Meine Meinung » Sefolosha left Fridays game against Memphis

SOCHI – Slow and messy starts seem to be par for the course for the Canadian mens Olympic hockey team. Even though, the 2014 edition enjoyed three days of practice and four skates, in total, before the opener, Sidney Crosby and Co. were not sharp in their 3-1 win against Norway at the Bolshoy Ice Palace on Thursday. There was little authority from Canada. There were some nerves. But slow starts have been the case in the past three Winter Games, when Canada usually had only a day or two of on-ice sessions before the game-action began. Norway deserves credit for its determined game and defensive zone coverage. But even though the Canadians outshot their opponents 38-20, their power play (0-for-2) was abysmal and their scoring touch around Norwegian goalie Lars Haugen was missing in action. Canadian head coach Mike Babcock revealed afterwards that his club mustered only 24 scoring chances. Canada pulled out the victory because the fourth line of Jamie Benn, John Tavares and Patrice Bergeron came to play, despite limited ice time, and the defence played an active and effective game offensively. At best-on-best tournaments like the Olympics, Canadian players remark time and time again that they want to get better as the tournament goes on. Sometimes they overcome slow starts, like in 2002 and 2010. Sometimes they dont, like in 2006. But a common theme has been a slow start in the preliminary rounds. 2002 L 5-2 SwedenW 3-2 GermanyT 3-3 Czech Republic 2006 W 7-2 ItalyW 5-1 GermanyL 2-0 Switzerland 2010 W 8-0 NorwayW 3-2 Switzerland (shootout)L 5-3 United States Canadian Olympic teams struggle to come together quickly. It doesnt matter if its the bigger international-sized ice surface or the smaller NHL rink. One of the reasons is because they are asked to take on different roles and reduced ice time. Not every one can make the adjustment seamlessly. Jason Kipnis Jersey . PAUL, Minn. James Karinchak Indians Jersey . -- The NFL Players Association wants to determine if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leaked information about quarterback Josh Freeman being in the NFLs substance abuse program. https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/1238u....html.Chanathip Songkrasin opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Kroekrit found the target twice in the 57th and four minutes from fulltime.Vietnam and Malaysia play their second leg on Thursday. Vietnam won the first leg 2-1. Bob Ojeda Jersey . Price also posted the longest shutout sequence since 1960 at 164:19 minutes. He stopped a combined 55 shots in Canadas final two games and 70 of 71 shots in Canadas three elimination games, allowing only a breakaway goal to Lauris Darzins of Latvia. For his efforts, Price was named best goalkeeper by the tournament directorate. Prices outstanding play is marred only by the extremely strong defensive play of Canadas top six defencemen; Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. Joe Carter Indians Jersey . Even that couldnt slow them down against the New Orleans Hornets. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 31 points apiece and the Thunder overcame injuries to two key backups to beat New Orleans 101-93 Monday night for their 10th straight home win.OKLAHOMA CITY -- Thunder fans who braved ice, snow and single-digit temperatures got a special treat -- a look at the old Russell Westbrook. The three-time All-Star scored 26 points to lead Oklahoma City past the Charlotte Bobcats 116-99 Sunday night. He was 10 of 12 from the floor in 25 minutes in his fifth game since returning from right knee surgery. He has steadily improved and is looking more like the player he was before he missed 27 games. "He was aggressive all night, playing downhill on the pick and rolls," said Thunder forward Kevin Durant, who finished with 28 points. "He was just great tonight. That was good to see." Westbrook said he needed time to get comfortable again. "The more I play, the more rhythm Im able to catch and the more rhythm Im able to get," he said. Reggie Jackson scored 17 points and Serge Ibaka had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who won their second straight after losing their first three games following the All-Star break. Oklahoma City outrebounded the Bobcats 44-29. Durant made just 8 of 24 field goals, but sank all 12 of his free throws. He also had six rebounds and five assists. "I get a lot of shots, man," Durant said. "Theres going to be nights when I feel like that. Its a part of the game, and I think thats the beauty of the game -- just trying to fight through the obstacles, do what I can to help my team." Al Jefferson scored 25 points and Anthony Tolliver added 17 for the Bobcats, who had won four straight before losses to San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The Thunder made 13 of 24 shots in the fourth quarter to outscore the Bobcats 31-18. Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said his team had the wrong mindset to close the game. "I think through three quarters we did a good job, but we came out in the fourth, and again, particularly when they brought their starters back, we just couldnt contain the ball and couldnt keep the ball out of the paint, which has been something weve been good at all year," he said. Westbrook scored 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting in the first half to help the Thunder take a 61-55 lead at the break. "He set the tone tthe first half," Clifford said.dddddddddddd "He always plays with high energy, and if hes going to make all the shots, then theyre going to be hard to beat." Jefferson had 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The Bobcats shot 54 per cent in the first half, but were outrebounded 20-13. The Bobcats started off hot in the second half. A 3-point play by Gerald Henderson trimmed Oklahoma Citys lead to 61-60. The Thunder responded with a 6-0 run, including two putback baskets by Steven Adams, to take a 67-60 lead. Westbrook showed some of his explosiveness after a steal. He drove down court, then extended his right arm and elevated for a powerful one-handed throwdown to give the Thunder a 77-67 lead. "Tonight, he was phenomenal," Durant said. "He was great. That dunk capped it off." The Bobcats hung tough and trailed just 85-81 at the end of the third quarter. Charlotte cut the deficit to 86-84 early in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder responded with an 8-2 run. A perfectly executed pick-and-roll ended with Durant scoring on a pass from Westbrook, and Ibaka scored on the next possession to give the Thunder a 104-92 lead and put the game out of reach. Westbrook, who also had five assists, dominated from the start. "I thought Russell really had a great command of the game," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "I think it is good to see him continue to get his game legs under him. I give the staff a lot of credit. They have put him in a position to get better day by day." NOTES: Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti announced before the game that Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha would miss four to six weeks with a left calf strain. Sefolosha left Fridays game against Memphis in the first half and didnt return. ... Several Oklahoma City players, including Durant and Westbrook, travelled to Stillwater, Okla., Saturday night to watch Oklahoma State upset No. 5 Kansas. ... Presti said new acquisition Caron Butler will be with the team Monday after the Thunder signed him Saturday. ... Durant was called for a technical foul in the first quarter after being whistled for a carry and disagreeing with the call. ' ' '