Kristaps Porzingis ruled out as Clippers, Mavericks set for Game 5; Follow for game updates “I don’t want any part of it,” Rivers said. “The part I’m involved in they tell me. I think we have enough guys who are far smarter than me – which is not saying that much – who make the decision, they really do. … I don’t know about the body and so. But we have a big staff and they all get in the room and they figure it out.”And, no, load management wouldn’t have been popular in his day, said Rivers, who played from 1983-1996. Thinking has evolved, he said.“We didn’t know any better … what you don’t know will hurt you sometimes,” said the 58-year-old Rivers, whose shuffling gait is an indicator of how taxing his 13-year NBA career was. “Did you see me walk in? The reason I walk that way is because I kept playing. So I don’t even know the answer, I think some people need to play and some people need to rest.“In our day if you missed anything they would label you, and so you didn’t miss a minute in practice because you were scared to be labeled. So it’s just a different time, but I think it’s a better time, personally. It’s about health and life health too, so what we don’t know is to what level like how many games, we don’t know the answer to that yet … we’re still trying to figure that out.”Related Articles Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 5 playoff updates from NBA beat reporters Newsroom GuidelinesNews TipsContact UsReport an Error Clippers hope they can play to their capabilities, quell Mavericks’ momentum For Lakers’ LeBron James, Jacob Blake’s shooting is bigger issue than a big Game 4 victory 
He won his first with San Antonio, which was the first team to begin employing strategic rest regularly.“Everybody does what they need to do for their players,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before Thursday’s game. “We’ve done it, everybody has done it to some extent, maybe more now so than in the past. I’m sure guys like Larry Bird and Michael and Magic, they’d wonder what the hell’s going on around here? Just go play and be quiet. Can you imagine Kevin McHale saying I need rest tonight?“But it’s a new time and we’ve all done it. So we are all at fault I guess.”“They’ve been doing it a long time in San Antonio,” Rivers said. “I don’t know what they called it early on … but they’ve been doing it very well. But everybody has their own program, honestly.”And for his program? Well, Rivers said it’s a concept in progress – and one that he’s not intimately involved with, actually. What the Clippers are saying the day after Luka Doncic’s game-winner tied series, 2-2 Popovich said he’d be OK with figuring out a way to establish load reduction for coaches. But more than that, he said he’d like to see a wardrobe adjustment: “I just wish we were in sweatsuits.”SHOOT IT, J-MYKEThe Clippers’ JaMychal Green has been a force early this season from the perimeter: He entered Thursday’s game shooting 65.2 percent (15 for 23) from 3-point range, better than anyone in the league who had taken at least 15 shots.Green is a 38.1 percent 3-point shooter over his career, and Rivers said he knew what kind of splash the 6-foot-8 forward, who fills in for the Clippers at center, could make.“Right when we got him in the door, we told him, ‘We want you to search for 3-point shots,’” Rivers said. LOS ANGELES — Doc Rivers joked Thursday that the load management trend ought to pertain to coaches. If it did, he estimated that the right amount of action would be, oh, in the 20-game range.It doesn’t, of course, but increasingly often, teams are employing the strategy to keep their players – especially stars such as the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard – fresh for the duration of the grind that is the 82-game NBA regular season.Leonard missed his first game with his new team on Wednesday, when he was out with what the Clippers deemed “load management/knee.” They lost 110-96 at Utah, dropping the first of a stretch of five games in eight days, and the first night of a back-to-back.Last season, Leonard played only 60 of Toronto’s regular-season games – and the strategy worked out as well as possible: Leonard averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in a 24-game postseason run that ended with the Raptors’ first NBA championship – and Leonard’s second.
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Two KOs, five stoppages highlight opening nightTHERE were two knock-out victories and five stoppages by the referee when the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA)-organised Andrew Lewis National Novices championships got underway at the National Gymnasium on Tuesday night.The night’s card produced much excitement from the first of the 12 bouts that were contested and it continued that way in all of the encounters, but it was Ishawn Khan of the Harpy Eagles (HE) Boxing gym and Delroy Fordyce of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gym who really highlighted the night’s proceedings which attracted a small but appreciative audience as they both knocked-out their respective opponents within the distance.
GDF’s Akeimo Watts (left) connects with a straight right to the head of Republican’s Nyron Fraser during their 49kg contest at the National Gymnasium on Tuesday night.Other outstanding performances came from Akiemo (GDF), Kevin McKenzie (GDF), Jamal Leitch of the Republican Gym (Rep), Mark Chester (Rep) and Anthony Williams (GDF).From the first contest – a semi-final in the 49kg weight division – boxing fans knew right away that the night’s proceedings would be action-filled.Watts came up against Nyron Fraser (Rep) and from the first gong, both boxers went at each other, throwing punches from all angles. Watts was stunned by a straight left from Fraser and was issued an eight-count.Round two saw Fraser coming out looking to end the fight, but Watts was equal to the task and retaliated in like manner. The pattern continued until the third round when Fraser went out brawling; but Fraser looked the stronger of the two and landed a series of combinations which resulted in two more eight-counts before the referee called a halt to the proceedings at two minutes 13 seconds of the third round.Two fights later, the first of the two knockouts was registered as HE’s Khan stopped GDF’s Jason Mickle for the full count at two minutes 26 seconds of the third round after pummelling him (Mickle) for three consecutive rounds and connecting with a `wicked’ straight right.Later in the night, the various referees were forced to stop proceedings as some of the boxers were far superior to their opponents.The first case was the 60kg weight division where Fordyce caused the referee to stop his contest against Rakesh Chandrat (Rep) at two minutes 15 seconds of the first round.The 64kg weight division saw stoppage between McKenzie (GDF) and Quincy Letlow (Rep) at 2 minutes 5 seconds of the first round in their preliminary contest.Then came the fight between Leitch (Rep) and Richard Lanferman of the Vergenoegen Boxing Gym (VBG) in the 69kg division, where the referee called a halt to the proceedings at 44 seconds of the second round in Leitch’s favour.In the same weight division, the referee stopped the fight between Chester (Rep) and Jamal Crawford at one minute 25 seconds of the second round in Chester’s favour.The other stoppage was during a 91kg weight division between Williams (GDF) and Jason Lespoir (Rep) which the referee stopped at one minute 23 seconds of the first round.The tournament ends tonight at the National Gymnasium with the finals in all the divisions.
Facebook Twitter Google+ Published on April 11, 2015 at 6:35 pm Contact Connor: cgrossma@syr.edu | @connorgrossman CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Even with the missing piece to its offense back in place, Syracuse looked disconnected in some of the game’s most crucial moments.Attack Randy Staats returned to the field for the first time since March 14, but by the time the Orange offense could get anything going against North Carolina, it was already looking at a 5-0 deficit.“I thought at times we played really hard, and you have to get going against a team as loaded as they are,” North Carolina head coach Joe Breschi said. “If you’re scoring goals, it puts more pressure on them to respond.”The response from Syracuse, a six-goal fourth quarter, came too late. It was a lightning-quick start for UNC’s attack coupled with a sluggish start by the No. 2 Orange (8-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) to spell defeat against the No. 4 Tar Heels (12-1, 3-0) in a 17-15 loss at Fetzer Field on Saturday afternoon.It wasn’t for lack of opportunities early on for SU, though. The reunited attack trio of Staats, Kevin Rice and Dylan Donahue peppered North Carolina’s crease with shots, but the sound of the ball clanking off the pipes in the first half became common.AdvertisementThis is placeholder text“We said to ourselves, ‘Keep shooting, keep shooting’ and they’re gonna drop,” Staats said.The Orange’s shooting inconsistencies became paramount in its last-ditch effort to pull of its biggest comeback win of the season. Down by two goals with 1:20 left on the clock, SU head coach John Desko called a timeout.Playing man-up for another 30 seconds, the head coach told his team to carry and distribute the ball around the crease and eventually get it to the man positioned behind the goal behind the X.The ball got to Donahue, who then peeled away to get the ball to Rice at the X. Rice charged behind the right side of the crease and had the ball swatted out of his stick before he could get a shot off.With 29 seconds remaining, the turnover effectively ended the game as the North Carolina crowd roared and stood in unison.“We didn’t shoot as well as I thought we would,” Desko said. “… And (North Carolina) did, they shot very well.”Even when Syracuse has experienced shooting problems this season, continuous offensive possessions from winning faceoffs compensated for the inconsistency.Faceoff specialist Ben Williams’ success has been vital for SU to maintain a rhythm throughout the season and allowed the Orange to stage comebacks like the six-goal one SU set against Notre Dame on March 28.Syracuse looked to be on the cusp of eclipsing that mark as it crept closer and closer to erasing a seven-goal deficit. But Williams was unable to keep up a 14-for-18 first-half performance at the faceoff X.He won four faceoffs in the third quarter, and only three in the fourth quarter. An extra effort by the Tar Heels kept Syracuse’s offense at bay by not allowing it to get the ball as much as they have all season.“Ben gets (the faceoffs) early,” Desko said. “There’s such an effort on the opposing team’s faceoff guy and their units that they kind of go all out and it’s all or nothing.”That’s exactly the game it was for Syracuse. Converting on almost no chances in the first quarter to coming within a few plays of tying the game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.Sandwiched between there was a flurry of misplays on both sides of the ball for the Orange, and it wasn’t able to recover from an ominous start against a revved-up Tar Heels group celebrating its seniors’ final home game.“We’re on to the next one,” SU midfielder Nicky Galasso said. “This is just a little bump in the road and I think we’re going to see them again.” Comments
Facebook Twitter Google+ Published on March 1, 2016 at 10:18 pm Contact Charlie: csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco Maria Tritou stood up straight on the baseline, her body angled slightly to the side. She gripped the tennis ball in one hand and her racket in the other. Her slim, 6-foot frame stood out from the rest of the players during the team’s singles matches against Notre Dame on Sunday. She stared down at her opponent, who was 5 inches shorter than her, threw the ball up and hit an ace.“(My height) helps with my serve. It’s a big advantage for me,” Tritou said. “You can serve, get the point and dictate (the game) more easily.”No. 24 Syracuse (8-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) escaped a close game on Sunday against then-No. 30 Notre Dame (8-4, 3-1 ACC), and Tritou was one of four players to contribute a point in the win. She also won her doubles match, which secured the doubles point for the Orange. SU landed the team inside ITA’s Top 25 rankings for the first time in program history. Tritou’s 6-2 record from the No. 4 singles spot has helped Syracuse earn that ranking. The freshman is also the tallest Syracuse player — only one teammate comes within 3 inches of Tritou. Her height aids her serve and allows her to cover more ground. Having the extra inches helps her hit the ball higher and at a deeper angle. Because of this difference, it’s harder for opponents to return the serve.AdvertisementThis is placeholder text“(Maria) has a very strong serve, one of the best on the team,” head coach Younes Limam said. “She uses her height and generates a lot of pace on her strokes. Being tall definitely gives her an advantage to hit harder, dictate the points, and really play on her terms.”Not only does her height help her on serves, but it does let her dictate the pace of each point. Against Notre Dame’s 5-foot-7 Mary Cross on Sunday at Drumlins Country Club, Tritou gained an early lead. To prevent Cross from creeping back into the match, Tritou hit quick forehands and backhands across the baseline. Tritou’s lengthy arms allowed her to reach many tough returns from Cross. She kept her feet balanced and directed a backhand that sailed past Cross. A loud “point!” came out of Tritou’s mouth. She eventually knocked her opponent off 6-3, 6-2.“She’s an offensive player,” Limam said. “She relies on her forehand and backhand. She’s not more of a counter-puncher — she likes to generate the pace.”While there are many benefits that come with her height, Tritou admits sometimes her height sometimes holds her back. She said she can’t run as fast as some shorter players, but is working on it. Tritou’s height might slow her down a bit on the court, but, largely, it has helped her this season. “Being tall is definitely serving her well,” Limam said. “… (The coaching staff) just tries to maximize their strengths and remind them of what they do well.” Comments
Kelsey Fenton / The Badger HeraldWisconsin Volleyball Coach Kelly Sheffield is in his first season as the Badgers coach after coaching the University of Dayton volleyball team for seven seasons, where he earned Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year accolades the past three seasons and led the Flyers to both regular season and conference tournament championships from 2009 to 2012. Sheffield led the Badgers to a 5-1 record during this spring. The Badger Herald sat down with Sheffield for a conversation about the team’s concluding spring season. The Badger Herald: What is the biggest change you have seen in the team this spring?Kelly Sheffield: I think we’re heading in an area, mentally, that I want to see us in. I think elite teams challenge each other. They look for the good in each other, and they do it with enthusiasm. I think we’re getting better in those areas than what we were. I think the other thing is embracing challenges-when you’re trying to do special things, you’re going to hit a lot of barriers. What do you do when those barriers are in front of you-do you stop and turn around and go the other direction, or do you try to plow through it? I think we’re doing a better job of handling adversity and handling the challenges.BH: What has been the biggest surprise for you since becoming head coach at Wisconsin?KS: The support of the community, of how much they follow this team and how important this team is to them. The number of emails I get on a weekly basis is [a lot], from some people just passing on their support, and others that are just saying what they’re seeing and other people that are saying ‘You’re an idiot. How about you try to fix this technique on somebody?’ There are a lot of opinions. And to me, that’s awesome. We want that kind of passion. I hope that we see more people that are behind this team and this program and getting excited. I would say that’s probably something that’s been a pleasant surprise.BH: What has the team improved on the most?KS: Trying to practice at a pace that I think we need to be practicing. I think we’re getting a little bit better at that. Communicating the right way on the court-I think we’re getting better at that. I think our serving saw a lot of progress. Our passing got better-not a lot better, but we’re making steady progress in those areas…Never giving up on a ball defensively-we’ve got a long ways to go on that. My defensive philosophy is safety last. If there’s a ball, you go get it. I think we’re developing a mentality that I want to see us have defensively.BH: Has any player on the team stepped more into a leadership role?KS: We’ve been talking about leadership the last couple of days. We just named captains; I think captains are kind of important but what I think is really critical is leadership. I’m much more of a leadership guy than I am a captain guy. I think leadership can come from a whole lot of people, a lot of different people — people utilizing their strengths, and throwing that into the pot and stirring that up, and that just becomes the fabric of the team. We get leadership from somebody like Courtney Thomas, and just the competitive drive that rubs off on people. Or the leadership from an Annemarie Hickey, with her willingness to work on her game every single day by herself, when nobody else is in the gym. You get leadership from a Claire Raddatz and her willingness to do anything for the team. You get it from a Dominique Thompson and her integrity and holding everybody else to that same integrity. That leadership comes from so many different people. It doesn’t come from just one person.BH: Who did you name as team captains for the fall?KS: They named [the captains]. The team did. The captains are Annemarie Hickey, Julie Mikaelsen and Kt Kvas.BH: What do you think the biggest challenge for the team has been this spring?KS: Understanding my humor has probably been a challenge. Anytime you have a coaching change, just learning what the culture is going to be like is a challenge vecause you don’t know. And when you don’t know, you have a tendency of sitting back. You’re not going to be great by just sitting back and watching; you’ve got to be able to nose out and just go. We wanted them to get as comfortable as possible, so they can just go. Also, there are things that we feel like they need to be disciplined at. And there are consequences for those types of things. So you’re trying to let them get comfortable but you’re also trying to create a very high standard. And also trying to have fun.
The Wisconsin women’s hockey team (28-5-3, 17-4-3-0-2 WCHA) failed to capture their second straight Western Collegiate Hockey Association title as they faced off against University of Minnesota-Duluth (18-12-6, 11-8-5) as well as The Ohio State University Buckeyes (24-8-6, 13-6-5). With the WCHA being one of the most competitive conferences in all of collegiate hockey, it was never going to be an easy path forward for the Badgers regardless of their capabilities. In Saturday’s matchup in Minneapolis, the Badgers handily dealt with the UMD Bulldogs on their way to an appearance in the conference title game. In unsurprising fashion, Abby Roque, Sophie Shirley and Daryl Watts provided the bulk of offensive production for the Badgers in this opening matchup. Women’s Hockey: Assessing Badgers’ chances at another national titleThe Wisconsin women’s hockey team (27-4-1, 17-4-1-1 WCHA) have had an undeniably impressive regular season. They took down multiple top-ranked Read…This trio is undoubtedly the core of the Badgers’ offensive unit and combined for three out of the four goals en route to a 4–1 victory. Caitlin Schneider also got in on the scoring action early in the second period — netting her ninth goal of the season. All around, it was a solid performance in line with what the Badgers had achieved against UMD throughout the regular season. In their four contests against the Bulldogs prior to this meeting, the Badgers captured three wins, had one tie in the final game of the regular season and had an aggregate scoring margin of 18–11. With a definitive victory in the semifinals of the tournament following a first round bye, the Badgers set their eyes on the now No. 5 ranked Buckeyes. Their record against the Buckeyes was much closer than that with the Bulldogs and the Buckeyes consistently posed a significant threat throughout the season. The two teams traded wins in their final series of the regular season with the Badgers only securing a win in the second game by way of three-on-three overtime. In yet another game with a razor thin margin between the two teams that had to be decided in overtime, the Buckeyes came out just on top to capture the WCHA title. An axe to grindThe University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota have perhaps the most storied rivalry in college sports, as the Read…En route to denying the Badgers their second straight conference title, the Buckeyes were on their heels for much of the game. The Badgers outshot them by 15 total shots on goal and effectively put pressure on Buckeye goalkeeper Andrea Braendli. Braendli was forced to make an astounding 41 saves to record the shutout and capture the title. This game is the first time the Badgers have been shut out all season. In every other matchup, including those against Ohio State earlier in the season, the Badgers have consistently put up solid offensive numbers with significant contributions from their main offensive trio. Watts, Roque and Shirley again lead the Badgers in total shots during their loss to the Buckeyes with 10, six and five shots, respectively. Yet, none of these efforts were enough to secure a single goal against the brick wall that was Braendli. Women’s Hockey: How Abby Roque became one of top offensive weapons for BadgersAbby Roque’s journey to the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team was anything but typical. For starters, she hails from Read…The WCHA was always going to be tough to win, but the Badgers truly did play unlike they had throughout the rest of the season. Sluggish offensive production and late game mistakes are rarely part of a winning formula — or a championship formula for that matter. Despite their loss, the Badgers will enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the nation with only Clarkson eclipsing them. They will begin their fight for a second straight national title against No. 7 Clarkson this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Madison.
Now in it’s 9th year the event opens with a 113 kilometres stage beginning at 1 o’clock on Saturday from Kickham Barracks.With over €3,500 in prize money the race has attracted the cream of Irish cyclists along with a number of teams from the UK.Sunday night’s criterium in Clonmel at 7 o’clock is sure to be a crowd pleaser – Irish national champion Damian Shaw is one of those looking forward to the high speed action around the town centre.
The Spaniards are riding on cloud nine after a dream start to the competition with a 4-1 demolition of minnows the United States whilst their opponents, the Black Satellites stuttered in a 3-1 loss to the French.A lot has changed in the last forty eight hours though as the two teams prepare to do battle at the Turk Telecom Arena in Istanbul.While the Spaniards have qualification to the Round of 16 on their minds, the Black Satellites are desperate for three points to keep them in the competition.Ghana coach Sellas Tetth has come under a barrage of criticism from supporters back home after his sides second half capitulation against the French.The team simply had no answer to Pierre Mankowski’s second half game plan as they tore the Ghanaian defence to shreds with three second half goals from Geoffrey Kondogbia, Yaya Sanogo and Jean Christophe Bahebeck.A consolation goal from striker Richmond Boakye-Yiadom only added a degree of respectability to the scoreline. The pressure to deliver on the part of the Satellites could not have been bigger. Coach Tetteh and his charges are aware that only a victory will be good enough to keep his side in the competition and this he re-echoed at the pre-match press conference.“We are going into a game where nothing but three points will be enough. We are up against a side that is fleet footed and technically one of the best. They have some fantastic players in Deulofeu, Jese and Suso to give any defence a run for their money and we know we have to step up our game to get a result.”The Spaniards on the other hand are not allowing themselves to be carried away by their performance against Obama’s boys.Coach Julen Lopetegui is keeping his charges grounded. He has a lot of respect for the Ghanaian team as a result of what they have achieved in the competition over the years.“Ghana has developed some young exciting talents over the years through this competition. That we respect very much as we don’t intend to leave nothing to chance. We will approach the game with the strongest mindset and hopefully we can get a result from the game.” With no serious injury worries from both camps, the two sides are set to parade their strongest starting X1. It’s a match of destiny for one side while the other will look to continue with the provision of normal service. Let the games begin.Probable starting X1Ghana-Antwi,Attamah,Baba Rahman,Lartey,Nketia,Duncan,Narh,odjer,Boakye-Yiadom,Acheampong,Odjer.Spain-Sotres,Manquillo,Derik,Puerto,Campana,Suso,Jese,Bernat,Saul,Oliver and Deulofeu.
Larry SteeleLarry Steele, 66, of Winfield died Friday, June 6, 2014 at the William Newton Memorial Hospital in Winfield.Graveside Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, June 14, 2014 at the Highland Cemetery in Winfield. A memorial has been established with the Donors choice and may be left with the Shelley Family Funeral Home, 704 N. Washington, Wellington, KS 67152. Funeral arrangements are with the Shelley Family Funeral Home of Wellington. For further information please visit www.shelleyfamilyfh.com.Larry Steele was born on March 11, 1948 the son of Leslie and Barbara (Littrell) Steele in Winfield. He was a 1966 graduate of the Winfield High School. After high school Larry worked for a short time at Albertsons Grocery Store. Larry was a stone mason his entire adult life. He was very talented and artistic in all that he did with stones. Larry designed all his own work. He did the stone work on many homes, schools and businesses in the Winfield, Oxford and Belle Plaine area. Some of which may be seen at the Branscum home, the “tooth” mailbox on 12th Street, and the “turtle” mailbox in front of his home on East 8th Street in Winfield. In 1986 he went to Vero Beach, Florida to co-own Complete Masonry for 6 years, before returning to Winfield. Larry is survivied by his wife Veronia Steele of Winfield, daughters: Jennie Cooper and Jamie Steele of Winfield, KS and Nicole Steele of McDonough, GA; sisters: Sherry Long and husband David of Mustang, OK and Sandra Barker and husband Bob of Winfield, KS; aunt Sunny Sue Demir of Glen Burnie, MD, 5 grandchildren: Alessandra Bevilacqua, Marina Bevilacqua, Tagehn Stanley, Ivee Steele and Jesaiya Stanley, 2 step sons and their children as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Linda Steele and son, Joshua Steele.
In 1988 a car accident caused the death of his wife and son. His daughter Jamie was the only survivor. Though primarily self-employed most of the time, he also worked for Coonrod and Associates. Larry retired in 1995 after a fall from scaffolding. In 2008 Larry was united in marriage with Veronia Coon.
WASHINGTON — A federal court decision last week may reduce the number of small refinery waivers the Environmental Protection Agency issues for blending ethanol.The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals found the agency over-stepped its reach in the case of three refineries. American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings calls the ruling a victory. “So this should limit EPA’s activity or abuse of this part of the Renewable Fuel Standard in the future,” Jennings says.He says it is a small step that will help. “We have struggled financially as an industry for some time. This case isn’t going to turn things around overnight, but it is a bit of good news that we need,” Jennings says.Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson says the ethanol industry has contributed to its own woes.“Ten percent of the industry’s problems have to do with EPA indifference to, perhaps, EPA regulations as they were originally written,” Swenson says. The other 90%, Swenson says, is over-production with not enough domestic demand to absorb the ample supply.