Über uns » n a story first reported by Los A

FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. GREIVIS VASQUEZ (Raptors): Has been sensational for the Raps in the past few weeks. His confidence in his three-point shooting and his ability to make difficult shots in the lane have been huge. He runs the team well and plays with wonderful enthusiasm. Major pick-up as a back-up point guard and hes finally settled in to his role and comfort level in Toronto. Really fun/upbeat personality who loves the game and plays with a swagger. Fun to see it all coming together for him. 2. ALLEN IVERSONS NO. 3 RETIRED IN PHILLY: In an otherwise gloomy season in Philadelphia, this was the definite highlight. Talk about a guy that absolutely carried his team and was the heart and soul of his franchise. Loved the passion and toughness he played with. When you think of great small guards who have ever played the game, hes right at the top of the list. His competitive spirit resonated throughout the teams he led and the city that adopted him. I think back to broadcasting the 2001 Raptors seven-game series in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against them and he was awesome. A complete joy to watch. Willed his team to the NBA Finals. Deserving honour. 3. NY KNICKS: I talk about AI and his competitive spirit and then I watch the Knicks vs. Bulls game on Sunday and just shake my head. The wheels have come off and Im not surprised one bit. When the Knicks were in Toronto twice during the pre-season I could sense from chatting with their folks an over-confidence about what they achieved last season and the feeling that they would just pick up where they left off. It aint that easy. Last season doesnt mean a thing - youve got to start off all over again. Complacency can be a killer. Whats the old line? "Good is the enemy of great". Doubt the Knicks would ever be considered great but they sure were good last year. When you enjoy those good spoils of success and arent ready for the grind again it spells trouble. I feel bad for head coach Mike Woodson, its not like he hasnt called them and challenged them on things constantly. Losing battle right now. House cleaning coming. 4. JIMMER FREDETTE (Bulls): Nice pick-up for John Paxson and Gar Forman. This team is playing great yet lacks consistent offensive fire power. Wouldnt surprise me to see Jimmer earn some playing time in a few weeks after he gets adjusted to the new system. Remember last season, Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli were huge for them off the bench as DJ Augustin has been this year. Jimmer will give them another three-point threat. Yes, hes got challenges defensively due to his size - he lacks lateral quicks - but he will compete his tail off and stick shots if he gets in. Im sure hell get a good look down the road this month. Solid under-the-radar move. 5. THABO SEFOLOSHA and KENDRICK PERKINS (Thunder): Both banged up right now in OKC and with the return of Russell Westbrook its been a revolving door around Kevin Durant yet I think its all a blessing for their organization. Its been "Force Feed" time for Reggie Jackson, Steven Adams, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones and theyve developed folks that need to grow as players quickly in an elite environment. From April 15 onward when both injured guys will be back for the Playoffs, the depth and experience of these challenges will help this team become steadier and more consistent when the stakes are higher. Rob Holding Jersey . The Grizzlies erased most of a 25-point deficit before Durant, the leagues scoring champion, got hot. Lucas Torreira Jersey . -- Antoine Bibeau bought the Val-dOr Foreurs valuable time at the Memorial Cup with his 51-save shutout Friday. http://www.arsenalsoccerproshop.com/Auth...Arsenal-Jersey/. Messis father, Jorge Horacio Messi, is apparently still under investigation for an alleged 4 million euros ($5.3 million) in unpaid taxes from Messis image rights from 2007-09. Messis public relations firm confirmed Spanish media reports that the state prosecutor has asked for Messi to be dropped from the investigation that began in June 2013. Sead Kolasinac Jersey .Boston beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Tuesday night and celebrated consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month. Stephan Lichtsteiner Jersey . The victory strengthened Liverpools position in the top four after Tottenham lost 1-0 at Norwich in the days late kickoff, cutting the north London club six points adrift of fourth place and the final Champions League slot for next season.NEW YORK -- Yasiel Puig knew the question was coming. What about that rocket throw to third base Tuesday night? The one you made when the inning was already over? Before it was even translated into Spanish for him, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger broke into the sheepish grin of a forgetful schoolboy who keeps getting sent to the principals office for the same silly offence. And he was ready with a playful response: Blame it on teammate Juan Uribe. See, only a few days before, Uribe and third base coach Lorenzo Bundy, who doubles as a translator for Puig, were marveling out loud about how the young right fielder hadnt goofed in more than a week. Turns out, they jinxed him! At least thats the way Puig tells it. "So when he made the mistake last night," Bundy said Wednesday, "Juan came off the field, he was looking for me and he goes, Lorenzo, hes back! Hes back!" The Dodgers are accustomed to those sort of untamed miscues from Puig -- over-exuberant baserunning, wild throws from the outfield, huge hacks at the plate. They laughed off his latest gaffe against the New York Mets because it was harmless: Puig caught a routine fly for the third out and immediately whipped a laser beam across the diamond to hold an opposing runner who was only headed back to the bench. Puig got razzed in the dugout, for sure. He may have forgotten how many outs there were, but hes been right on point at the plate. The second-year star from Cuba has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games, batting .408 with seven homers and 23 RBIs during that stretch. Hes all over the National League leaderboard, ranking second in RBIs (37) and slugging percentage (.610), fourth in on-base percentage (.427) and fifth in home runs (10). Puig credits Uribe and fellow teammate Adrian Gonzalez, among others, with helping him polish his game. Hes laying off bad pitches and having more disciplined at-bats. Hes hitting the cutoff man and eliminating fundamental mistakes on the bases. "I just think hes making adjustments," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Really his whole game has just matured, so I think that maturity has really been the key for him." All without losing the unique effervescence thats already made him a fan favourite around the majors. "Guys tthat love to play, you can just see it.ddddddddddddAnd I think thats what people love about Yasiel," Mattingly said. "You get that Little League quality thats just lovin playing baseball. And I think thats what people really like seeing. A guy that plays hard with that energy, and then the talent." The 23-year-old Puig is a rare talent, indeed. That quickly became clear when he burst into the majors with a bang last June. But hes also riled opponents with his antics on the field. Some dont like the way he flips his bat when he connects. Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner took exception to that this season and barked at Puig after he rounded third. "Its his style. Its been a way that hes played baseball for a long time," Bundy said, translating for Puig. "He doesnt really worry about the other team or what other players think about him -- other than his team, our team. "He says he tries to play the game hard, he tries to play the game happy. He wants to have a good time when hes playing. He said this is a game of entertainment. He doesnt really play it to offend people, but he does have a good time playing the game of baseball. But he doesnt really worry about the opinions of other teams." Details of Puigs dangerous escape from Cuba in June 2012 were revealed last month in a story first reported by Los Angeles Magazine. According to court documents in a federal lawsuit in Miami, smugglers who helped Puig leave his country on a speedboat have made death threats against him and a boxer who says he defected with Puig. The outfielder signed a $42 million, seven-year contract with the Dodgers, a record for a Cuban defector. And in his first visit to Citi Field this week, Puig has put on quite a show. He got three hits and reached base five times in Tuesdays series-opening victory over the Mets. He and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in a 4-3 win Wednesday night. Asked if hed had a chance to do any sightseeing in New York, Puig said he planned to get to the Statue of Liberty on Thursday and maybe the Empire State Building. Wearing a white T-shirt with "PUIG" written in big red, white and blue letters, he said hes still not used to all the attention and he misses his friends and former teammates in Cuba. 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