Clan-Members » there.POLL IMPLICATIONSDuke was No. 1 in

MILWAUKEE -- Center Anthony Davis is off to a fantastic start but not much else has gone right this season for the New Orleans Pelicans.In search for their first victory, the Pelicans will look to get it in gear on Thursday night when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks.Davis is fourth in the league with 30.9 points per game and among the league leaders in rebounds, steals, blocks and double-doubles. It hasnt amounted to much, though. The Pelicans are 21st in scoring, 24th in shooting, eighth in points allowed and 14th in opponents shooting percentage.Put it all together and the result is a frustrating 0-8 record on the season.We still have breakdowns in the game plan, which you cant do from a mental standpoint, New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. We have crucial turnovers at critical times in the game. Weve just got to play better and smarter.Part of New Orleans problem so far stems from a short-handed roster. The Pelicans have been playing without three key starters: Tyreke Evans and Quincy Poindexter have been battling knee problems while JRue Holiday is out for personal reasons.Gentry refused to use the personnel shortages as an excuse, however.We just have to play better, Gentry told reporters after the Pelicans 102-94 loss at Sacramento Tuesday night. Theres just no way of getting around it. The effort is good and I talked to the guys about the fact that I love the way we are playing hard. But we all have to play smart. In some cases we are not playing smart.The Bucks (4-3), meanwhile, will be looking to get back on track after their three-game winning streak was snapped Sunday night in Dallas, where poor shooting and lackluster defense doomed Milwaukee to an ugly 86-75 overtime loss.We just really played bad, forward Jabari Parker said. Even in overtime, we only scored one point. We cant let that happen. We had to get them out of their groove and close it out to seal the deal.Taking care of the ball has been something of a problem this season for the Bucks, who are allowing 18.1 points per game on 16.1 turnovers. The problem was evident again Sunday as Milwaukee gave up 21 points on 27 turnovers.We turned it over three straight times, and if youre going to win a game on the road in overtime, you cant turn the ball over, head coach Jason Kidd said.The two teams met earlier this month in New Orleans with Milwaukee holding on late for a 117-113 victory to snap a 14-year losing streak in the Crescent City. Davis scored 35 points, but most of his points came from the free throw line -- where he made 17 of 18 attempts. From the field, Davis went 9 of 21 while the Pelicans shot 43.9 percent as a team.We just wanted to make him work for it, Bucks center John Henson said.Milwaukee, meanwhile, shot 48 percent from the floor and hit 10 of 32 3-point attempts while getting 24 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo and 21 from Jabari Parker.I think tonight was the first time we really trusted our offense, point guard Malcom Brogdon said. We stuck to the game plan. We played like a team and battled through it,That loss dropped the Pelicans to 0-4 on the year. Cheap Custom Raiders Jersey . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. Raiders Jerseys China . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. http://www.customraidersjersey.com/ . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Custom Clelin Ferrell Jersey . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Authentic Custom Raiders Jersey . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Top-ranked Duke bounced back from its loss to Kansas by beating Penn State, but watched another player go down with an injury.Freshman Frank Jackson led five players in double figures with 17 points and Amile Jefferson added 16 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils to a 78-68 win Saturday in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament.Sophomore Chase Jeter rolled his left ankle in the first half and didnt return.Tony Carr had 20 points and Shep Garner added 15 to lead Penn State (2-2).Jeter went down under the Penn State basket while going for a rebound. The 6-foot-10 sophomore was on the floor for several minutes before being helped off the court. His injury came minutes after Grayson Allen left the game, favoring the right foot he hurt in Tuesdays loss to Kansas.Allen went back to the locker room, but returned to the floor a few minutes later. He finished with 12 points and needs just three more to become the 65th Duke player with 1,000 points for his career.Matt Jones and Luke Kennard added 15 points each for Duke, which will play No. 21 Rhode Island for the tournament championship on Sunday.Were banged up more than any team Ive ever coached, said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Before the game and then during the game. I mean, Amile has been hurt this week. He has 15 rebounds and 16 points.Despite the injuries, the Blue Devils went on an early 13-2 run that turned a tie game into a 21-10 lead. They led 36-24 at the half, despite some poor shooting from Allen and Kennard, who were a combined 4-15 from the floor. But Jackson picked up the slack, scoring 11 of his points before intermission.To be able to have the next man up, coach does a good job motivating us, Jones said. We didnt come to Duke to lose, be second fiddle or bow down to anybody. We know what were capable of and everyone on that sideline can help. That confidence that is instilled in us, takes us to where we need to go.A 3-point play by Allen stretched the lead to 64-51 midway through the second half.Penn State trailed 72-57 with just under 5 minutes to play, but went on a 9-2 run before the Blue Devils closed out the game.ddddddddddddDukes short bench outscored Penn States 19-5.BIG PICTUREDuke: Jeters injury further depletes a Blue Devils team that is still without three highly touted freshmen -- Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden -- as well as junior Sean Obi. They may have just seven players available for Sundays championship game. Krzyzewski pegged Jeters status for the game as doubtful.I know if he can play, he will play, Krzyzewski said. Were going to try and win. We would like to win.Penn State: The Nittany Lions are using the tournament as a measuring stick to see how the young team stacks up against top-level competition. This was the programs first game against a No. 1 ranked team since 2011, and theyre now 0-14 in those games.We took another step today, said coach Patrick Chambers. We got better. And thats our goal Just keep getting better. Its a process thats going to take some time, but were going to eventually get there.POLL IMPLICATIONSDuke was No. 1 in the preseason poll and the first voting of the regular season, but likely will fall a few spots after its loss to Kansas. How far may depend on how they do in this tournament.PERIMETER DEFENSEDuke held Penn State to six 3-point baskets on 21 attempts. Thats not a fluke. The Blue Devils held their first three opponents under 15 percent from the outside and were giving up fewer than three 3-pointers a game coming into the tournament. Duke was 9 for 24 from 3-point range.UP NEXTDuke will play No. 21 Rhode Island in the tournaments championship game Sunday afternoon. The Rams beat No. 24 Cincinnati 76-71 in the second game of the evening.Penn State will play Cincinnati tournaments consolation game.----More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '