-Star in David West and whatever the case may be. So they have a lot of talent.”

Too much, it seems, for these Cavs.

James wasn’t making excuses for Cleveland’s postseason pickle because if not for a reversed official’s call or J.R. Smith’s brain-lock in the closing seconds of regulation in Game 1 or Durant’s brilliance in Game 3, the Cavs could be leading the series.

The three-time champion, though, was being open and honest about the Cavs’ chances to become the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs.

To this point, 131 have tried, and 131 have failed.

”We’ve been in a position where we could win two out of these three games Authentic Barkevious Mingo Jersey ,” said James, who had 33 points and his 10th Finals triple-double in Game 3. ”So what do we have to do? Do we have to make more shots? Is it we have to have our minds into it a little bit more? Is it if there is a ball on the ground we can’t reach for it but you’ve got to dive for it?”

Those were today’s relevant questions. Tomorrow, they’ll be different ones if the Warriors, who have dealt with adversity all season, sweep the Cavs.

James is headed toward free agency and then where: Los Angeles? Philadelphia? Houston?

Or will he decide it’s too painful to part again with Cleveland, his basketball home for 11 seasons and just up the highway from his actual home in Akron?

The 33-year-old plans to consider everything once the season ends, but he offered some clues about what he’ll consider before making his next move, a decision that will dwarf any other NBA news in July. James also laid out a potential blueprint for the Cavs to follow if they want to keep him.

Bottom line: James needs better, smarter teammates.

No player in the league understands the current climate better than James, who formed a super-team in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and won two NBA titles before returning to Cleveland and joining forces with All-Stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Cavs’ reign lasted only one year Ender Inciarte Jersey , destroyed by Durant’s shocking departure from Oklahoma City for the 73-win Warriors, a team he couldn’t beat but was glad to join.

James said his decision to bolt from the Cavs the first time was simple.

”I knew that my talent level here in Cleveland couldn’t succeed getting past a Boston, getting past the San Antonios of the league or whatever the case may be,” he said.

But beyond the talent disparity, James said the key to winning a championship is ”you’ve got to be very cerebral too.”

James then explained what it takes to be the last team standing, and in the process seemed to take a swipe at unnamed current and former teammates.

”So now everyone is trying to figure that out,” he said. ”How do you put together a group of talent but also a group of minds to be able to compete with Golden State, to be able to compete for a championship? That’s what GMs and presidents and certain players, it’s not every player. Every player does not want to – sad to say – but every player doesn’t want to compete for a championship and be in a position where every possession is pressure.”

Months of weight will lifted off him once the Warriors, who haven’t lost four straight games since 2013 Authentic Nick Nelson Jersey , are crowned again.

This series has been a painful reminder to James that the great teams have more than one king.

”When you make mistakes they make you pay,” he said, ”because they’re already more talented than you are but they also have the minds behind it, too, and they also have the championship DNA.”

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SCOREBOARD

Saturday Titans Cheap Jerseys , Jan. 13

Atlanta at Philadelphia, 4:35 p.m. EST. Matt Ryan passed for 218 yards and hit Julio Jones for an 8-yard touchdown with 5:48 to play to lead the defending NFC champion Falcons (11-6) past the Los Angeles Rams 26-13 in the wild-card round. Nick Foles played well for the first five quarters he filled in for the injured Carson Wentz, but then struggled in the past five for the Eagles (13-3), who had a first-round bye.

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Tennessee at New England, 8:15 p.m. EST. The Titans (10-7) earned their first playoff victory in 14 years when Marcus Mariota rallied Tennessee to a 22-21 win over Kansas City after trailing by 18 points at halftime. Tom Brady and the Patriots (13-3) have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs as they begin their postseason with an opportunity to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

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STARS

Passing

– Drew Brees, Saints, passed for 376 yards and two touchdowns, and New Orleans held off Carolina’s late comeback bid to seal a 31-26 victory in their NFC wild-card game.

– Cam Newton, Panthers Kyle Hendricks Jersey , threw for 349 yards and two TDs in a losing cause as Carolina fell to New Orleans.

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Rushing

– Blake Bortles, Jaguars, ran for 88 yards and passed for 87 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville’s 10-3 win over Buffalo, becoming the second starting quarterback in the past 25 seasons to win a playoff game with more yards rushing than yards passing.

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Receiving

– Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr., Saints. Thomas had eight catches for 131 yards, while Ginn caught four passes for 115 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown against Carolina.

– Ben Koyack, Jaguars, caught the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of Jacksonville’s victory over Buffalo.

– Greg Olsen and Christian McCaffrey Joey Wendle Jersey , Panthers. Olsen had eight receptions for 107 yards and a score, and McCaffrey caught six passes for 101 yards, including a 56-yard TD.

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Special Teams

– Brad Nortman, Jaguars, booted nine punts for a 42.0 net average, including a 62-yarder, in Jacksonville’s win over Buffalo.

– Graham Gano, Panthers, made up for an early miss by kicking field goals of 27 Roger Clemens Jersey , 39, 58 and 29 yards in Carolina’s loss to New Orleans.

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Defense

– Jalen Ramsey, Jaguars, tipped and then intercepted Nathan Peterman’s third pass of the game in place of the injured Tyrod Taylor to seal Jacksonville’s 10-3 win over Buffalo.

– Vonn Bell, Saints, had nine total tackles and the victory-sealing sack of Cam Newton in New Orleans’ victory.

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STREAKS & STATS

Jacksonville’s 10-3 win over Buffalo was its first playoff victory since beating Pittsburgh 31-29 in the wild-card round on Jan. 5, 2008. … Drew Brees’ 80-yard TD pass to Ted Ginn Jr. in New Orleans’ 31-26 win over Carolina was the longest play from scrimmage by the Saints this season and their longest score in the playoffs since Reggie Bush’s 83-yard punt return in 2009. It was also the longest play from scrimmage allowed by Carolina this season. … The playoff game between the Saints and Panthers marked the first since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 in which kickers from both teams made a field goal of 55 yards or longer: Carolina’s Graham Gano made a 58-yarder and New Orleans’ Wil Lutz kicked a 57-yarder.

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MILESTONES

Blake Bortles’ 88 yards rushing in Jacksonville’s 10-3 win over Buffalo were the most by a Jaguars quarterback in a single game in franchise history – regular season or playoffs. … New Orleans became the first team in NFL history to score 30 or more points against a team (Carolina) three times in a single season and win all three games. The Saints are also the first team to beat an opponent three times in the same season since the 2009 Dallas Cowboys did it against Philadelphia.

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BLAKE THE SNAKE

Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles became the second starting quarterback in the past 25 seasons to win a playoff game with more rushing yards than passing yards (88 rushing, 87 passing). The other was Atlanta’s Michael Vick in the 2004 divisional round against the Rams (119 rushing, 82 passing).

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SPREADING THE WEALTH

New Orleans’ 31-26 win over Carolina was the first playoff game to feature multiple 100-yard receivers for each team since the 2009 AFC championship game. The Saints’ Michael Thomas (131) and Ted Ginn Jr. (115) Cheap Armani Watts Jersey , and the Panthers’ Greg Olsen (107) and Christian McCaffrey (101) joined Indianapolis’ Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, and the New York Jets’ Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards in performing the feat.

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SIDELINED

Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor slammed his helmet hard against the ground after getting thrown down by Dante Fowler Jr. with 1:27 remaining in the Bills’ 10-3 loss at Jacksonville. Taylor had to be helped off the field and forced backup Nathan Peterman into the game. … Jaguars linebacker Paul Posluszny left with a hip injury, tried to return and then headed to the locker room for further evaluation. He was listed as questionable and returned to the sideline after halftime. Receiver/punt returner Jaydon Mickens left with a hamstring injury and did not return. … Saints starting left guard Andrus Peat was carted off the field with a left shin injury in New Orleans’ win over Carolina. His replacement, Senio Kelemete, later needed help off the field for an undisclosed injury.

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Bryant ended a 24-game homerless drought Authentic James Daniels Jersey , the longest of his career, and Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber also went deep as the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 13-5 on Friday night.

”I know that there’s probably going to be plenty more times in my career when that happens and it’s all part of the journey,” Bryant said about his power outage. ”As much as we hate it as players, everybody goes through it at some point in their careers. It’s nothing new to me, so on the surface everything has been peachy and pretty easy for me, but it never felt easy.”

Bryant drilled a 448-foot Authentic Denzel Ward Jersey , two-run shot to left field off an ineffective Michael Wacha in the third inning for his first home run since May 14. The 2016 NL MVP capped a six-run fifth with an RBI single and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. His four RBIs were a season high.

Bryant had been hitless in his four previous games. Cubs manager Joe Maddon sat the All-Star slugger on Wednesday and Thursday.

”It looked like the ball was coming (off his bat) hotter,” Maddon said. ”I thought KB looked good. He looked good. I loved the base hit, I loved the sacrifice fly.”

Jon Lester ran his scoreless streak to 17 innings before giving up a solo home run to Marcell Ozuna in the fourth as the Cubs won for the first time in four tries at Busch Stadium this season. Lester (8-2) allowed two runs in six innings to earn his fourth straight win.

”That might be the best stuff he’s had all year from my angle,” Maddon said. ”That velocity was there. He just continues to trend in the right direction.”

Lester helped himself at the plate, too, driving in a run on a bunt in the fourth and reaching on catcher Yadier Molina’s throwing error that led to a second run as the Cubs extended their lead to 5-0.

Anthony Rizzo had three hits Authentic Dallas Goedert Jersey , was hit by a pitch and scored a run. Schwarber launched a three-run homer that traveled a projected 465 feet to straightaway center in the fifth, the third-longest homer by an opposing player in Busch Stadium III history.

Happ led off the third with a home run to right field. His first homer since May 22 snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak for the Cubs.

”We hit homers but we also did the little things well, too,” Maddon said. ”We ran the bases well.”

Wacha (8-2) allowed a career-high nine runs, eight earned, in a season-low four-plus innings. The three home runs he gave up tied a career high.

”I was just falling behind in the counts Manny Ramirez Jersey ,” Wacha said. ”A lot of 1-0, 2-0s and just too many mistakes and they didn’t miss too many of them.”

Matt Carpenter homered in the sixth and drove in two runs, but the Cardinals lost their third consecutive game.

”Bottom line, we lost and it wasn’t pretty,” manager Mike Matheny said. ”And it’s a matter of trying to conserve arms, trying to get a couple guys off their feet and figure out a way to have some individual things that are done well and build on and have some confidence that will put us in a better spot tomorrow.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps tendinitis) threw a 35-pitch bullpen. He is scheduled to throw another one when the team returns home next week.

Cardinals: 1B Luke Voit was recalled from Double-A Springfield and RHP Matt Bowman (right hand finger blisters) was activated from the 10-day disabled list. 1B Jose Martinez was placed on the paternity list and RHP Daniel Poncedeleon was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.

UP NEXT

Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-6 Authentic Joel Iyiegbuniwe Jersey , 3.48 ERA) starts Saturday night against RHP Carlos Martinez (3-2, 2.96). Hendricks has dropped three straight decisions for the first time in his career. Martinez has walked 12 over 7 2/3 innings in two starts since returning from a lat strain.

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The ink was barely dry on his contract when Ryan Donato played his first professional game.

Three days after his junior season at Harvard ended George Springer Jersey , Donato joined the Boston Bruins‘ lineup in the middle of a playoff chase in a top-six role with a spot on the power play.

No pressure, kid.

”I definitely had to learn quickly,” Donato said. ”Every game is important, so it had to click right away. I really didn’t have a choice.”

Such is the task for Donato and a handful of other young prospects joining contenders in the eleventh hour of the NHL season. It has become common for teams with no postseason hopes to sign players out of school and play them late in the regular season like Vancouver did with Brock Boeser and Arizona with Clayton Keller a year ago.

This season, some top teams are taking the chance, too.

Just as the Bruins added Donato, Minnesota signed Jordan Greenway after his season at Boston University, Anaheim signed Troy Terry after the University of Denver was out of the NCAA Tournament and Nashville brought over Eeli Tolvanen from Europe after a full year in the Kontinental Hockey League – young talent added for the playoffs without the teams giving up anything Yan Gomes Jersey , though coaches must now integrate a new player late in the season.

”It’s tough if the kids aren’t good,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. ”With our team right now in the midst of this race, every little defensive situation has got to be done right.”

Every shift is magnified this time of year, adding to the burden of trying to learn a team’s system. Donato, Greenway and Terry went right from college to the NHL, and Tolvanen had to adjust on the fly from the wider, European ice as Nashville tries to shore up home ice throughout the playoffs.

”It’s kind of tough to come in the middle of the season and just jump in and you don’t know all the guys,” Tolvanen said. ”You have to do it at some point Roger Clemens Jersey , so I think it’s a pretty good spot that I came a couple games before the playoffs.”

Tolvanen benefited from two rounds of KHL playoffs with Jokerit and carried that intensity across the pond, while Terry and Greenway got a taste of playoff action in the NCAA Tournament. Donato’s season playing for his dad and former NHL forward Ted ended, and he suddenly had to ramp things up to carry a big load for Boston amid injuries to Rick Nash and others.

Donato knew he couldn’t take a shift or a game off and has stepped up with seven points in his first nine games. Coach Bruce Cassidy wasn’t worried about getting the soon-to-be 22-year-old up to speed as much as seeing if Donato could handle the size, speed and pace of the NHL.

”Most of these kids that come in are offensive-minded guys, so are they going to be able to make their plays and handle a man’s game?” Cassidy said. ”And he’s shown he’s able to do that.”

Donato certainly had a body of work coming in, including leading the United States and tying for the tournament lead with five goals at the Olympics without NHL players. The other three young, late-season additions – all of whom also stood out at the Olympics – are being eased in.

”We didn’t really do anything at the trade deadline because we knew that we were going to get Jordan Greenway,” Boudreau said. ”He’s gone through the Olympics and the world juniors all in the last year Jackie Robinson Jersey , so he knows what a little bit of pressure is all about. Playing at BU, he’s always (on) one of the better teams playing in important games. We pretty well thought he could handle all this.”

Nashville is betting Tolvanen can handle it, too. The impressive Finnish winger set a KHL record with 36 points as an 18-year-old and looked increasingly more comfortable in his first three games for the Predators, who have their sights set on a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

”It’s important for him to see ice time before the playoffs,” coach Peter Laviolette said. ”The playoffs are a long haul. I think we learned that last year that you need a lot of people and a lot of parts and it’s important to get him involved in the game, with the team, in the systems.”

Predators general manager David Poile recalled making one trade too many at a previous deadline and messing with his team’s chemistry.

”You have to be careful on both sides because you don’t want to put a young player in a position to fail,” Poile said. ”You want to put him in a position to succeed. You also are very respectful of the players that have been with you all season long. It’s also OK to have depth but you don’t want to move everybody’s cheese too much.”

In Boston 

The ink was barely dry on his contract when Ryan Donato played his first professional game.

Three days after his junior season at Harvard ended George Springer Jersey , Donato joined the Boston Bruins‘ lineup in the middle of a playoff chase in a top-six role with a spot on the power play.

No pressure, kid.

”I definitely had to learn quickly,” Donato said. ”Every game is important, so it had to click right away. I really didn’t have a choice.”

Such is the task for Donato and a handful of other young prospects joining contenders in the eleventh hour of the NHL season. It has become common for teams with no postseason hopes to sign players out of school and play them late in the regular season like Vancouver did with Brock Boeser and Arizona with Clayton Keller a year ago.

This season, some top teams are taking the chance, too.

Just as the Bruins added Donato, Minnesota signed Jordan Greenway after his season at Boston University, Anaheim signed Troy Terry after the University of Denver was out of the NCAA Tournament and Nashville brought over Eeli Tolvanen from Europe after a full year in the Kontinental Hockey League – young talent added for the playoffs without the teams giving up anything Yan Gomes Jersey , though coaches must now integrate a new player late in the season.

”It’s tough if the kids aren’t good,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. ”With our team right now in the midst of this race, every little defensive situation has got to be done right.”

Every shift is magnified this time of year, adding to the burden of trying to learn a team’s system. Donato, Greenway and Terry went right from college to the NHL, and Tolvanen had to adjust on the fly from the wider, European ice as Nashville tries to shore up home ice throughout the playoffs.

”It’s kind of tough to come in the middle of the season and just jump in and you don’t know all the guys,” Tolvanen said. ”You have to do it at some point Roger Clemens Jersey , so I think it’s a pretty good spot that I came a couple games before the playoffs.”

Tolvanen benefited from two rounds of KHL playoffs with Jokerit and carried that intensity across the pond, while Terry and Greenway got a taste of playoff action in the NCAA Tournament. Donato’s season playing for his dad and former NHL forward Ted ended, and he suddenly had to ramp things up to carry a big load for Boston amid injuries to Rick Nash and others.

Donato knew he couldn’t take a shift or a game off and has stepped up with seven points in his first nine games. Coach Bruce Cassidy wasn’t worried about getting the soon-to-be 22-year-old up to speed as much as seeing if Donato could handle the size, speed and pace of the NHL.

”Most of these kids that come in are offensive-minded guys, so are they going to be able to make their plays and handle a man’s game?” Cassidy said. ”And he’s shown he’s able to do that.”

Donato certainly had a body of work coming in, including leading the United States and tying for the tournament lead with five goals at the Olympics without NHL players. The other three young, late-season additions – all of whom also stood out at the Olympics – are being eased in.

”We didn’t really do anything at the trade deadline because we knew that we were going to get Jordan Greenway,” Boudreau said. ”He’s gone through the Olympics and the world juniors all in the last year Jackie Robinson Jersey , so he knows what a little bit of pressure is all about. Playing at BU, he’s always (on) one of the better teams playing in important games. We pretty well thought he could handle all this.”

Nashville is betting Tolvanen can handle it, too. The impressive Finnish winger set a KHL record with 36 points as an 18-year-old and looked increasingly more comfortable in his first three games for the Predators, who have their sights set on a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

”It’s important for him to see ice time before the playoffs,” coach Peter Laviolette said. ”The playoffs are a long haul. I think we learned that last year that you need a lot of people and a lot of parts and it’s important to get him involved in the game, with the team, in the systems.”

Predators general manager David Poile recalled making one trade too many at a previous deadline and messing with his team’s chemistry.

”You have to be careful on both sides because you don’t want to put a young player in a position to fail,” Poile said. ”You want to put him in a position to succeed. You also are very respectful of the players that have been with you all season long. It’s also OK to have depth but you don’t want to move everybody’s cheese too much.”

In Boston Brian McCann Jersey , it helps that Donato is filling a spot vacated by injuries and showing immediately he belongs. In Nashville, Tolvanen’s reputation preceded him for anyone who saw what he did as one of the leading scorers at the Olympics.

”It’s a special situation when somebody comes in this late and joins the team and under different circumstances, but it’s been great,” starting goaltender and fellow Finn Pekka Rinne said. ”Certainly it adds a new, special element to our team. I think it’s going to be beneficial down the road.”

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 , it helps that Donato is filling a spot vacated by injuries and showing immediately he belongs. In Nashville, Tolvanen’s reputation preceded him for anyone who saw what he did as one of the leading scorers at the Olympics.

”It’s a special situation when somebody comes in this late and joins the team and under different circumstances, but it’s been great,” starting goaltender and fellow Finn Pekka Rinne said. ”Certainly it adds a new, special element to our team. I think it’s going to be beneficial down the road.”

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The Washington Capitals star is headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in his 13-year career, eager to put more distance between the Eastern Conference champions and a lingering perception of Ovechkin and the Caps as playoff underachievers.

”Finally we get what we want, be in the Stanley Cup Final,” the 32-year-old Russian star said. ”There’s still a lot of hockey to play.”

Ovechkin scored just over a minute into Washington’s 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final Wednesday night.

Braden Holtby stopped 29 shots to notch his second straight shutout. Andre Burakovsky scored two goals, and Nicklas Backstrom added an empty-netter to help the Capitals close it out.

Now, they’ve got to do it again against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who are Western Conference champions in their inaugural season.

”I feel very happy, but we’re not finished yet Larry Doby Jersey ,” Ovechkin said. ”We’ve been waiting for this moment a long time.”

The Golden Knights breezed through the Western Conference, scoring 43 goals and allowing 27 while going 12-3 to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets during an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas went 2-0 against the Capitals in the regular season, winning 3-0 at home on Dec. 23 and 4-3 at Washington on Feb. 4.

”It’s a great story. They’re a good hockey team, they have a lot of good players, players from other teams – I know a lot of people say we didn’t want those players, but we all did,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.

”The rules were the rules. They did a great job Authentic Hayden Hurst Jersey , they’ve been galvanized as a group. There’s nothing tighter than that first-year group because there’s no pre-conceived notion. Leadership’s not in place, nobody knows where to live, all those things are galvanizing.”

The Golden Knights’ top scorer during the playoffs has been former Lightning forward Jonathan Marchessault with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists). Alex Tuch is second among league rookies with nine points (six goals, three assists).

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s in the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season and fifth time overall, has been a huge part of the team’s success, too Abraham Almonte Jersey , with a 1.68 goals-against-average and .947 save percentage.

Fleury and teammate James Neal return to the Cup Final after facing each other in the championship round last year – Fleury with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Neal with the Nashville Predators.

”They’re deep. They’re probably the most veteran team still playing in the playoffs. But they’ve done a fabulous job,” Trotz said. ”They’re a fabulous story. … It’s a great story, not only for our game, but for everybody.”

To reach the Cup Final for the first time since 1998, the Caps beat Tampa Bay three times on the road to run their record to 8-2 away from home this postseason.

The Lightning, the NHL’s highest-scoring team during the regular season, didn’t have a goal over the final 159 minutes Mark Grace Jersey , 27 seconds of the series.

Ryan Callahan had Tampa Bay’s last goal at 33 seconds of the second period in Game 5.

”It’s fun. I’m more happy for that group than I am personally,” Trotz said. ”They did it together. Everybody has been in all year. We kept growing on and off the ice.”

And shoving aside a decade of playoff frustration.

”The playoffs are fun,” Trotz added. ”They got to the next level and realized they’re not going to be defined by anything they’ve done or not done in the past.”

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this story.

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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, 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 Cheap Los Angeles Rams Hoodie , Texans, Broncos and Bengals at Nos. 97-100 overall.

In the fourth round, Green Bay, Arizona, the New York Giants Rick Leonard Jersey Saints , 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, Green Bay Kyzir White Jersey Elite , Dallas and Kansas City each have one.

At the end of the final round, the Bengals have two picks, while the Chargers, Buccaneers, Cardinals and Falcons each have one.

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Former captain Daniel Alfredsson called for owner Eugene Melnyk to sell the team Youth Cleveland Browns Jerseys , assistant general manager Randy Lee is suspended pending his court date on a harassment charge, and 20-goal scorer Mike Hoffman was traded amid an off-ice dispute with captain Erik Karlsson, whose own future is uncertain.

Thirteen months ago, the Senators were a goal away from the Stanley Cup Final. Now they’re in turmoil.

”Through adversity we find people’s true character,” general manager Pierre Dorion said Thursday. ”We find out who wants to be with you in a war in tough times. It’s great when people want to be around you when you’re a goal away from getting to the Stanley Cup Final, but we really find out about people’s true values and true character and real integrity when it’s difficult situations. All I can say is we at the Ottawa Senators, we have great people.”

As if Alfredsson’s pointed criticism wasn’t enough, Lee was charged with second-degree harassment after allegedly making lewd comments and rubbing the shoulders of a 19-year-old male hotel shuttle driver at the scouting combine. Add to that Youth Josh Allen Jersey , Melinda Karlsson filed an order of protection alleging harassment and cyberbullying against Hoffman’s fiancee, Monika Caryk, for posting hundreds of derogatory online messages about her and her husband.

One of these crises would be enough to challenge an organization, let alone them piling up. Fans in Ottawa are unhappy with Melnyk, who mused about moving the team and infamously said he’s ”not going to blow a lifetime of working hard on a hockey team.”

It’s hard work now for Dorion and the front office to get things back on track. He began earlier this week by trading Hoffman to San Jose, a deal that he explained as a way to fix team chemistry and character.

”Trading Mike Hoffman was something that we needed to do,” Dorion said. ”Our dressing room was broken. We have to have a dressing room that wants to win together. Key components for us moving forward are character, leadership Cheap Customized Chicago Bears Jerseys , accountability, and we’re very happy with the return we got on Mike Hoffman.”

The return of forward Mikkel Boedker and the fact that the Sharks flipped Hoffman to Florida to clear salary-cap space was almost inconsequential. The relationship between two of Ottawa’s top players seemed irreparable after Karlsson’s wife said in a sworn statement that ”Monika Caryk has uttered numerous statements wishing my unborn child dead.” The Karlssons’ first child, a son named Axel, was stillborn in March.

Dorion said no players came to management last season to talk about any concerns. But something was wrong for Ottawa to go from a playoff contender that was difficult to play against to 28-43-11 and second-to-last in the NHL.

”We finished in 30th place last year,” Dorion said. ”There is great room for improvement.”

On the ice, Dorion hopes a full season with center Matt Duchene and an influx of talent including the player selected fourth overall Friday night will make the Senators competitive again. He refused to speak about Karlsson, the elite puck-moving defenseman who could become a free agent in the summer of 2019 and on whose shoulders the franchise’s best hopes rest.

Dorion said only the Senators ”have a good game plan” and could table a contract offer to Karlsson as soon as July 1. He wouldn’t comment as to whether trading Hoffman might help the cause of re-signing Karlsson and didn’t want to commit to a rebuild or a retooling effort or label the front office’s direction.

”People like to brand things,” Dorion said. ”Whatever direction we’re going Youth Logan Paulsen Jersey , we need core players to be part of that. You can’t just put a bunch of young kids on a team. You need core players.”

Lee has been a key part of the Senators’ front office for decades, but he’s not with them at the NHL draft because of his suspension ahead of a court date July 6 in Buffalo, New York. Lee pleaded not guilty to the harassment charges.

”We felt we made the right decision with Randy Lee,” Dorion said. ”In 23 years with the organization there’s never been an incident recorded. It’s an on-going process. On July 6, Randy will have his due process, and from there we will re-evaluate.”

On the topic of Melnyk, Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the Stanley Cup Final that the Senators were not for sale. Any complaints about ownership, from Alfredsson or the fan base Cordy Glenn Jersey Elite , are above Dorion’s head, but he said it’s on his shoulders to help get the Senators back to the playoffs and hopes he can convince free agents of the strong belief he has in the direction they’re going.

”Come to Ottawa,” Dorion said. ”We’re going to be a good team. We were really close a year ago. We had a bump in the road. We have good players. You can be part of this group that can be part of a good team and build toward a great future.”

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Lue said in statement that tests have offered no conclusion about what the issue is and offered no timetable for his return. The coach said he feels he needs to step away ”and focus on trying to establish a stronger and healthier foundation” from which to coach the rest of the season.

Associate head coach Larry Drew will run the team in Lue’s absence. Drew said he received a text message from Lue at 1:30 a.m. saying Youth Bradley Chubb Jersey , ”It’s your show.”

LeBron James said he was informed of Lue’s decision at morning shootaround, saying it was ”probably well overdue.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – A winter storm expected to hit the Northeast is forcing at least one college basketball team to alter its travel plans for the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

West Virginia’s athletic department announced the Mountaineers will leave a day early for Boston. WVU says it will depart Morgantown on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

Fifth-seeded West Virginia meets top-seeded Villanova in the East Region semifinals at TD Garden on Friday night.

The National Weather Service says the bulk of the wind-driven snow and sleet is expected to hit New Jersey, Maryland Youth New England Patriots Jerseys , Delaware and parts of eastern Pennsylvania before heading off to Massachusetts early Thursday.

A winter storm in the East during the 2017 tournament also prompted teams to scramble their travel plans.

PRO FOOTBALL

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Indianapolis Colts finally made a splash in free agency by signing tight end Eric Ebron.

Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Ebron was released last week by the Detroit Lions, the team that made him a first-round pick in 2014.

The 6-foot-4, 2532-pound Ebron gives quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett another receiving threat. He will be paired with Jack Doyle, who appeared in his first Pro Bowl last season.

Ebron had 186 receptions Customized Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys , 2,070 yards and 11 TDs in four seasons with the Lions and developed a reputation for dropping passes. But he’s just 24 years old.

Indy’s move comes on the heels of Saturday’s trade that gave the New York Jets the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. Indy got the Jets pick at No. 6, two second-round picks this year and another second-rounder in 2019.

BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball is working to finalize a two-game series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox at London’s Olympic Stadium on June 29-30 in 2019, the sport’s first regular-season games in Europe.

The Red Sox have the option of having both games be Boston home games Taron Johnson Jersey Bills , a person familiar with the planning told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because no announcement had been made.

Baseball officials have long hoped for games on London and settled last year on Olympic Stadium, which is in its second season as home of West Ham of the Premier League. Because it originally was built for a 400-meter track, it is wider than other large stadiums in the London area and can best accommodate the dimensions of a baseball field.

MLB chose the June window because it is after the Premier League season and before the stadium must be made available for summer track and field events. MLB hopes to make an announcement within the next two months.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – The reigning National League champion Dodgers are going to be without their red-headed slugger on opening day Jerome Baker Jersey Dolphins , and possibly for a while after.

Justin Turner has a broken left wrist after being hit by a pitch during Los Angeles’ 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.

Turner was struck by a pitch from right-hander Kendall Graveman in the first inning. Last year’s NLCS MVP grunted and winced as he jogged away from the plate toward the dugout, his hand hanging limp at his side. He was quickly visited by a trainer and replaced by Donovan Solano.

General manager Farhan Zaidi said the team didn’t know yet how long Turner would be out, but players with broken wrists usually miss several weeks. Turner says he’ll visit the doctor again Tuesday to hopefully learn more.

After Yadier Molina’s two homers led the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 win at Milwaukee Saturday Youth Geron Christian Jersey , manager Mike Matheny spoke hopefully of a bounce the win would create.

His instinct proved correct Sunday when St. Louis capped a rough road trip with an 8-2 rout that allowed it to salvage a split of a four-game series with the National League Central leaders and pushed it within 4 1/2 games of the Brewers.

The Cardinals open a six-game homestand Monday night in Busch Stadium with the second of four straight series against first-place teams, facing the Cleveland Indians.

St. Louis (40-36) scored just seven runs in its first three games in Milwaukee, whiffing 34 times, with 15 occurring in a 2-1 loss Friday night. It fanned another 11 times on Sunday but mixed in 10 hits, including a three-run homer by Jose Martinez to cap a five-run fourth inning that turned momentum for good.

While the Cardinals enter the series with hope that they are turning things around Redskins Elite Jerseys , Cleveland (43-33) did so during the last week. Its 12-2 rout Sunday of Detroit was its seventh straight win, moving it eight games ahead of the Tigers and Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.

The Indians also appear to have the mound advantage for the series opener with Mike Clevinger (6-2, 3.00 ERA) against spot starter John Gant (1-2, 4.39).

Clevinger’s last start was one of his best this year. He notched 10 strikeouts Tuesday night in 7 2/3 innings of a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Clevinger has lasted at least six innings in five straight starts, solidifying his place in a deep rotation.

“His fastball had really good life Youth Ito Smith Jersey ,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria told mlb.com. “He was keeping the ball down below the zone. You saw him get a lot of checked swings on some of his breaking pitches … he’s got a pretty good repertoire and was able to command consistently in the zone consistently throughout the whole ballgame.”

Gant is starting in place of Michael Wacha, who took his 8-2 record to the disabled list last week after suffering an oblique strain Wednesday in Philadelphia. The former Atlanta Braves prospect is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three starts this year, leading some to wonder why Dakota Hudson (10-2 at Triple-A Memphis) or Daniel Poncedeleon was not picked to replace Wacha.

In his last start, Gant lasted 5 1/3 innings on May 25 in Pittsburgh, losing 8-1 despite fanning seven and walking none. He was charged with four hitsand three runs.

Gant has made one career start against Cleveland Dante Pettis Jersey 49ers , lasting two innings in a 2016 game for the Braves and permitting one run and three hits with two strikeouts.

Carlos Martinez (3-4, 3.24) starts Tuesday night for St. Louis opposite Corey Kluber (11-3, 2.10). Jack Flaherty (3-2, 2.50) faces the Indians’ Shane Bieber (2-0, 2.45) in a battle of rookie right-handers on Wednesday night.