Aktuelle News! » s he did on Sunday. Hes a wonderful ta

TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on Raptors small forward Steve Novak, Nets shooting guard Marcus Thorntons firepower and deep range, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondos talent and the Chicago Bulls harder work on the court. 1. HUGE GAME: Im here in NYC for the Raptors at Nets game Monday night. Some games are just bigger than others and this is one of them. Four games separate them for first place in the Atlantic. Tie-breaker at stake, as well. A win by the Raps would be a major step with only 20 games to play beyond this one. Both are on a back-to-back. Its a tough challenge for Toronto versus a desperate opponent. I cant wait. 2. STEVE NOVAK (Raptors): The five three-pointers at Minnesota were major. Patrick Patterson is out and its all about digging deeper into your bench and he delivered. The sum is more important than the parts. Love how Landry Fields and Chuck Hayes have performed when needed as well. 3. MARCUS THORNTON (Nets): 27 points Sunday night versus his old Kings team. A terrific pickup for Brooklyn. He gives them firepower and deep range. Streaky scorer who can change a game quick if hes hot. He did that on Sunday night. He is the perfect complement off the bench for their team. 4. RAJON RONDO (Celtics): 11 points and 18 assists on Sunday versus the Pistons. GM Danny Ainges phone will be ringing off the hook this summer if he keeps dropping as many dimes as he did on Sunday. Hes a wonderful talent and if he gets back to being the explosive lead guard he once was, watch out! 5. CHICAGO BULLS: Watched their overtime win over the Heat on Sunday. What can you say, other than wow! No team in the NBA plays harder than them. Coach Thibodeau gets after it and Joakim Noah is that guy you want on your side. Hustle truly is a talent. Filip Forsberg Jersey .Tzavelas opened the scoring in the 11th and Pereyra added another in the 51st. Emmanuel Kone pulled one back in the 80th and Levadiakos missed several chances to level in the last 10 minutes. Colton Sissons Predators Jersey . Nwaneri, who was born in Dallas and attended Naaman Forest High School in nearby Garland, Texas, tweeted, "Its official! Im coming home, Im coming home. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Nic...jersey/.Michael Briscoe is serving a life sentence for sexual assault, kidnapping and first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte in 2005. Mattias Ekholm Predators Jersey . LOUIS -- The St. Austin Watson Predators Jersey . Many of those eyes are in the United States of America, a country that the sport has wanted on its side for some time. On Sunday the football Gods delivered once again, only this time it was time for good old USA to experience as much heartache as joy.SAN DIEGO -- At the end of the longest nine-inning game in San Diego Padres history, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle summed it up best Monday night. "Its time to go home," he said. Jordy Mercer homered and matched a career high with four of Pittsburghs 16 hits in a 10-3 romp over the Padres. Neil Walker added three hits and three RBIs, and Josh Harrison also had three hits to help Pittsburgh win for the ninth time in 13 games. The Pirates are enjoying their West Coast swing so far. After taking three of four at Dodger Stadium, they headed south and won again in a game that took 4 hours, 4 minutes. "It was a long one, thats for sure," Mercer said. "But it is always good when you score a lot of runs." Charlie Morton (2-7) tied a career best with nine strikeouts in five innings. He allowed two runs and three hits in winning for the first time in five road starts this year. Three relievers finished the five-hitter after Mortons curveball baffled the Padres. "He was still dealing with baserunners," Hurdle said. "But he was able to compete and get outs when he needed to. He gave us five solid innings." Mercer scored four times from the No. 8 spot in the batting order and went 4 for 5 to raise his average 20 points to .219. He entered with one home run and seven RBIs in 146 at-bats. "The people believe in me here," Mercer said. "Having that support, having that confidence every time, its nice." Hurdle talked about how dangerous this Pirates lineup can be. Mercer agreed. "I think when we all get hot theres no telling what we can do," Mercer said. "The skys the limit for us because we can hit the ball out of the ballpark, we can run, we can do all sorts of stuff. Its just a matter of us all clicking together." Tim Stauffer (2-2) lasted only 2 2-3 innings, his second consecutive disappointing start since being inserted into the rotation because of elbow injuries to Andrew Cashner and Robbie Erlin. "The first two innings were pretty good, then he seemed to lose the feeling for his pitches," San Diego manager Bud Black said. The PPadres threw 249 pitches, the most ever by their staff in a nine-inning game.dddddddddddd. "It was just unfortunate it unraveled the way it did," Stauffer said. The Pirates broke open the game with three runs each in the seventh and eighth. The big blow was Walkers two-run double in the seventh, propelling Pittsburgh to its sixth win in the last nine road games. Four times in the previous six innings the Pirates loaded the bases but scored only one run. They stranded a season-high 16 runners. The teams combined for 12 walks and six hit batters. Through the first four innings, Morton didnt allow a run or hit -- although the Padres reached on an error, two walks and two hit batters. But in the fifth, Everth Cabreras double drove in Alexi Amarista after he opened the inning with a single. Seth Smith drove in Cabrera with a single, trimming the Pirates lead to 3-2, but pinch-hitter Tommy Medica struck out with the bases loaded. Pittsburgh had extended its advantage to 3-0 on Mercers RBI single in the fourth. Starling Marte scored after he was hit by a pitch from reliever Alex Torres. Mercer snapped a scoreless tie with a home run to start the third inning, a 414-foot shot into the second deck beyond the left-field fence. Ike Davis sacrifice fly scored Harrison for a 2-0 lead. NOTES: Cashner threw a four-inning simulated game and didnt report any discomfort. Cashner, on the DL since mid-May with a sore right elbow, could start this weekend. "That was a good step forward," Black said. Cashner said hes adjusted the grip on his slider to take pressure off his elbow. ... Erlin hasnt been cleared to resume throwing. Hes on the DL with a sore left elbow. ... Pirates RHP Stolmy Pimentel (right shoulder inflammation) made a rehab start at Class-A Bradenton, throwing two scoreless innings. ... Harrison has batted leadoff 15 straight times, the longest stretch by a Pirates player this season. ... RHP Gerrit Cole (5-3, 3.80 ERA) faces Padres RHP Jesse Hahn on Tuesday. It will be Hahns major league debut after appearing in 10 games with Double-A San Antonio, where he was 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA. ' ' '