Dein erstes Forum » Western Conference

(SportsNetwork.com) - When the 2014-15 NBA schedule came out, this Christmas matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs seemed like a battle for Western Conference supremacy. Fast-forward through injuries and Thursdays contest at AT&T Center is between the seventh and 10th best teams in the ultra-loaded Western Conference. The defending champion Spurs were without All-Star guard Tony Parker for five games earlier this month. Now, Kawhi Leonard is sidelined indefinitely with a torn ligament in his right hand. The Thunder were without Kevin Durant for a long period to begin the season and the reigning MVP has sat the last three with a sprained right ankle. He has been ruled out for the game against the Spurs. OKC has also been without Russell Westbrook for a chunk of the campaign. Hes back and playing at a high level, but it hasnt helped the Thunder, whove lost two straight and three of their last four. The Thunders consecutive losses came at home to the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers. The Portland loss came on Tuesday, in overtime, 115-111. Westbrook went for 40 points with 10 rebounds and six assists in the loss. But unlike Portlands Damian Lillard, who scored 40 on 21 shots, it took Westbrook a career-high 34 shot attempts to do it. Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka had 21 and 16 points, respectively, for Oklahoma City. The Thunder squandered a 10-point lead over the games final two minutes. Lillard found himself wide open at the top of the key coming off a pick and buried the trey to tie the game. Westbrook was off the mark from way beyond the arc as the buzzer sounded. They pushed Russell out, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of Westbrooks final shot in regulation. He made a tough decision. We have to get a better shot than that. LaMarcus Aldridge converted a three-point play following a Jackson basket to open the overtime period. Wesley Matthews knocked down a 3-pointer the next trip down prior to Westbrooks layup that made it a two-point game. It stayed that way until Lillard dialed in a trey, then he hit a pair of free throws with just over a minute left before Dorell Wrights tip-in gave the Blazers a comfortable seven-point cushion. The Spurs, meanwhile, halted a four-game losing streak Monday with a 125-118 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Parker scored 26 points and Tim Duncan posted his third straight double-double to help the Spurs. Duncan went for 21 points and 12 rebounds, Boris Diaw added a season-high 23 points off the bench and Manu Ginobili scored 19 with 10 assists for San Antonio. The Spurs assisted on 37 of their 49 baskets and shot a season-high 63.6 percent from the field. Parker was critical in his return from injury. I was just trying to bring energy and be aggressive, said Parker. Just happy to be back out there. The Spurs toppled the Thunder in six games in the Western Conference Finals last season. OKC has won five straight against the Spurs in the regular season, including two in a row in the Alamo City. Randy Moss Vikings Jersey . This is the final meeting of the season between these teams.? The Capitals were 5-4 winners in a shootout Oct. Mike Hughes Vikings Jersey . -- ETwaun Moore had 14 points in 30 minutes, and the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 87-86 on Sunday night. http://www.vikingsnflfansclub.net/Black-Friday-Daniel-Carlson-Jersey/ . Granato was an assistant for the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last five seasons, and he was also part of Team USAs staff at the 2014 Olympics. Brian ONeill Vikings Jersey . The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament. Jalyn Holmes Vikings Jersey . The Brazilian-born strikers brace drew him level with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the leagues leading scorers with 17 goals apiece through 16 rounds. "The important thing is to help the team win, not the goals," Diego Costa said. After a first half dominated by defence, Atletico pressed Valencia into its area and Diego Costa did the rest. PITTSBURGH -- Edinson Volquez couldnt seem to find the strike zone in the first inning of his start against the Philadelphia Phillies, throwing 11 of his 16 pitches for balls. After escaping the jam unscathed, he got some advice from pitching coach Ray Searage. The rest of the way went smoothly with Volquez allowing a run over seven innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Phillies 3-2 Saturday. "He slowed me down," Volquez said. "I was too fast to the plate and everything was late with my hands to get the ball where I wanted." The adjustment worked. "I could see the strike zone a little closer to me and I felt like I could put the ball where I wanted," Volquez said. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer in the first and Volquez (7-6) had an RBI groundout with the bases loaded in the second inning as the Pirates moved a season-high five games over .500 at 46-41. The Pirates couldve added to the 3-0 lead but Gregory Polanco Starling Marte each flew out with men on second and third. Volquez allowed four hits and walked four. He struck out five in his third straight win. "He battled," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was a very, I thought, gritty performance by him today because he spent a lot of time out of the stretch again." McCutchen followed up Fridays game, when he was a home run shy of the cycle, with the big hit off David Buchanan. McCutchen connected to right after Polanco led off the home first with a single. McCutchen said it was nice to begin his day with a home run after he ended Friday with a ball that smacked the wall about 10 feet lower than necessary to clear it. "I got a little better swing on it," McCutchen said. "(I) got out in front of it a little more so I was able to get hands through the zone and put a little more backspin on it." Hurdle was pleased his team jumped on top early, similar to the way the Pirates scored four runs in the first inning Friday. "Its always nice to get in front," he said.dddddddddddd "It does give you a sense of momentum coming out of the chute." Philadelphia dropped a season-high 13 games below .500 at 37-50. "We havent been able to bounce back from being down early in the game," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Its been different when weve scored early. Its something were going to have to try and do, score earlier in games." Buchanan (4-5) found his stride after the second and kept the Pirates at bay until he was lifted in the sixth. Philadelphias starter was charged with three runs and six hits and an intentional walk. "The biggest thing for me today was not walking anybody," Buchanan said. "If you throw strikes and make them put it in play then good things usually happen." Marlon Byrd stranded five men on base in his first two at-bats. He flew out in the first to leave men on the corners, then struck on four pitches to end the third with the bases loaded. Byrd homered off Pirates closer Mark Melancon in the ninth but even an attempt at starting a rally wasnt enough to appease the right fielder after his earlier at-bats. "I have to do a better job producing in the first at-bat, too," Byrd said. "Bases loaded and I struck out. My job is to produce." Melancon retired to next three batters he faced for his 16th save. Tony Watson worked a perfect eighth. Cody Asche homered in the fourth for Philadelphia against Volquez. NOTES Asches home run in the fourth inning snapped a 16-inning scoreless streak for Volquez. . In their last 14 starts, Pittsburghs starting pitchers have combined to post a 2.32 ERA. . Pittsburgh SS Jordy Mercer doubled twice and is batting .714 (10 for 14) in his last five games. . Pirates LHP Jeff Locke (1-1, 3.46 ERA) faces Phillies RHP A.J. Burnett (5-7, 3.92 ERA) when Pittsburgh and Philadelphia conclude their three-game series Sunday. Blackhawks Jerseys Store Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Penguins Jerseys Store Capitals Jerseys For Sale Blues Jerseys Store Cheap Kings Jerseys Adidas Lightning Jerseys Stars Jerseys For Sale Cheap Predators Jerseys Ducks Store Sharks Jerseys For Sale Cheap Sabres Jerseys Rangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '