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After beating the Bruins in back-to-back elimination games to force their first-round playoff series to the limit – just like they did in 2013 – the Maple Leafs are hoping to finish the job on Wednesday in Game 7 in Boston.

That’s something they couldn’t do five years ago Youth Bo Scarbrough Jersey , when they became the first team in NHL history to blow a three-goal, third-period deficit and lose a Stanley Cup playoff game.

”We’ve got some more work to do,” said goalie Frederik Andersen, who stopped 32 of 33 shots in Game 6 on Monday to help Toronto win 3-1 and prolong its season.

”It’s the same kind of pressure we’ve felt these last two games, where we’ve been facing elimination,” he said. ”Game 7 should be the same. It’s something that you all dream of – those big moments – and you also want to perform.”

So do the Bruins, who have struggled to put away Toronto for the second consecutive time. In ’13 Jerome Baker Jersey Dolphins , the Maple Leafs won two straight and then opened a 4-1 lead in the third period of Game 7, but Boston scored a pair of goals 31 seconds apart in the final 2 minutes of regulation before winning in overtime.

Patrice Bergeron, who scored the game-winner, is one of seven Bruins remaining from that team, compared with four players wearing Toronto jerseys.

”It’s nice to have those guys,” said Boston forward David Pastrnak, who had four goals and five assists in the first two games of the series this year but only two assists since. ”They’ve been here a bunch Youth Marquez Valdes-Scantling Jersey , so they know what to expect. It’s good for our young guys to have them around.”

The winner of Wednesday night’s game will play Tampa Bay, which eliminated New Jersey in five games. The Lightning will host the first two games, regardless of which opponent advances.

”I don’t think there’s any panic at all in this group,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Toronto feels the same way.

”We think we’re going to win,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. ”We’ve thought that all along, and we’ve crawled our way back and now we have the opportunity of a lifetime. This is where you want to be.”

PRESSURE

Both teams paid their respects to the victims of the rental van attack in Toronto that killed 10 people and injured 15 more. There was a moment of silence before Monday night’s game, and Babcock opened his postgame remarks by sending support to those affected. Asked on Tuesday about the pressure his team faces heading into a winner-take-all game Kevin Hogan Jersey Redskins , Cassidy said he has tried to keep things in perspective.

”Listen, yesterday in Toronto, the first-responders, they were under pressure. That’s pressure to me, that’s real-life pressure,” he said. ”This is a game that players dream about being in this situation, Game 7 M.J. Stewart Jersey Elite , playing road hockey in a small town in Canada or a big city in the United States or somewhere in between. That’s what it’s all about. … Now you’ve got to go out and embrace it.”

GAME 7 HISTORY

The Bruins are 13-12 in Game 7s, with a 12-8 record at home. Toronto is 12-10 and 5-9 on the road. Boston is 2-1 in Game 7s against Toronto, including 2013. Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara will be playing in his 12th career Game 7 – the most for any active player, and just one shy of the record held by Patrick Roy and Scott Stevens.

ROUND TWO

The Capitals and Penguins await the start of the second round, when they will play each other for the third straight postseason. Pittsburgh is 9-1 all-time in playoff series against Washington.

In the West, the pairings are Vegas against San Jose and Winnipeg against Nashville.

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Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said his office would ”vigorously prosecute” the case regardless of the suspect’s immigration status. Curry criticized Trump and others who cited the case as part of the nation’s immigration debate, noting that ”two innocent men lost their lives in this horrible incident.”

Curry filed felony charges earlier in the day against the suspect, Manuel Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala who has twice been deported from the U.S. Orrego-Savala is accused of driving the pickup truck that hit Jackson and his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, early Sunday in Indianapolis.

”We are disheartened that ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary has politicized this tragedy,” Curry, a Democrat Browns Authentic Jerseys , said in a statement. ”Much of such commentary, including tweets by the president, fails to acknowledge that both Edwin Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe lost their lives on Sunday. We will simply seek justice on behalf of the families of those two victims.”

Trump drew added attention to the case on Twitter, calling the highway collision ”disgraceful,” and prodded Democrats to work with him on illegal immigration and border security.

Orrego-Savala is charged with two counts each of causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. The two more serious counts each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The 37-year-old said little during his initial court hearing Wednesday, responding through an interpreter as a judge explained the proceedings and charges. The judge set his bond at $200,000 after entering a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Investigators said Orrego-Savala was living illegally in the U.S. at the time of Sunday’s crash. Late Tuesday, he was charged by federal prosecutors with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. He faces up to 10 years in prison in that case Authentic Customized Colts Jerseys , which would be handled after any state charges are resolved.

His defense attorney, Jorge Torres, said Orrego-Savala’s immigration status has no bearing on the drunken-driving case. He questioned whether his client could get a fair trial given the local publicity about the case and his immigration issues. Torres declined to comment on Trump’s tweets.

Torres said his client has been living and doing construction work in the Indianapolis area for several years.

”He’s very distraught to say the least,” Torres said. ”He’s very confused.”

Jackson’s family planned no response to Trump’s tweets about the crash and the suspect’s immigration status, according to a family spokesman.

”We’ll let the politicians do the politics while the family is just going to grieve and circle the wagons and try to heal from this tragic situation,” Atlanta attorney Daniel Meachum said Tuesday. ”The family is in shock, as you can imagine.”

Prosecutors allege Orrego-Savala was driving the vehicle that crashed into Jackson and Monroe as the two men stood outside Monroe’s car early Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. Monroe was transporting Jackson for Uber, the ride-sharing service Youth Washington Redskins Jerseys , and had pulled over after the 26-year-old football player became ill, investigators said.

Orrego-Savala was arrested shortly after the crash. A blood test conducted at a hospital determined he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than double Indiana’s legal limit for driving, according to court documents.

Orrego-Savala was deported in 2007 and again in 2009. In 2005, he was convicted for driving under the influence in Redwood City, California. He also has numerous other misdemeanor convictions and arrests in California and Indiana, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Nicole Alberico.

In the 2005 case, he pleaded no contest to two separate drunken-driving offenses and was given a brief jail sentence Frank Ragnow Jersey Lions , according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Orrego-Savala remained jailed Wednesday in Indianapolis. Federal and county prosecutors spelled his last name as ”Orrego-Zavala” in charging documents, but his attorney said his name is spelled Orrego-Savala, a spelling that’s listed among his aliases in the federal documents.

Prosecutors filed a motion seeking a DNA sample from Orrego-Savala, arguing it could help determine whether he was in the truck that hit Jackson and Monroe. Prosecutors also said the sample would confirm his identity, noting his various aliases.

When Orrego-Savala appeared Tuesday before a judge who advised him of his rights, he told the judge through an interpreter: ”I wasn’t driving the car. I don’t know why I am here,” Indianapolis television station WRTV reported.

A police news release did not mention the presence of anyone else in the pickup truck.

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Associated Press writer Tom Davies contributed to this report from Indianapolis.

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The Celtics took their first step toward shattering the belief they can’t win without their biggest stars.

Al Horford had 24 points and 12 rebounds and Boston overcame Khris Middleton’s long 3 that beat the fourth-quarter buzzer Youth Jessie Bates III Jersey , topping the Milwaukee Bucks 113-107 in overtime Sunday to open the playoffs.

The Celtics led 99-96 with 0.5 seconds left in regulation when Middleton took an inbounds pass on the far right wing and hit a contested 35-footer. Boston outscored Milwaukee 14-8 in the extra period.

Terry Rozier added 23 points, four rebounds and three assists for Boston in his first career playoff start. Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points. Rookie Jayson Tatum added 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Rozier said he knows he’s under a spotlight this postseason with Kyrie Irving out for the season following his recent knee surgery.

”I just know I gotta step up,” he said. ”I know I gotta fill big shoes. I don’t feel no pressure. I’m glad to be in this position.”

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Boston.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 35 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out in overtime. Middleton had 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Malcolm Brogdon scored all 16 of his points after halftime.

After a muted start, things opened for Antetokounmpo. But he said he must do a better job the defensive end against Horford going forward.

”He knows what he’s doing down there Youth New England Patriots Hats ,” Antetokounmpo said. ”Hopefully in Game 2 I won’t play on my heels and I’ll play more on my toes and be able to defend without fouling.”

Part of the reason the Bucks were in bad spots is because they were hampered by turnovers. They committed 20, leading to 27 Boston points.

”That’s not getting shot up,” Middleton said. ”We feel like if we get a shot up, we’ll be good.”

An acrobatic, spinning layup by Tatum gave Boston a 108-105 lead in overtime.

It was 108-106 when Horford snared a rebound and got it ahead to Rozier, who was fouled. He made two free throws to put the Celtics in front 110-106 with 18.8 remaining.

Antetokounmpo made one of two foul shots with 14.8 seconds left Youth Isaiah Oliver Jersey , but he fouled out of the game while going for the rebound on his miss.

Rozier added three free throws to provide the final margin.

The game went to extra time following a wild finish in regulation that included back-to-back 3-pointers in the closing seconds.

Milwaukee was held to just two field goals over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter as the Celtics built an 86-76 advantage.

The Bucks closed to 89-87 before Marcus Morris made a falling down jumper just inside the arc to make it 91-87.

It was 92-91 with less than a minute to play when a pair of free throws by Horford made it 94-91.

Antetokounmpo got free for a dunk. But Horford was steady again after being fouled, connecting on two more from the line with 15.2 seconds left.

Out of a timeout, Brogdon got free on the wing and drained a 3 with 10.3 to play to tie it at 96.

Rozier dribbled the clock down before crossing over Eric Bledsoe, stepping back and swishing an apparent game-winner with a half-second showing the clock.

But after a Milwaukee timeout advanced the ball to half court, Middleton matched it with his own 3 over Brown as time expired.

”Both teams are going to keep fighting,” Bucks coach Joe Prunty said. ”That’s what this series is going to be. Each little play is going to matter.”

TIP-INS

Bucks: Antetokounmpo has now scored at least 20 points in eight consecutive games against the Celtics. … Outscored the Celtics 58-44 in the paint.

Celtics: Improved to 23-20 in postseason overtime games. Except for Horford Youth Michael Gallup Jersey , who entered the Sunday’s game with 91 career playoff starts, Boston’s other four starters (Tatum, Aron Baynes, Brown, Rozier) had combined to play only one playoff game between them. That lone start belonged to Baynes.

QUOTABLE

”That was part of our plan, to kind of lull them into a false sense of security.” – Stevens Darius Leonard Jersey Colts , joking on Boston’s play during Bucks’ 26-4 run in the second quarter to take a 10-point lead

BIG PLAY

Tatum brought the crowd to its feet early in the first quarter when he took an outlet pass from Horford and went in for fast-break dunk over the outstretched arm of Antetokounmpo .

MAKING PROGRESS

Marcus Smart, who hasn’t played since March 11 and continues to work his way back from his March 16 surgery to repair a torn ligament, was also on the court getting up some shots before the game. He was recently cleared for non-contact shooting but hasn’t resumed full basketball activities.

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Their characters’ exploits inside ”Overwatch,” the wildly popular multiplayer game not yet 2 years old, flicker above their heads on an enormous high-definition screen. Hundreds of mostly millennial fans in the renamed, sold-out Blizzard Arena put down their Doritos and roar for the combat between these six-player teams, eventually rising in ecstasy when the Dallas Fuel earn an unexpected point against the powerhouse Seoul Dynasty.

Here’s the new Johnny. He plays video games for a minimum $50,000 salary, health benefits, a retirement savings plan and a chunk of $3.5 million in prize money.

Esports history was made Wednesday night with the debut of the Overwatch League, the first attempt to present elite computer gaming within a traditional North American sports structure comparable to the NBA or NFL. The league’s 12 franchises represent cities from Shanghai to London, and they build teamwork and stress player development while competing on a weekly schedule stretching into summer.

If the esports industry is still in its adolescence, this well-funded venture is a significant milestone in its maturation. The Overwatch League is about to find out whether fans will grow along with it.

”It’s a new frontier Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Womens ,” said Ari Segal, president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Valiant. ”It is the biggest, boldest bet in sports and entertainment maybe since the NFL and AFL merged. Maybe since baseball introduced the designated hitter. I don’t even know what it stacks up against, because it is so different.”

Segal had a career as a hockey executive before he moved into esports last year. He is one of many seasoned professionals from traditional sports and business who couldn’t resist the opportunity to shape the future of professional gaming, which has expanded with all the cohesion of a pipe bomb.

Shortly after Blizzard Entertainment published this hero-based, first-person PC shooter to acclaim in 2016, the game developer announced plans for a league backed by deep-pocketed investors ranging from NFL owners Stan Kroenke and Robert Kraft to current giants of the esports scene.

They might not all know their way around a mouse, but they know a growing industry when they see it.

”I come from traditional sports, and from the outside, it seemed like esports had grown up as this exciting, massive Natrell Jamerson Jersey Saints , organic, somewhat unstructured ecosystem that benefited from that fact, but was also held back by it,” said Pete Vlastelica, president and CEO of Major League Gaming, which operates the league for Blizzard’s parent company.

”It felt to me a lot like boxing,” added Vlastelica, a former executive at Fox Sports. ”Anybody can create a circuit. Anybody be a trainer. Anybody can sign a fighter. Anybody can win a belt. But what’s the belt? I think boxing suffers from an ambiguity about whether any particular competition means anything, and it felt like that was really similar in esports.”

The Overwatch League aims to end that ambiguity with traditional sports touchstones, and it made sense to the luminaries from sports, tech and business who dominate the list of investors.

Kroenke Youth Sebastian Janikowski Jersey , the billionaire owner of Arsenal and the Los Angeles Rams, also owns the Los Angeles Gladiators, who plan to be based within the vast entertainment complex around his Inglewood football stadium after it is completed in 2020. The Boston Uprising are owned by Kraft’s investment group, and they might end up based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to share some training facilities with the New England Patriots.

The San Francisco Shock’s investor group includes Jennifer Lopez, Shaquille O’Neal and Marshawn Lynch. The Philadelphia Fusion are owned by Comcast Spectacor, and the New York Excelsior are the property of a venture capital fund sponsored by the Wilpon family of New York Mets fame.

Many of the Overwatch League’s owners might not be gamers, but they understand the visceral importance of going to a good event. League commissioner Nate Nanzer is confident it will eventually harness income from ticket sales and concessions and other areas that haven’t meant much in esports so far.

”Why do people go to a Dodger game? You go because it’s more fun to sit with 40,000 other fans and cheer for a home run than it is to do it at home,” Nanzer said. ”Video games are so incredibly mainstream right now. It’s such a big part of our fans’ lives. When people play `Overwatch Youth Marshall Newhouse Jersey ,’ they play a lot of `Overwatch.’ It’s a special moment to go share that with people who have the same passion as you.”

Although the geographical specificity of the teams is an important part of their future business plans, those home cities are largely theoretical at this point.

For this season and the near future, every team will live in the Los Angeles area and play all its matches in Burbank. Nanzer said the logistics of staging the competition around the globe were too enormous to be solved immediately.

That’s not the only geographical dissonance: The Overwatch League’s only ”European” team, the London Spitfire, are owned by an American esports organization, and its roster consists entirely of South Korean players living in Los Angeles.

But the Overwatch League has bought itself time to find its footing. The league has sponsorship deals with blue-chip companies including HP Inc. and Intel Corp., an. Adidas Patrick Kane Jersey , Cheap Michael Jordan Jersey , Womens Michael Gallup Jersey , Authentic Womens Albert Wilson Jersey ,

Goggia followed up her Olympic downhill gold by claiming the season-long World Cup title in the discipline Youth Markus Wheaton Jersey , while Vonn narrowly beat Goggia to win the race at World Cup finals and record career victory No. 82.

Goggia ended up three points ahead of Vonn in the standings.

”It was really a (tough) race but she won the race and I won this,” Goggia said as she hugged the crystal globe trophy. ”It’s always an honor to race her.

”After the gold in Korea I knew that I could also win this cup but it wasn’t easy,” the Italian added. ”I was a bit uncertain after missing a gate in training but I skied well today.”

The only other Italian woman to win the downhill title was Isolde Kostner in 2001 and 2002.

On the men’s side, Beat Feuz finished ahead of Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal to take his first career discipline title.

Austrian teammates Vincent Kriechmayr and Matthias Mayer tied for the win, finishing 0.04 seconds ahead of Feuz and 0.12 ahead of Svindal, giving the once-dominant team its first downhill victory of the season.

In a shortened race that was more like a sprint than a full downhill P.J. Hall Jersey Raiders , Vonn clocked 55.65 seconds to finish 0.06 ahead of Goggia.

It was Vonn’s fourth straight World Cup downhill victory, after settling for bronze at the Pyeongchang Olympics behind Goggia and Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway.

The American is now within four wins of Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record of 86.

”I’m really happy to close out the season with a win, and I’m sure (Sofia) is very excited to have the title,” Vonn said. ”Sofia always gives it 110 percent and sometimes she wins, and sometimes she crashes. I feel like she is very similar to myself. We have a great deal of respect for each other and it’s been fun to compete with her this year.”

After crossing the line first and pushing Goggia down to second, Vonn needed another racer to finish ahead of Goggia to win the title but the help never came. American skier Alice Mckennis came closest but finished third Youth Oakland Raiders Jerseys , 0.28 behind.

”I’ve never suffered so much waiting for the end of a race,” Goggia said. ”But in the end it turned out well.”

It was Mckennis’ second career podium result, more than five years after she won a downhill in St. Anton, Austria.

Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein, the only other woman with a chance of claiming the title, finished seventh in the race and third in the standings Cheap Customized Chicago Bears Jerseys , 115 points behind Goggia.

The start of the race was delayed by snow, wind and fog.

In the men’s standings, Feuz ended up 70 points ahead of Svindal, thanks in large part to his victories in Lake Louise, Alberta; Wengen, Switzerland; and Garmisch-Partenkirchen Ravens Cheap Jerseys , Germany.

He became the first Swiss racer to claim the honor since Didier Cuche won the last of his four crystal globes in 2011.

It was a measure of revenge for Feuz, who took bronze behind Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud in the Olympic downhill.

Super-G races are scheduled for Thursday in Are, which will host next season’s world championships.

Like any parent, she was full of emotions: pride, excitement – just a bundle of nerves.

But Rivers had somewhat of a parental advantage Bradley Chubb Jersey Broncos , she works for an NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers. So when her son – who starred at Villanova – was taken by the 76ers with the 10th overall pick, she couldn’t believe it.

”It’s amazing” Rivers Cheap Customized Carolina Panthers Jerseys , vice president of human relations for the 76ers, said in an ESPN interview with her son sitting in front of her wearing a 76ers baseball cap after he was drafted. ”It’s an experience I’ll never forget. I’m so excited he’s coming home to be part of our Sixers family. It’s amazing.

”Go Sixers!”

Unfortunately, it was a fleeting moment Customized Denver Broncos Jerseys , thanks to the sometimes cruel business side of basketball.

The 76ers put a quick end to the fairy tale – hometown hero who led the local school to national championships and now about to join the surging hometown NBA team – by promptly trading Bridges, who they took with the 10th overall pick, to the Suns in a deal they felt was too good to pass up. Philadelphia got Zhaire Smith (the 16th overall pick) and a 2021 first-round pick for the rights to Bridges.

And though the storybook ending lasted only a few minutes for Rivers Braden Smith Jersey Colts , she and her son didn’t walk away empty handed.

After all, being a top-10 pick in the NBA draft is something to celebrate – in Philadelphia or Phoenix.

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Ah, free agency is back.

It technically starts Sunday at 12:01 a.m. EDT in the East, 9:01 p.m. Saturday out West, but is already well underway everywhere in the sense that everybody is talking about what might happen. James is once again the biggest domino that will fall; he may opt out of his contract, but that doesn’t mean he’ll leave Cleveland – and he may opt in for nearly $36 million next season, but that doesn’t mean he’s certain to be staying, either.

Boston guard Kyrie Irving has a word for these days: Pre-agency.

”That’s actually a title to describe what’s going on now,” Irving said. ”But yeah Youth Mike Remmers Jersey , we know that 12 a.m. July 1st, that’s when it just starts getting nutty.”

James is hardly the only person who will create that nuttiness.

Paul George has a decision to make about his future; stay in Oklahoma City or move on, with the Los Angeles Lakers believed to be his dream destination. San Antonio has big decisions to make about Kawhi Leonard; they can take a risk and keep him for the final year of his contract, offer him a new deal or trade him elsewhere. And what happens in their cases will surely impact what James does, much in the same way the Chris Bosh decision in 2010 helped really pave the way for him to go to Miami.

Thing is, nobody knows what’ll happen. Hence, the intrigue.

”That’s the challenge in this league,” James said during the NBA Finals, when his Cavaliers were swept by Golden State. ”I think every GM and every president and every coaching staff is trying to figure out how they can make up the right matchups to compete for a championship and win a championship.”

The Los Angeles Lakers will have about $61 million in cap space; half the league might not have any. So this summer Cheap Minnesota Vikings Hoodie , with cap space for most teams at a premium, the biggest moves might have to come through trades.

”There has been a lot of discussion with a lot of teams about a lot of players,” Heat President Pat Riley said. ”I just feel there’s a restlessness on the part of teams, and also there’s a reluctance to do things. … It’s hard to pull the trigger on that kind of thing.”

Golden State’s Kevin Durant will be a free agent in name only – he’s already said he’s returning to the Warriors. Golden State will spend free agency bolstering its bench, and the best team in the NBA should be better in the next couple of weeks.

All that’s left to decide there is what terms Durant wants.

”Whatever he wants,” Golden State general manager Bob Myers said. ”Sometimes you don’t negotiate. … He’s earned the right to sign whatever deal he wants. I just want him to sign `a’ deal. I want him to be happy and want him to know that we want him as long as he wants to be here. He’s earned that, to kind of lay out the terms.”

Philadelphia isn’t tampering, but isn’t being shy: Both coach Brett Brown and newly minted rookie of the year Ben Simmons have come out this offseason and said how much a great veteran will help their team.

”Maybe that is a free agent, a big free agent who we can lean on and learn from Raiders Elite Jerseys ,” Simmons said.

He didn’t say ”LeBron,” but sure sounds like James.

Houston will look to add James as well in an effort to find the formula that will supplant the Warriors. The Rockets nearly ousted Golden State in the Western Conference finals, wasting double-digit leads in both Game 6 and Game 7 of that series – all while Chris Paul, who seems likely to stay in Houston but could choose to leave, was sidelined with a bad hamstring.

But Rockets star James Harden, the NBA’s MVP, didn’t sound like he would be clamoring for James to come to Houston.

”I don’t think there is a piece that we need to bring in or take away,” Harden said. ”We’re great with what we have.”

Miami is the place where James left Cleveland for once before, and it’s clear that he still enjoys South Florida. And the rumors about him and the Lakers have swirled for some time Youth Vinny Curry Jersey , though Lakers President Magic Johnson – perhaps offering a word of caution – said the rebuild of his team will take two summers.

”We don’t know what people are going to decide to do and we can’t control that,” Johnson said. ”So if guys decide not to come here, it’s not a failure. We turn to next summer. Next summer, if nobody comes and I’m still sitting here like this, then it’s a failure.”

James isn’t looking to fail. But until he decides where he can win, everyone waits.

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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this story.

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Shortly after Vegas became the first expansion team to clinch a playoff berth with a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night Cheap Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hoodie , the mantra in the locker room was the same as the one adopted shortly before the team’s home opener:

”Vegas Strong.”

Team owner Bill Foley, veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and leading scorer William Karlsson were among those who thought back Monday to the Oct. 1 mass shooting that killed 58 and injured hundreds more on the Las Vegas Strip.

”It was a disaster that night, it was a terrible massacre, we changed our initial opening night ceremonies, I thought we really connected with the town – I’m so proud of the whole team,” Foley said. ”From then on, it was pretty unbelievable. We got off to that fast start. We’ve survived a lot of challenges this year Youth Oakland Raiders Hats , besides being an expansion team who nobody picked to do anything.”

No expansion team had ever made the playoffs since the league expanded for the 1967-68 season.

”It doesn’t bring anybody back or we don’t heal anybody,” Fleury said. ”But I hope that we’ve changed people’s mind a bit and get them to come here and have a good time at T-Mobile (Arena) and be proud of their hometown team.”

Alex Tuch, Jonathan Marchessault, Shea Theodore and Karlsson each scored, while Fleury improved to 28-11-4 after stopping 28 shots.

It was also the 200th career victory for coach Gerard Gallant.

”I’m really happy about making the playoffs, the 200th win doesn’t mean a whole lot,” Gallant said. ”We always go back to our first home game. It wasn’t about our team winning Sam Hubbard Jersey Bengals , it wasn’t about nothing – it was about the first responders and the tragedy that happened the week before that.

”It was a tough way to start our season, but I think the guys and everybody supported it well. They all came out and played an unbelievable game that first night and I just think it carried over.”

The Golden Knights host San Jose on Saturday and are six points in front of the Sharks in the Pacific Division. San Jose beat Chicago in overtime earlier Monday.

Erik Johnson scored for the Avalanche and Semyon Varlamov made 26 saves.

Colorado is 11-7-3 against the Pacific Division and dropped to 7-3-3 in March. The Avalanche are still riding a 9-3-3 streak but had a three-game road winning streak snapped.

The Avalanche are fourth in the Central Division but dropped to the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, just behind Los Angeles, which beat Calgary.

”I’m not going to talk about a first-round (playoff) matchup, we gotta get there first,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. ”I would have liked to add another point or two tonight, but we weren’t able to get it done.”

Tuch was in the right spot on Vegas’ first power play to punch home a loose puck and give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. Colorado tied it when Johnson was there to fire in a rebound.

Vegas went back up 2-1 when Marchessault beat Varlamov with a slick wrist shot. Vegas has scored with a man advantage in 20 of its last 31 games. Since Jan. 21 Titans Authentic Jerseys , the Golden Knights lead the league with a power-play percentage of 30.4.

The Golden Knights wasted no time in extending their lead in the third period, when Erik Haula fed a streaking Theodore, who put one past Varlamov at the 1:31 mark.

Karlsson closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal, his 40th of the season.

”It feels pretty incredible, it’s good to clinch it at home ice,” Karlsson said. ”It’s been a fun ride, obviously winning helps it. We had a great start and that set us off for the rest of the year. I think the whole city came together Youth Jacksonville Jaguars Hats , the fans have been great, and they’ve helped us a lot. They fired us up and it was momentum all the way.”

NOTES: The Avalanche had three players skate in milestone games, as Landeskog played in his 500th game, Tyson Barrie played in his 400th, and Gabriel Bourque notched his 300th. … Vegas’ James Neal is now three games shy of his 700th. … Marchessault became the 10th player in NHL history to record 70 points while playing for a team in its inaugural season. … The 18,326 in attendance was the third-largest crowd of the season.

UP NEXT

Colorado: Returns home to host Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Vegas: Hosts Arizona on Wednesday night.

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The timeline remained unclear whether Paul might be fine to play a possible Game 7 if the Rockets lost Saturday night’s Game 6 and had to return to Houston to face the Golden State Warriors again Monday night. Eric Gordon started in Paul’s place Saturday at Oracle Arena.

”I think he’ll play as soon as he can Colts Cheap Jerseys ,” D’Antoni said before the game Saturday. ”It’s just not a question of trying to outsmart. He’s going to play. As soon as he’s able to walk and run, he’ll do it. There was no shot at it today.”

Golden State forward Andre Iguodala was out for a third straight game this series after he sustained a bone bruise in his left knee during Game 3. Coach Steve Kerr said Iguodala continues to have pain when running, so he’s still listed as day to day.

”It’s a bone bruise, and those are hard to predict,” Kerr said. ”Until he’s able to really run without pain Byron Maxwell Jersey Seahawks , then he can’t play.”

Paul’s presence at Oracle Arena still meant plenty.

”He’s devastated. He has to be. We’re all devastated for him. At the same time, we’ll rally and do what’s right,” D’Antoni said. ”He’s so integral in what we do and the spirit of the team. And him being here is a big deal, and him being on the bench is a big deal. He’ll will us through, if he can.”

Kerr felt terribly for Paul – and others who have gone down.

”More than anything Mike Remmers Jersey Elite , I feel bad for Chris. The guy is a phenomenal player and competitor, and pretty much willed his team the last two games. He’s just been haunted by these types of injuries in his career, and it’s a shame,” Kerr said.

”I hate when anybody gets hurt. I hate when Andre got hurt. I hate to see Kevin Love last night, Kyrie (Irving). These guys train so hard and they’re here and they’re competing Falcons Authentic Jerseys , and you want everybody to be healthy, but just the reality is it usually doesn’t work out that way. So you’ve just got to keep playing with whoever’s there and keep going.”

Second-year Golden State guard Patrick McCaw, who had been out since a scary back injury at Sacramento on March 31 when undercut by Vince Carter, was available to play after earlier being upgraded to questionable. He wasn’t expected to contribute key minutes given the injury and time missed.

”It would be a tough spot to put him in, in the meat of the game Youth Kyle Lauletta Jersey , with not having played for a long time. But at this point, it’s all hands on deck, obviously,” Kerr said. ”You never know how the game’s going to play out. I had teammates who literally played one play in a playoff game and made a play and helped us win a game. So you just never know.”

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Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have copious amounts of championship jewelry in their possessions Raiders Game Jerseys , and their teams committing to the level of defense necessary to win in the postseason is a major reason why that’s the case.

Vastly improved defense will be what both coaches demand – or at least hope for – on Monday.

Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs just didn’t have enough answers for Golden State in Game 1 of their Western Conference series, and Spoelstra’s Miami Heat offered Philadelphia absolutely no resistance in a second-half meltdown that opened their Eastern Conference series. The Warriors and 76ers are both looking to take 2-0 leads when those matchups resume on their respective home floors.

”We understand that we are not favorites,” San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili said. ”We are underdogs. We talked about it, and to get a win here, we’ve got to overachieve. We’ve got to do better than we think we can do, even. So we’ll fight as hard as we can in Game 2.”

That will have to be a mantra for both the Spurs and the Heat.

The Spurs allowed Golden State to shoot 54 percent in what became a 113-92 playoff-opening win for the defending NBA champions. Game 1 in Philadelphia was even more one-sided, as the 76ers closed the game on a 74-40 run in what ended up as a 130-103 rout – the most points that any Heat team has allowed in any postseason game.

”We have to learn from it,” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. ”It’s a seven-game series. They beat our butt in the first one. But at the end of the day Cheap Customized Jacksonville Jaguars Jerseys , they’re up 1-0 no matter which way they did it. We definitely have to make adjustments. We can’t go into the game saying, `Oh, they’re not going to make those shots again.”’

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A look at Monday night’s matchups:

HEAT AT 76ERS, Philadelphia leads 1-0. Game 2, 8 p.m., TNT.

Need to know: Philadelphia has now won 17 consecutive games, as well as 24 of its last 25 at home (not counting a ”home” loss in London to Boston), and is coming off its fourth outing of 130 points or more this season. ”If that’s the way it’s going to be Cheap Ryan Jensen Jersey , then we’ve got to conquer it,” Spoelstra said. ”We’ve got to find a way.”

Keep an eye on: Miami will have to change how it attacks screens and gets out on Philadelphia’s shooters, but that’s obviously easier said than done. Philadelphia will be brimming with confidence, and rightly so. 76ers coach Brett Brown knows the Heat will make adjustments, and it’ll be incumbent on him to react on the fly in Game 2.

Injury update: 76ers star center Joel Embiid was released from the NBA’s concussion protocol Sunday, but he will not play in Game 2. He’s recovering from surgery to repair an orbital fracture. For Miami, point guard Goran Dragic played Saturday through a sore right knee that has dogged him for a couple weeks.

Pressure is on: It was just one game, but Miami knows it can’t have a combined 13-for-40 shooting effort from its starting lineup again Youth Jessie Bates III Jersey , or see Hassan Whiteside – the $23 million center – be a complete nonfactor while playing only 12 minutes.

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SPURS AT WARRIORS, Golden State leads 1-0. Game 2, 10:30 p.m., TNT.

Need to know: When Golden State senses a chance to grab command, it usually pounces – as evidenced by how the Warriors are 8-0 in their last eight Game 2s. The Spurs have never dropped six consecutive postseason games under Popovich, though that streak will likely be seriously tested unless San Antonio comes up with some very different ideas very quickly.

Keep an eye on: San Antonio likely needs to get LaMarcus Aldridge going very early, to see if he can get in the rhythm that avoided him in Game 1. For Golden State, Klay Thompson bided his time in Game 1 and wound up shooting 11 for 13 – playing a brilliant game Youth Courtland Sutton Jersey , getting teammates open with hard cuts in the early going before the ball found him.

Injury update: Warriors star Stephen Curry and Spurs star Kawhi Leonard both remain out, but there’s no new major issues for either team.

Pressure is on: Oddly, it’s probably more on the Warriors than the Spurs. Golden State lost 10 of its final 17 regular-season games, and doesn’t want to see this series open with a split that will see the return of ”what’s wrong with the Warriors?” questions.

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