LAS VEGAS -- The NBA is taking a step toward trying to reduce the hack-a strategy on poor free throw shooting players.The NBAs board of governors approved rules changes for the 2016-17 season that apply to deliberate fouls that occur away from plays.We had a discussion about so-called Hack-a-Shaq, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. We adopted a new rule there. I would say it is not everything that some people were looking for us to do and it was a compromise.With the rhythm and flow of some games bogged down by teams using strategy to foul poor free throw shooters like the Los Angeles Clippers DeAndre Jordan and the Detroit Pistons Andre Drummond, the NBA has decided to extend the current rule for away-from-the-play fouls applicable to the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and any overtime to the last two minutes of each period.Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN he voted against new deliberate foul rules.Rewarding incompetence is never a good business strategy, Cuban said.And on inbounds situations, any defensive foul that occurs before the inbounder releases the ball will be whistled in the same fashion as an away-from-the-play foul committed during the last two minutes of any period (i.e., one free throw and possession of the ball).Flagrant foul rules will also be used to protect players from any dangerous or excessively hard deliberate fouls, including if a player tries to deliberately foul an opponent by leaping on an opponents back. Before these types of fouls were subject to flagrant fouls but not automatic.Silver said the new rules changes will have a real impact on games, and there will be a reduction of roughly 45 percent of the incidents of the away-from-the-play fouls right now.?I definitely do not accept [the] premise that it is cosmetic and we wouldnt have done it if it was only a cosmetic change, Silver said. ... Remember the change of a playing rule requires two-thirds of our teams. I would say the vote was not unanimous today but obviously in order to make a change we did get two-thirds of the teams. ... Nobody suggested that we will never have to discuss this again.[But] the data shows that it is often used at the end of quarters to foul players who arent even particularly bad free throw shooters to try to gain another possession, Silver added. Incidentally, some of those plays we want to make sure we eliminate, some plays that are more dangerous such as jumping on players backs. But we will see.The NBAs competition committee recommended the new rules changes at the offseason meetings.Information from ESPNs Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.Vapormax Dame 2020 . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Vapormax Dame Ebay Danmark . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.vapormaxdanmark.com/ . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. Vapormax Plus Herre Danmark . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Vapormax Danmark Online . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p.An unusual thumb injury will delay Steve Johnsons start to the AFL pre-season, with the Greater Western Sydney veteran needing surgery to fix the problem.The preliminary finalists said on Saturday the 33-year-old would undergo the operation next weekend.A club statement said Johnson suffered the injury on Thursday, the day before his Sydney wedding, while reaching for his phone in a bag.Johnson ruptured a tendon in his left thumb and it will be in a cast for six weeks after the operation.This is certainly one of the more unusual injuries but Steve is a professional, Giants football manager Waayne Campbell said.ddddddddddddComing into his 16th pre-season, we have no doubt he knows how to get himself ready for the season proper.While he wont be able to participate in full training for a few months, hell still be able to work hard on building his fitness base throughout the pre-season.After 253 games at Geelong, Johnson made a successful move to the Giants this season and kicked 43 goals in 22 games.He finished 10th in the Giants best and fairest voting. ' ' '