Schneeflocken
#1

He amassed an incredible 17 clearances

in Neuvorstellungen 04.01.2019 07:18
von jin shuiqian | 3.880 Beiträge

INDIANAPOLIS -- Pacers coach Frank Vogel kept the game plan simple. Nike Air Max 1 Canada . Make the extra pass, take care of the ball, play defence and get more out of his bench. The four-pronged approach worked. Danny Granger scored a season-high 16 points, Paul George and Lance Stephenson each added 15, and the Pacers plowed through some rough stretches to pull away from the Orlando Magic, 98-79 on Monday night. "I thought we came out with the right focus and the right fight," forward David West said. "We played hard, played together and got the W." Thats good enough for right now. The team with the NBAs best record came into the game with a 3-3 mark over its last six and seemed to be sliding after a series of slow starts forced it to fight its way back from large, early deficits. Even returning home after a five-game West Coast swing wasnt the fix. The Pacers (37-10) lost to Phoenix last Thursday, then had to overcome a season-high 24 turnovers Saturday to barely get past Brooklyn. On Monday, the Pacers looked like a different team. They started fast, committed only two turnovers in the first 21 1/2 minutes and led from start to finish. Perhaps that much should have been expected against the second-worst team in the league and the worst road team in the NBA. But it was still a tough night. West hurt his right ankle in the third quarter, backup centre Ian Mahinmi left with an injured right shoulder in the fourth and Indiana let Orlando (13-37) back into the game late in the first half before nearly giving all of its 16-point, first-half lead by starting the third quarter with 10 straight misses. The difference: The Pacers heeded their All-Star coachs advice and allowed a season-low 29 points in the second half. "Thats typical of us," Granger said. "You know we hang our hat on defence, and we really want that to carry us the whole way." Arron Afflalo led the Magic with 20 points but was shut out for the final 23:47. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points, getting only four over the final 19 minutes. The only other Orlando player to reach double figures was Tobias Harris, who finished with 11. Rookie Victor Oladipo finished with six points and tied a season high with 11 assists but was just 2 of 11 from the field in his second game back in his adopted home state. "They were just more active on their tags and disguising their defence," said Oladipo, who again started in place of injured point guard Jameer Nelson. "They just did a great job of making us take tough shots. Its something we need to learn from." The Pacers, meanwhile, stuck to the Vogel Plan. Granger, a former All-Star who has been working his way back from a strained left calf, broke out of his shooting slump. C.J. Watson had 12 points and Luis Scola added 10 as the Pacers bench combined for exactly half of Indianas total, a season best. Indianas two most prolific scorers did their thing, too. George started with seven points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists in the first quarter. Stephenson, the NBA leader with four triple-doubles, settled for 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. It looked as if the Pacers would blow out Orlando when they took a 55-39 lead midway through the second quarter. But the Magic closed the period on a 9-2 run, then watched the Pacers miss their first 10 shots in the third quarter as they crept back within two on Vucevics tip-in with 7:01 to go. Indianas defence then held tight until Stephenson ended the shooting drought with a circus jumper that banked in as he drew a foul on Oladipo. Stephenson made the free throw to give Indiana a 63-58 lead and the Magic never got another chance to tie it. The Pacers closed the third quarter on a 9-1 run to make it 75-63 and opened the fourth on a 11-1 spurt to put it away. "It goes back to passing," Granger said. "You know when once you move the ball, you get a lot more open shots. Weve been trying to do it by ourselves these last 10 or 12 games and our offence has been struggling. So we move the ball, we get layups, backdoor cuts, open 3s. That makes everybody look good." Notes: Vogel gave his starters extra rest in the fourth quarter with the Pacers heading to Atlanta for the second half of a back-to-back on Tuesday. ... Nelson sat out with a sore left knee and is expected to be examined when the team returns home. ... Recently signed centre Andrew Bynum has not yet practiced with the Pacers. Cheap Air Max 1 Canada . The Detroit Tigers slugger fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the Triple Crown in successive seasons. Air Max 1 Clearance . Hamilton signed offensive linemen Mike Filer, Joel Reinders, Landon Rice and Carson Rockhill. http://www.cheapairmax1canada.com/ . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List.No Defoe. No Osorio. No Caldwell. No Henry. No problem. Forget any relative significance of rivalry week in Major League Soccer, or the Trillium Cup. Toronto FC provided much more substance in a hard fought 2-0 victory against the previously perfect Columbus Crew. The win was the ideal tonic for a depleted squad coming off a 3-0 loss at Real Salt Lake a week prior, which rose more than a few speculative eyebrows as to TFCs contending credentials. The negative narrative was entirely premature, with the team showing plenty of positive signs despite the ugly scoreline. Some onlookers had already written off TFCs chances before a ball was even kicked at Crew Stadium. Forget a poor all-time record in Columbus and what Toronto FC was missing Saturday; a superior work-rate and improvements in tactical execution led to a deserved three points. It was a feel good day all around, and one that can be pointed to as a clear indication the team has significant substance beyond those with Designated Player credentials. Here are my Five Thoughts on Torontos FCs 2-0 victory in Columbus. 1) Brad and Nick – The names read like two members of a boy band and when announced as the centre back starters neither were music to the ears of the Toronto FC faithful. Contrary to expectations, both were outstanding and the biggest reason TFC came away with three points. The veteran Englishmen and rookie American, in front of family and friends, put on an absolute defensive clinic. Orr, naturally a right back was forced to deputize as central defender with captain Steven Caldwell out through suspension and Doniel Henry through injury. Orr led by example, vocal and positionally sound, getting stuck in with timely tackles. He amassed an incredible 17 clearances in his first full 90 minutes of action as he works his way back to fitness. His stand-out play gives the manager a decision on whether to stick with the likewise impressive Mark Bloom at right back or hand the job to Orr once the regular centre back pairing returns to action. His partner in central defence, Nick Hagglund playing in his first MLS game, hardly looked out of place. The Xavier product was steady, showing requisite physical qualities and not shirking from the monumental task at hand. The 21-year-old has good size at 61", 193 lbs and initial returns bode well for a future at the professional level. The duo gave Toronto FC killer Dominic Oduro and one of MLS top attacking players, Federico Higuain nothing to work with. Space was limited, channels were cut out and Higuain found himself dropping into deep positions to gain possession of the ball. Most important was a disciplined back-line eliminating the gaps that plagued TFC in Salt Lake. Saturday reinforces Toronto FC has more than enough depth at the back, so much so that regular centre-back from a season ago, Gale Agbossoumonde, was left as an unused substitute. 2) Justin and Jackson – Torontos new double J continue to be key contributors for their new team. The prior, Justin Morrow, a former MLS All-Star has arguably been Torontos most consistent player after Michael Bradley this season. Morrow is a quality MLS defender, yet his off-season arrival was completely overshadowed by the clubs big money Designated Player signings. Morrow has been every bit as important, with the 26-year-old dynamite getting forward in attack and more than capable defensively. Morrow astutely started the movement leading to Toronto FCs first goal Saturday. Although he has a tendency to leave too much room between himself and his mark, his speed and ability to read the game rarely puts him in trouble. And all it took was allocation money to pry a solid MLS defender with a manageable contract to Toronto: an absolute coup for general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. Likewise, it only took a 2015 second round draft pick and allocation money to bring the dependable midfielder Jackson to Toronto FC from FC Dallas. The back-to-back games at Real Salt Lake and Columbus, with and without the Brazilian shows how important he is to team success. Jacksons work rate was seconnd to none in Columbus; covering an incredible amount of ground, consistently back in recovery. Nike Air Max 1 Sale Cheap. Some have been critical of his first touch on the ball and distribution, and hell never be a regular goal scorer from the midfield. But Jackson does enough else well to make up for any shortcomings. The outside midfield positions are where TFC has little depth. Jackson will continue to be relied upon as a steady influence. The successful courtship of the likes of Defoe and Bradley had much to do with MLSEs financial might. But the shrewd pickups of Morrow and Jackson are proving outstanding work by Bezbatchenko filling the many holes on this team with quality MLS players. 3) Bradley bags his first – Mr. Everything for Toronto FC added goal scoring to his already impressive resume. The 11th minute game-winner came down to an intelligent run deep inside the 18-yard box and Bradley hitting first-time on the run, keeping it low, forcing a save from the goalkeeper. Steve Clark should have done better and Bradley wont often score from such a tight angle, but the strike had pace, was hit low and hit well. The goal was the icing on the cake for another standout, Man of the Match type performance. Bradley put in 73 minutes of tireless highball pressure, setting the tone in the middle of the park. Bradley, alongside Kyle Bekker controlled the shape of the midfield, providing a more compact alignment with fewer holes than the previous week in Salt Lake, where Bradley next to Jeremy Hall were not on the same page with the defensive line behind. Bradleys performance was even more impressive coming off US Mens National team duty three days earlier, scoring a goal in 90 minutes of action against Mexico. Bradley will continue to be Toronto FCs most important player as the year rolls on. 4) Getting Gilberto Going – The Brazilian Designated Player continues to work hard and show glimpses, but is a step off in his MLS transition. Gilberto hasnt experienced as smooth of an adjustment to MLS life his strike mate Jermain Defoe had prior to injury. Gilberto was hampered by injury in the pre-season, and the difficulty thus far isnt entirely of his own doing. This isnt to call out Gilberto. Hes been fine. But Designated Players are expected to be another level, with money and valuable designation invested in the player. Toronto FC has to be better in distribution, bringing Gilberto into the game with superior service. Far too many times Gilberto has been engaged in aerial battles and relied upon to chase down the game. Lets see what he can do with the ball at his feet. He looks strong in stature and has good technique when on the ball. Its a matter of time, rather than if Gilberto gets going. If Defoe is out for any extended period, the team will need more from their young striker with little in terms of proven goal-scorers behind he in the pecking order. 5) When hard work is good enough – The entire team should be applauded for putting forth an impressive performance in Columbus. They fight for one another and appear to be playing in the mold of their manager. The aggressive, physical, relentless approach works well in MLS; a league not always predicated on consistently strong interplay. That being said, the team needs to find a way to hold on to the ball better with greater efficiency. TFC has been dominated in possession in four straight matches. Success can be found being a counter-attack team week in, week out, but its hardly sufficient to become a top MLS team. More clinical teams in front of goal and on a day Julio Cesar may not be at his best, battling against sustained pressure will be punished. These players are still relatively new to one another. But a gradual build in possession play will be expected as this team progresses. The hard work and commitment is the first step. The team has bought in. The coming weeks will be about adding polish to the finish. Toronto FC (3-0-1) hosts the Colorado Rapids (2-1-1) Saturday at BMO Field. (MLS on TSN, 4pm et/1pm pt) gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca (@WheelerTSN) Cheap Throwback Baseball Detroit Tigers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Colorado Rockies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Houston Astros Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Kansas City Royals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Angels Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Miami Marlins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Minnesota Twins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Mets Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Yankees Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Oakland Athletics Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Philadelphia Phillies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Diego Padres Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Francisco Giants Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Seattle Mariners Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Texas Rangers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Washington Nationals Jerseys ' ' '

nach oben springen


Besucher
0 Mitglieder und 2 Gäste sind Online

Besucherzähler
Heute waren 2 Gäste online.

Forum Statistiken
Das Forum hat 13456 Themen und 25000 Beiträge.

Besucherrekord: 204 Benutzer (09.11.2019 06:45).

Xobor Einfach ein eigenes Forum erstellen | ©Xobor.de