k when they play No. 11 Wisconsin on the road. The Badgers were off this week.---Follow Mitch Stacy at | Forum
Mitglied wzh123
Aug 5 '19
MINNEAPOLIS -- Everything about Nikola Pekovic is big. Melvin Frazier Magic Jersey . Big muscles. Big scowl. Big tattoos. Now he has a contract to match. In giving the 27-year-old Pekovic a five-year deal that could be worth more than $60 million with incentives, the Timberwolves are bucking a trend that has started to take over the NBA. While so many other teams are starting to play small ball, the Wolves are going big. Theyve decided to jump on Pekovics broad shoulders and see how far the Montenegrin centre can carry them in a league that is getting smaller and smaller by the day. "A lot of people have asked me about centres in this league and whats happened is theyre almost a dinosaur," Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said Friday. "Many teams have gone to stretch-type playing and theyve done that because they dont have the ability to have somebody that they can put down on the block that has the ability to score on the block on a consistent basis. Thats something that Pek can do. With Peks physicality and along with Kevin Love we feel like we have two power players that can really be forces around the basket." The Miami Heat have won two straight titles with undersized Chris Bosh playing the bulk of the minutes at centre. Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman often used 6-foot-6 Chuck Hayes at centre when he coached the Houston Rockets. The Boston Celtics stayed relevant in large part thanks to Kevin Garnetts willingness to move from power forward to centre. In Pekovic, Saunders sees an opportunity to create mismatches against teams that try to go small against them, to punish them in the paint and pound them on the glass with the burly big man and Love, perhaps the leagues best rebounder. "I know the league is getting smaller and many teams in the (centre) position are playing guys from (power forward) ... So Im just happy to be here and be maybe one of the few old-fashioned centres who are going to play in the low post," Pekovic said. "Im just going to keep being that." Saunders called Pekovic one of the top two or three low-post centres in the game, and the numbers would support that. In his third season, he averaged 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds and shot 52 per cent from the floor while shooting an impressive 74.4 per cent on free throws. Tim Duncan was named All-NBA first team centre during an incredible season for the San Antonio Spurs last year, but his career is entering the twilight phase. That may leave Marc Gasol from Memphis and Houstons Dwight Howard, who isnt as polished in the post but remains a tremendous force, as the other players who could be above Pekovic in the centre pecking order from an offensive standpoint. And despite the trend to go small, three of the four teams in the conference finals last season -- Indiana, San Antonio and Memphis -- had a huge presence in the post. In Minnesota he will team with Love and Ricky Rubio to form the core of what many consider to be an up-and-coming franchise. The Wolves havent made the playoffs since 2004. But if they can stay healthy -- Pekovic has missed 39 games in the last two seasons due to injury and Love only played 18 last year -- they believe that dubious skid will come to an end this year. Pekovic said his goal is to play in all 82 games during the regular season and Saunders said the team is looking at some of its training practices to try and reduce the wear and tear on a players body. Saunders believes Pekovic has trained too much at times and spent too much time in the weight room and that a more efficient program could help him. "I think there has to be a meeting of the minds of getting all people together and really getting a good plan and good format that players are doing the right thing and theyre not over-training parts of their body," Saunders said. Negotiations with Pekovics agent Jeff Schwartz dragged on for about a month and a half before Saunders added the fifth year on Tuesday to get the deal done. All of a sudden, Pekovic had gone from an unknown big man who appeared lost at times during his rookie season to a $60 million centerpiece of a franchises quest for redemption. "My agent asked me when we closed the deal, he asked me how do you feel," Pekovic said. "I said I still dont know. I still feel like unbelievable. I came like three years ago and I was basically not even a backup centre, nothing. I was kind of fighting for my position. ... I know that I was really fighting and pushing for this. Im really happy that all this happened." He also made it clear to Schwartz from the day the market opened on July 1 that he wanted to remain in Minnesota. While many other players have left smaller markets for more glamorous locales, Pekovic has warmed to Minnesotas icy climate and feels at home while fishing on one of the states 10,000 lakes. "People asked me, where do you want to live," Pekovic said. "I dont want to go to a bigger city. I just like it here. I like everything. I know its a little cold in the winter but you just get used (to it.). Its my fourth year here. Im basically a Minneapolis guy." ------ Vince Carter Magic Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Timofey Mozgov Magic Jersey . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-shaquille-o-neal-magic-jersey/ . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio States usually crisp passing game was mostly shut down by Indiana on Saturday so J.T. Barrett had to get it done on the ground.Barrett rushed a career-high 26 times for 137 yards and a touchdown and threw for another score and No. 2 Ohio State beat Indiana 38-17. Barrett was 9-of-23 for 93 yards passing.In my opinion, thats the best quarterback in college ball, Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said.Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) was forced to rely mostly on its ground game, which accounted for 290 yards, and some tough play by its defense -- including a critical fourth-quarter stop on its own 4 yard line following a Barrett interception -- to fend off the Hoosiers, who had upset Michigan State last weekend.Ohio States defense also forced Indiana (3-2, 2-1) to turn the ball over on downs on the Hoosiers own 33 with 5:22 left and the Buckeyes leading 31-17. Five plays later, Barrett hit Dontre Wilson with a 37-yard touchdown pass to put the game out of reach.Safety Malik Hooker sealed the win by picking off Richard Lagow on Indianas next series. The Buckeyes held Indiana to just one score in the second half.Theyre great athletes and they covered our guys, Ohio State guard Billy Price said. Some days you struggle with passing and some days you struggle with the run, and today was one of the days we struggled with the pass.Both teams had trouble establishing any offensive tempo.It was just an awkward game, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.Hybrid back Curtis Samuel rushed nine times for 82 yards and a touchdown for the Buckeyes, and tailback Mike Weber ran for 71 yards and two scores.Lagow was 14-of-28 for 182 yards and two touchdowns, but Indiana managed just 99 yards rushing. Indiana had 281 total yards, compared with 383 for the Buckeyes.They have a great defense, Lagow said. Theyre going to be tough for anybody the rest of the year, Thats on us as well as them being good. We didnt hit a couple plays and they made a couple plays.THE TAKEAWAYIndiana: Buoyed by laast weeks upset of Michigan State, Indiana was effective at times but couldnt keep up with the more talented Buckeyes. Dwight Howard Magic Jersey. Ohio State: The Buckeyes defense played tough and kept Ohio State in the game. Ohio State showed its passing game can be stopped, but Barrett can find a way to win anyway. Meyer said Barrett carried too many times, and we have to fix it.I didnt throw particularly well in the passing game by any means, Barrett said. I have to do a better job of reading the coverage better and getting the ball to our playmakers.MOMENTUM CHANGER: After Indiana scored to cut the Buckeyes lead to 17-10 with 1:03 left in the first half, Ohio States Parris Campbell ran back the ensuing kickoff 91 yards to the Indiana 6. Two plays later, Barrett ran through the Hoosiers untouched for a touchdown to make it a two-score game at halftime.I didnt really feel anyone near me, Campbell said. I thought I was cruising to the end zone. Im sure Ill get it next time. Going out on the field I felt we needed the momentum back. I knew we needed a big play.QUOTABLEThey put the people in on the goal line for a reason, and I knocked them back and made the tackle for loss, said defensive end Nick Bosa, who with Michael Hill stuffed Indianas Devine Redding on fourth and 1 at the Ohio State 4 in the fourth quarter.POLL IMPLICATIONSAn unimpressive win over an unranked Big Ten team isnt likely to garner Ohio State many more first-place votes.UP NEXTIndiana: The Hoosiers face another stiff test next week at home against undefeated No. 12 Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were off this week.Ohio State: The Buckeyes may face their toughest challenge of the season next week when they play No. 11 Wisconsin on the road. The Badgers were off this week.---Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacyFor some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mitch-stacy ' ' '
Mitglied vourdalak
Mai 8 '20
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