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ORLANDO, Fla. Steve Young Limited Jersey . —Brooklyn
looked inside in its first game of the season against Orlando. With
Dwight Howard no longer patrolling the paint for the Magic, it was a winning
strategy. Andray Blatche had 15 points, Brook Lopez added 14 points and 10
rebounds and the Nets beat the Magic 107-68 Friday night. “It definitely was a
focus,” Lopez said of getting the ball inside. “Especially coming off that tough
Miami game. We wanted to come out and just hit them right away.” Brooklyn never
trailed while snapping a 10-game losing streak to Orlando that dated to 2009. It
enjoyed a 46-30 edge in scoring in the paint against the Magic, who traded
Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers in August. It was exactly what the Nets needed
after following up their season-opening victory with back-to-back losses,
including a 30-point setback Wednesday against the defending champion Heat. “I
think for us, we had a lot of veteran players out there who really know how to
play. And they know where their strengths and weaknesses are,” Nets coach
Avery Johnson said. “A lot of things that weve been harping on about our
offensive and defensive game—they executed.” ETwaun Moore led the Magic with
18 points, and Arron Afflalo finished with 12. It was Orlandos most lopsided
loss of the post-Howard era and came on the heels of a 15-point blowout at
Minnesota that was equally one-sided. Fridays loss was Orlandos second-worst
home loss ever. Injuries have certainly played a role, but coach Jacque Vaughn
didnt use it as a crutch to explain his teams recent shortcomings. “You have to
be committed to execution,” Vaughn said. “Not every other play, not every fourth
play, but every single play. You have to cut hard every single play. You have to
screen every single play for us to have success. And when they are not
committed, it shows.” The Nets dominated inside, with Lopez and Blatche pushing
around Orlandos young front line. They also got a lift from their bench, with
Brooklyns reserves outscoring their counterparts 55-18 for the game. Orlando
lost its third straight game after starting 2-0. It also tied a franchise-low
with four made free throws, compared to 16 for Brooklyn. No Magic starters
attempted a free throw Friday. “Weve got a lot to work on, defensively being the
main issue,” Afflalo said. “But the good thing is that we play the same team on
Sunday. So I think it will be a great chance for us to see if we can truly learn
from tonight. ... Hopefully we grow from tonight.” The short-handed Nets played
without swingman MarShon Brooks, who twisted an ankle during the morning
shootaround. Johnson went deeper into his roster, giving veteran
Jerry Stackhouse his first minutes of the season. Stackhouse responded by
scoring 11 first-half points to make up for slow starts by Joe Johnson and
Deron Williams. He was shut out in the second half but the 11 points tied
Stackhouses highest scoring output from last season when he was with Atlanta.
Lopez also went to work early and often in the post, opposite a timid group of
Magic big men. He scored 11 of the Nets first 19 points as they built as much as
a 16-point lead in the opening 24 minutes. That lead passed 30 points early in
the fourth quarter. The Nets also held a 48-35 rebounding edge for the night.
Meanwhile, the Magic didnt seem nearly as comfortable in their half-court sets
at the outset and were hampered by careless turnovers. Sixth-man J.J. Redick was
visibly frustrated at times, barking at his younger teammates when they failed
to move the ball swiftly enough during their offensive sets. Orlandos remaining
reserves also failed to provide a lift, collectively scoring just four points in
the first half. Sundays game in Brooklyn will be their second of four meetings
this season. Its also the start of a three-game homestand for the Nets “Winning
is the cure all,” Stackhouse said. “Whatever is wrong with it, winning is the
cure all. It is not as cold. ... We will even find some gas when we get home. If
we lost tonight, we wouldnt be able to find some gas. I have a feeling we will
find some gas. “This is just how it goes.” NOTES: Magic PG Jameer Nelson sat for
the fourth straight game with a strained right hamstring/groin. Vaughn said the
team co-captain was “making positive steps in the right direction.” Rookie F
DeQuan Jones also rested with a groin strain. ... Nets F Gerald Wallace missed
his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Randy Moss Red Jersey . Liverpool said Monday
that the 27-year-old Skrtel signed a “long-term contract.” The Slovakia
international has made 175 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Zenit
St. Patrick Willis Womens Jersey . In the
tightest of the quarterfinals, McDowell made his par putt on the first extra
hole from five feet but Garcias fallibilities with the putter returned as his
effort slid by the cup from even closer in. http://www.nfl49ersfansstore.com/nike-colin-kaepernick-49ers-jersey/
. Humphrey, the teams second-leading scorer, was arrested a few hours after the
Bulldogs lost 67-59 to No. 23 Vanderbilt for their fourth straight defeat. The
20-year-old junior posted a US$1,000 bond and was released less than two hours
after entering jail, police said. NaVorro Bowman Womens Jersey . TSNs James
Duthie hosts the live 30-minute special and is joined by Hockey Insiders Bob
McKenzie, Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun, and analyst Aaron Ward to break down
the critical meetings and provide insight into the proceedings occurring just
two days before the leagues current collective bargaining agreement expires. Steve Young Black Jersey . —Clint Dempsey
is precisely the kind of scrappy player that Jurgen Klinsmann covets on his
teams, an attacker who is willing to throw his body around for the greater
good.Capping off a surprising, yet utterly dominant, playoff run, the
eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings downed the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in Game Six of
the Stanley Cup Final Monday night. After losing back-to-back games, the Kings
might have been feeling some pressure coming home for Game Six, their series
lead suddenly in jeopardy, but the game tilted midway through the first period
when Devils right winger Steve Bernier received a major penalty and game
misconduct for boarding, after he flattened Kings defenceman Rob Scuderi with a
hit from behind. The Kings power play had struggled throughout the postseason,
going 9-for-85 (10.6%) prior to Game Six of the Cup Final, but when Berniers
penalty opened the door a crack, the Kings barged right through it, scoring
three times to push the Devils back on their heels. Starting to take some heat
for his lack of production in the series, Kings captain Dustin Brown was a force
in the deciding game, scoring a goal and two assists. Brown finished the
playoffs with 20 points, tying linemate Anze Kopitar for the postseason lead.
Jeff Carter scored a pair of goals for the Kings, giving him four in the Final
series and he ended up as one of seven players to tie for the playoff
goal-scoring lead with eight goals. Teammates Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar, as
well as Devils Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise shared that goal-scoring lead with
Carter. It was a tumultuous season for Carter. After being traded from
Philadelphia to Columbus, Carter was shaken, then was injured and not very
productive when he was in the lineup for the Blue Jackets. Acquired in exchange
for defenceman Jack Johnson, Carters arrival helped spark L.A.s offensive surge
in the final quarter of the season and into the playoffs. (As a side note,
Carters second goal came on a bizarre play, after Dustin Browns entry into the
zone was made much easier when Devils defenceman Anton Volchenkov collided with
linesman Pierre Racicot. For a team already behind the eight ball at that point,
it was impossibly bad luck for the Devils.) Carter wasnt the only multi-goal
scorer in the clinching game. Trevor Lewis, the third-line winger who had one
goal in 19 playoff games, picked up a pair, including one into an empty-net with
3:45 remaining when the desperate Devils had pulled goaltender Martin Brodeur.
Kyle Williams Jersey. What made the Kings
such a formidable opponent in the playoffs—absurdly so for an eighth seed—
is that they had so many contributors. Goaltender Jonathan Quick won the Conn
Smythe Trophy as the Playoff MVP and its tough to argue after he posted a .946
save percentage, the best since the stat was officially tracked, starting in
1984. Quick was my pick at regular seasons end for the Vezina Trophy as the
leagues top goaltender, so this performance was no fluke, but great is great and
worthy of recognition. He allowed two goals or fewer in 18 of 20 playoff games.
In the other two games Quick allowed three goals. Having a great goaltender
obviously helps. So does having an elite defenceman and the Kings have one of
the best. Drew Doughty led all scorers in the Final with six points, giving him
16 points in the playoffs to lead all defencemen. While its not surprising,
given Doughtys pedigree, it was generally an uneven season for Doughty after a
protracted contract negotiation caused him to miss most of training camp. But
once the playoffs began, Doughty raised his game and played like the Norris
Trophy-calibre defenceman that he can be, with obviously beneficial results for
the Kings. While the story of winning the Cup is the Kings finally getting the
franchises first, its worth noting that theyre in pretty good position going
forward too. Their top five forwards (Kopitar, Brown, Carter, Mike Richards and
Justin Williams) are all under contract for at least two more seasons—much
longer in the cases of Richards and Carter—and dont face the loss of a
defenceman or goaltender to free agency this summer, so the pieces should be in
place for the Kings to contend again next season. Sure, the Kings are going to
go into the 2012-2013 with a bulls eye on them and theyll have to deal with a
Stanley Cup hangover, but these are dream problems for any franchise. Problems
that were well-earned with the Kings championship run this spring. Scott Cullen
can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
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