DS Talk » n and post-ups in the paint. Hes got a ton of b

FIVE QUICK HOOPS THOUGHTS: 1. FLIP SAUNDERS (Timberwolves): Im not the least bit surprised that he appointed himself as head coach after his search concluded. The president had the most successful run of any coach in franchise history and is a good fit at this stage. The fact that hes got lots of power in the organization will help him in the locker room because players will know that the buck stops with him. That always helps a coach. 2. NBA FINALS FORMAT: I love the fact that the NBA has gone with the 2-2-1-1-1 traditional format. Im a huge believer that the finalist that had the better regular season deserves to be able to host that critical Game 5. This was a smart move to get in line with the demands of the fans and most coaches and executives. 3. NBA REFEREES: You can say what you want about officials and I have a tendency to mildly voice my opinion from time to time (haha) about them, but on the whole they do a terrific job and the playoffs are really difficult to call. I really like what the league has done this year with trying to keep officiating crews together during the Pplayoffs. Im a fan of consistency and, the more a crew works together, the more cohesive they become. It helps a great deal and it not only makes sense, but its smart. 4. ABC ANNOUNCERS: I absolutely love listening to Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Doris Burke. Insightful, prepared, enthusiastic and entertaining - a really enjoyable listen that enhances the experience of watching the game and helps promote the sport. Just like the Spurs and Heat on the floor, this is the best game broadcast team in hoops. Theres a nice balance of opinion and strategy brought each telecast. For me, a joy to listen to. 5. RASHARD LEWIS (Heat): Lewis dropped 14 points in Game #2 and its nice having veteran experience on the floor. His perimeter shot-making ability is critical and he gives them better size to deal with the Spurs penetration and post-ups in the paint. Hes got a ton of big game experience and it showed in a huge win for Miami. LeBron was brilliant, yet you must have unsung heroes to help complement the stars. This is a guy on many nights this season was a DNP or barely played. Lewis is a true pro whos ready when called upon. Julian Draxler Jersey . - Chelseas 1-0 win at the Etihad, spoiling Manchester Citys perfect home record continues to be the talking point of the week. Joshua Kimmich Germany Jersey . The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Marvin-P...Germany-Jersey/. The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Sami Khedira Germany Jersey . 11 Ana Ivanovic and American Sloane Stephens, and former world No. Jonas Hector Germany Jersey . He reps the 4-1-6The insecurity of Canadian basketball fans is not what it once was with the home grown talent making its way to the big leagues, but it is still nice to see the local kids remembering where they come from once they make their way south.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Hawks will try to become the first NBA team to win 20 straight games in almost two years on Monday when they visit the Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. The 2012-13 Miami Heat won 27 straight, starting almost two years to the day on Feb. 3, 2013. The Hawks could become just the sixth team in NBA history to win 20 in a row with a victory on Monday. Atlanta is the only team in the league with 40 victories and hasnt held the NBAs top spot in the standings this late into the season since the team moved to Atlanta for the 1968-69 season. The Hawks went 17-0 in January and became the first team in NBA history to go 17-0 during a calendar month. They own a 12-game winning streak against the Western Conference, which is a franchise record, and have won five straight on the road versus the west, which is the first streak that long for the team since 1993. Atlantas streak reached 19 with a 91-85 home victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Al Horford had 23 points and 11 rebounds as the Hawks held on for victory. They had to battle to stay ahead down the stretch despite leading by 21 points in the second quarter and 15 in the third. The Sixers took a two-point lead on Nerlens Noels dunk with under three minutes remaining, but Horford tied it at the other end and Dennis Schroder knocked down a straightaway 3-pointer to give the Hawks the lead for good with 1:35 left. They came all the way back but coach said just to play our game, said Schroder. Just keep playing with pace and thats what we did and we won the game.dddddddddddd Schroder and Paul Millsap scored 15 points apiece for the Hawks, who found out Saturday that forward Thabo Sefolosha will miss up to eight weeks with a right calf strain. Starting small forward DeMarre Carroll will continue to sit with a left Achilles strain. The Pelicans have won five of their last six and are 3-1 on this six-game homestand, which concludes Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Friday, Eric Gordon scored a season-high 28 points to lift the Pelicans to a 108-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Ryan Anderson netted 24 points and went 5-of-11 from 3-point range, while Alexis Ajinca supplied 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench and Tyreke Evans had 11 points and 12 assists for the Pelicans. Its good to be able to win like that in front of our crowd, New Orleans head coach Monty Williams said. We got hot and our defense was effective. LAs Chris Paul scored 10 points during a 12-0 swing to get the Clippers within 95-94 with 5:07 remaining. With under two minutes to play, Gordon knocked down a turnaround fadeaway shot and Dante Cunningham threw down a dunk to give the Pelicans a six-point lead and seal the win. Anthony Davis missed the win against the Clippers with a groin strain, but he is probable for Monday. Jrue Holiday is still out with a stress reaction in his lower right leg. The Hawks beat the Pelicans in Atlanta on Nov. 28, but New Orleans prevailed in the three prior meetings. The Hawks are 2-1 in their last three in the Big Easy. ' ' '