CHICAGO -- The suggestion that hes a flopper drew a grin as wide as his wingspan from LeBron James. Miamis superstar shot down the accusations from the Chicago Bulls, saying they reminded him of the days when some claimed he was overrated and questioned his ability to lead a team to a championship. "Its kind of the same (as when) I heard people say I was overrated," he said Sunday. "Its kind of like the same response." The Heat are trying to repeat as champions after a dominant regular season, and if they keep this up, they wont have to worry about Chicago much longer. Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals is Monday, and Miami has a chance to take a 3-1 lead in a series with no shortage of hard fouls, technicals, ejections and fines. One thing in short supply is healthy bodies for the Bulls, with Luol Deng still recovering from a spinal tap and Kirk Hinrich from a bruised left calf. The odds that either would play seemed slim at best on Sunday. Meanwhile, coach Tom Thibodeaus wallet is a little lighter after the league smacked him with a $35,000 fine on Sunday. That hit came after he accused James of flopping on that shove to the floor and questioned the officiating after the Heat took Game 3, saying the Bulls werent going to get the benefit of the calls. Thibodeau had already addressed the media by the time the punishment was announced and declined comment through a team spokesman. Yet there was still plenty of talk about that incident between James and Mohammed. "None of this is new to us," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Nobody can hide from the fact that the games will be decided between those four lines. And our guys understand that." The Bulls Taj Gibson expects more of the same. "Both teams are tough and aggressive," he said. "Its playoff basketball. Were both rivals. They acknowledged it. We acknowledged it. Its just guys going after it playing like they dont like each other. But its just playoff basketball." In Game 3, Joakim Noah had already shoved Miamis Chris Andersen after he landed on a driving Nate Robinson late in the first quarter, and things nearly boiled over early in the second. With James dribbling near midcourt, Mohammed reached in to take a foul and stop a potential break. Their arms got tangled. Mohammed fell, and when he got up, he gave James a hard shove to the court. Both players picked up technicals. Mohammed got tossed, making him the third Bulls player to get ejected in the series along with Noah and Taj Gibson. "I dont need to flop," James said. "I play an aggressive game. I dont flop. Ive never been one of those guys." Its probably worth noting that James accused the Bulls of crossing the line a few times back in late March, when they beat Miami at the United Center to snap Miamis 27-game win streak. "What I said is what I said, but I dont want to get involved too much with what everybody else says about us, about me," he said. "Its nothing I havent heard before in my career. Its nothing. ... Im here to play basketball and do whatever it takes for our team to win. So what a coach and players say to me and about me, I dont really care." Both teams have concerns that stretch beyond the officiating. For the Bulls, it remains their health. Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of Derrick Roses surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and the only suiting up hes done for a game since then has involved a jacket and tie. Just about every other key player has missed time at some point, and thats continued into the post-season. Deng has missed five straight games, Hinrich has sat out six in a row, and both looked like longshots at best to play in Game 4 with Thibodeau saying theyre day to day. Hinrich did little other than some shooting and ride a bike, and Deng couldnt do much, either. "My body, my system, is not reacting well to anything Im doing right now," Deng said. He said hes feeling a little better and has regained two of the 15 pounds he lost because of the illness, but when he tries to exert himself, well, he really cant. Deng said he tried to work out individually on Saturday and wound up vomiting. He attempted to practice on Sunday and became ill during warmups, forcing him to stop. "I spoke to coach a little bit, If I could give 5 or 10 minutes, give these guys a little bit of a break but I cant even get through a regular warmup," Deng said. The Heat, meanwhile, continue to face questions about Dwyane Wade and his sore right knee. He took just seven shots and scored 10 points in Game 3, but he insisted that had more to do with the flow of the game and the Bulls packing the lane than his health. "A lot of my opportunities were not in the flow of the offence," he said. "If I would have shot a lot, it would have been forced. When I had the ball, I tried to make the best play. Sometimes, its to get two guys on me and pass it." Cheap Retro Jordan Shoes For Sale . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Cheap Jordan Shoes For Sale . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". http://www.cheapairjordan-shoes.com/ .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Air Jordan Shoes For Sale . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Cheap Air Jordan Shoes . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. LOS ANGELES -- After striking out in his first two at-bats, Anthony Rizzo needed something to bust his slump. He found it in teammate Matt Szczurs bat.Using the borrowed lumber, Rizzo homered and ended a postseason skid with three RBI. The rest of the Chicago Cubs hitters broke out equally as big in routing the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-2 on Wednesday to even the NL Championship Series at 2-all.I know Szczurs bat has a lot of hits in it, Rizzo said. Ive done it a few times this year, just switching up the bat, switching up the mindset.Addison Russells two-run homer highlighted a four-run fourth that stopped Chicagos 21-inning scoreless streak and ensured the NLCS will return to Wrigley Field for Game 6 on Saturday.Its definitely a sigh of relief to have a big night, Russell said.Kenta Maeda is set to pitch for the Dodgers in Game 5 on Thursday against Jon Lester. Manager Dave Roberts said he will not start Clayton Kershaw on short rest after the Los Angeles ace threw a bullpen session Wednesday.Its not an elimination game, Roberts said.Following consecutive shutout losses, the Cubs rapped out 13 hits on an 80-degree night with the warm Santa Ana winds fluttering the flags in center field.Rizzo used Szczurs bat on Tuesday night and got a broken-bat single. Szczur, left off the NLCS roster, didnt mind. He wrapped another one for Game 4, figuring Rizzo might want to use the bat that is the same weight and size but a different model than his.I just saw him walking up with my bat, and I started laughing, Szczur said. And then he hits a homer with it.Rizzo and Russell had three hits each. Chicagos 3-4-5 hitters -- a combined 2 for 32 in the first three games -- busted out. Every Cubs starter got at least one hit except Kris Bryant, who walked twice and was hit by a pitch.Its contagious, just like the lack of it is contagious, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. When you start hitting, its contagious, defense, this whole game really follows itself.Los Angeles was limited to six hits and made four errors in a game that dragged on for 3 hours, 58 minutes.It happens, but we havent had a game like that in a long time, Roberts said . Youve got to brush off and get ready for tomorrow.Mike Montgomery won in relief of John Lackey, removed after consecutive walks opening the fifth. Four days shy of his 38th birthday, Lackey allowed two runs, three hits and three walks.I thought we put ourselves in a position to get to Lackey, but he escaped, Roberts said.At 20 years, 68 days the youngest postseason starting pitcher in major league history, loser Julio Urias gave up four runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings. He was the third consecutive left-hander to start for Los Angeles.I wish I had taken advantage of this outing, he said through a translator.Chicago rattled off three straight hits to open the fourth, sparked by Ben Zobrists leadoff bunt single to third.With the way that our bats were swinging it at the beginning of the game, we just had to do anything we could. That was my thought process, Zobrist said. I felt like if he threw a strike, I could gget one down in a good spot and was able to do it.ddddddddddddHe took second on Javier Baezs single to left, and Willson Contreras followed with a single to nearly the same spot in shallow left, scoring Zobrist.Baez moved to third and Contreras took second on left fielder Andrew Toles errant throw to the plate that skidded all the way to the backstop.Jason Heyward hit a run-scoring groundout , and Russell followed with his first extra-base hit since Sept. 30 and his first homer since Sept. 19. He jubilantly pumped an arm as he rounded the bases on his two-run drive, which put the Cubs ahead 4-0.Rizzo homered off Pedro Baez leading off the fifth, snapping his 0-for-11 skid in the series. Rizzo had entered 2 for 26 in the postseason.Los Angeles closed to 5-2 in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Justin Turners likely double-play grounder caromed off Montgomerys glove and Russell, who scrambled on all fours at shortstop as the ball went into left-center field for a two-run single.If he just gets his glove out of the way, he gets out of the inning, Maddon said.Chicago tacked on five runs in the sixth off relievers Ross Stripling and Luis Avilan. Dexter Fowler singled in the first run, Rizzo added two more on a bases-loaded single and Javier Baez hit a sacrifice fly , with a second run scoring on an error by center fielder Joc Pederson.By then, attention started turning to Thursday.Its about confidence, Maddon said, and I want to believe theyre going to show up tomorrow with a lot more confidence than they showed up with today.YOURE OUT ON REPLAYDodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez was tagged out at home to end the second. A sliding Gonzalez stretched his left hand toward the tip of the plate as catcher Contreras applied the tag with his left hand near Gonzalezs upper left arm.Weve got plenty of still frames that prove I was safe, Gonzalez said. Usually they say the play stands, but they said there wasnt enough evidence, which means they know I was safe.The Dodgers challenged Angel Hernandezs decision, and the video review let the call stand. That drew online scorn from Washington star Bryce Harper.He was safe! Replay system still broke..Same thing all year long! (hashtag)DontMessItUp, Harper tweeted.SCULLY RETURNSHall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will attend Thursdays game, his first time back at Dodger Stadium since calling his last home game on Sept. 25. The 88-year-old ended his 67-year career this month with the regular-season finale at San Francisco.FACES IN THE CROWDAshton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis announced the Dodgers starting lineup . Also on hand were Rob Lowe, Charlie Sheen, George Lopez, Larry King and Mary Hart.UP NEXTLester allowed one run in six innings of Game 1 in the series, getting a no-decision in Chicagos 8-4 victory. ... Maeda has a 9.00 ERA in two postseason appearances. He allowed three runs and four hits in four innings of the NLCS opener and didnt factor in the decision. Cheap Stitched Jerseys China NFL Jerseys White Wholesale NFL Autographed Jerseys Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Gear Youth NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys ' ' '
|
Forum Statistiken
Das Forum hat 9577
Themen
und
9600
Beiträge.
|
Einfach ein eigenes Xobor Forum erstellen |