LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers have been giving playoff-contending teams more trouble over the past week than clubs that are way out of contention -- like themselves.
Joe
Mixon Youth Jersey . Chris Kaman had a season-high 28 points along with 17
rebounds while starting at centre for the vertigo-stricken Pau Gasol,
Jodie Meeks scored 22 points, and Los Angeles snapped the Phoenix Suns six-game
winning streak with a 115-99 victory Sunday night. It came just five days after
the Lakers put a crimp in the New York Knicks post-season plans with a 31-point
drubbing at Staples Center. In between that game and this one were a pair of
road losses to the league-worst Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves,
who beat the Lakers by 36 points Friday night. "Were trying to be the
player-haters of the year. Thats definitely what were trying to do, and we
embrace it," said point guard Kendall Marshall, who had 13 points and 11
assists. "We want to keep teams out of the playoffs and mess up seedings. Thats
our motivation right now. Any type of motivation we can get to grow as a team is
good for us right now." The undermanned Lakers shot 53 per cent from the field,
avoiding what would have been Phoenixs first season sweep over them since
2004-05. The Suns won the first three meetings by an average margin of 13.3
points, including a 117-90 rout on Dec. 23 at US Airways Center. This was the
first meeting between the teams in 2 1/2 months. "I dont know if we had a single
guy who came with the energy that they usually have," coach Jeff Hornacek said.
"Weve had games like this before, where they think theyre just going to show up
and win a game. Were not good enough to do that. These guys have been winning
games lately because theyve been focused in, but tonight they just werent." The
25-48 Lakers beat a team with a winning record for only the eighth time all
season. Gasol missed his fourth straight game because of his ailment, joining
Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Xavier Henry and Jordan Farmar on the inactive list.
Gerald Green scored 22 points off the bench and Goran Dragic added 17 for the
Suns, who missed their first 11 shots from 3-point range and finished 8-for-36
from behind the arc against a defence that came in having allowed an average of
119.1 in their previous 16 games and 108.9 overall -- second-worst in the league
behind Philadelphia. The Suns shot 38.5 per cent overall. "Theyre not shooting
them to miss them," an agitated Hornacek said. "They all thought they were going
to make them, and its not always going to be there. So at that point, quit
shooting them and drive to the basket." The Suns first loss since March 17 at
Brooklyn dropped them to 44-30 and put them into a tie with idle Dallas for
seventh place in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Memphis.
"Our schedule gets a lot harder after this," Hornacek said. "Play all the top
teams now in the next six or seven games, so thats why this game was so
important. I mean, if this happens against Oklahoma City or the Clippers, then
fine. But this team is not a playoff team, so thats why its disappointing."
Kaman, an 11-year veteran in his first season with the Lakers, secured his sixth
double-double of the season before halftime with 18 points and 10 rebounds to
help Los Angeles build a 61-43 lead at intermission. "Chris can do that. He has
talent, and he came ready to play," coach Mike DAntoni said. Dragic, who came in
with a team-best 20.6 scoring average, got seven of the Suns first 13 points --
but didnt get another until his driving layup with 8:39 left in the third
quarter trimmed the Lakers lead to 70-48. The Suns, who came in fifth in the
league in 3-point shooting at 37.7 per cent, didnt get their first one until
Markieff Morris ended their drought with 8:45 left in the second quarter. His
brother Marcus drained another one 34 seconds later and Green made a three-point
play with 7:41 left in the half, tying it at 31 after Suns trailed by 13. But
the Lakers responded with a 28-9 run that included nine points by Meeks, and
Ryan Kelly capped the rally with a pair of free throws to give Los Angeles a
59-40 cushion with 1:06 left in the third. The Suns got no closer than 11 points
with 3:43 to play. "They made a few runs and killed us. We didnt know how to
stop them," Dragic said. "I think our intensity was really bad. Its like no one
wants to play in the playoffs -- or at least it seems like that. " NOTES: The
longest winning streak in Suns history was 17 games in 2006-07, under DAntoni.
... Kaman received a technical foul from referee Derrick Stafford after getting
called for an offensive foul with the Lakers leading 80-55. ... The last time
the Lakers hosted Phoenix on Dec. 10, they lost 114-108. That game was one of
only six that Bryant has played in this season. ... The Suns are only 16-19 when
Dragic is their high-point man. The rest of the time, they are 28-10.
Jake
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doesnt appear the offer was warmly received by the team. Blue Jackets director
of hockey operations John Davidson and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said on
Wednesday the team has made offers of $6 million for two years, $32 million for
six and $46 million over eight years but each one was refused by the restricted
free agent centre and agent Kurt Overhardt.
Joe
Mixon Womens Jersey . The three goals bring Messis career tally for
Barcelona to 371 in all games -- including friendlies -- breaking the club
record of 369 held by Paulino Alcantara since 1927. The 26-year-old Messi was
already the clubs all-time leading scorer in official games. Messi assured
Barcelonas fans they will enjoy his goals for years to come, saying "as long as
people want me, I will stay here.
http://www.bengalsauthoritystore.com/Authentic-John-Ross-Bengals-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- Russell Martin wanted a better fate for his starting pitcher and
helped deliver a happier ending.The reappointment of Ivan Lendl as Andy Murrays
coach will be a massive boost ahead of Wimbledon, says Sky Sports tennis expert
Barry Cowan. Lendl was Murrays coach for two years until 2014. In that time, he
won the US Open and an Olympic gold medal in 2012 before winning Wimbledon the
following year, becoming the first British man to win that title since Fred
Perry in 1936.But eight-time Grand Slam champion Lendl decided he no longer
wanted to spend 20-plus weeks a year travelling. Murray (R) is watched by Lendl
during a practice session Since their split the former world No 1 has been
working with the US Tennis Association Player Development program, a role he
will continueMurray has since lost three Grand Slam finals under the guidance of
Amelie Mauresmo, Jonas Bjorkman and Jamie Delgado all to world No 1 Djokovic -
the man he had beaten in his two major successes. Murray reunited with Lendl
Andy Murray will work with coach Ivan Lendl from Monday But Cowan feels the
steely Czech will offer the 29-year-old British No 2 something that he has been
missing for some time and bring back the glory days.I think its a massive boost,
Cowan told Sky Sports News HQ. You have to look at the two years he was with
Ivan, he won his two Grand Slams and what Ivan was able to do was to bring him
that extra one or two per cent to get over the finishing line like the US Open
and Wimbledon final when he was mentally stronger than Novak. Murray won the US
Open 2012 under the guidance of Lendl Andy is in a great place at the moment. He
played fantastic tennis at the French Open so is Lendl going to change his
forehand and is he going to make changes technically? Absolutely not. But just
mentally being able to help him and if Andy can look up to his box, if he plays
Djokovic in the final, and sees Ivan sitting there then thats going to give him
a boost and also we may potentially have the [Boris] Becker-Lendl rivalry
back.Andy is an unbelievable player. He could play without a coach and still win
big matches, but ultimately its the biggest, biggest matches where a coach and a
personality like Lendl can really help.Interesting that when Murray talked about
it, he said its not just for the short-term. Of course hes going to say that but
at the age that Andys at right now as things stand he is the biggest challenger
to Novak. Murray and Lendl with the Wimbledon trophy Overall, Murray has lost
eight of his 10 Grand Slam final appearances, but Cowan feels the Scot will be a
force on grass as he prepares to face Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in his opening
match at Queens Club on Tuesday.I certainly believe that Andy is at his best on
a grasscourt. I think theres less people that can beat him on a grasscourt and
with what hes done there after winning at Wimbledon in the past, having also won
the Olympic gold medal, theres going to be a really good feeling about him over
the next three or four weeks.
Carl
Lawson Bengals Jersey. Andy is an unbelievable player. He could be play
without a coach and still win big matches, but ultimately its the biggest,
biggest matches where a coach and a personality like Lendl can really help.
Barry Cowan on Andy Murray At the moment Djokovic is head and shoulders above
everybody else - the stats dont lie. Hes able to win the big matches. The last
big match Djokovic lost was against [Stan] Wawrinka [in the final of the French
Open in 2015].Sometimes you have to make another statement and come with
something extra and I reckon thats what Lendl and Murray will probably discuss
when things are going against you. You dont want to leave it 30 or 45 minutes,
you have got to react a little bit quicker. Andy has those tools but sometimes
it can be those finer details, like I said. Roger Federer will be a realistic
danger at Wimbledon Cowan also believes 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger
Federer will be a danger at Wimbledon, despite the Swiss legend missing the
French Open because of a back injury.The 34-year-old returned to action at the
Mercedes Cup ATP tennis tournament in Stuttgart last week but lost out to
eventual winner Dominic Thiem from Austria in the semi-finals.You can never rule
out Roger Federer on grass, said Cowan. As things stand, given the injuries that
hes had, given the age that hes at, and the type of tennis that he can play, and
hes won Halle eight times, winning Wimbledon is his best chance of winning
another Grand Slam. Federer is aiming for a ninth title in Halle His year has
been disrupted by knee surgery, illness and of course back problems that forced
him to miss the French Open so the key for Roger was how did he feel on Sunday
after playing that match against Thiem.They were on and off for weather so if he
can put in a performance this week then that will definitely help him with
back-to-back weeks going into Wimbledon. Check our game-by-game updates from
Andy Murrays matches at Queens Club on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile
devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis and watch coverage
from Halle by signing in with your Sky ID and watching the action on Sky Sports
3.By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for
£10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV
with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices. Also See: Murray reunited with Lendl
Mahut warms up for Murray Murray draws Mahut at Queens Sky Live: Gerry Weber
Open
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